The strategy for a successful communications campaign hinges on how well you know your audience. And to reach the complex and diverse target of the Hospital C-suite, there are many factors to take into account. 

 
The healthcare industry is enduring a disruptive change, as described in a recent McKinsey & Company article. Healthcare stands alone among other industries due to its inability to adapt to more cost-effective, productive innovations. Fair enough. Yes, hospitals have struggled to adjust to more streamlined processes (why do we still have to arrive to appointments 20 minutes early to fill out paperwork?). And yes, it does seem a bit off that there are some physicians referring to Wikipedia for medical information. But the future outcome for healthcare is optimistic. Healthcare leaders are motivated to seek out and implement solutions that will positively impact the bottom lines and quality of care. Before you can effectively market to those leaders, however, you must first understand them.

A House Divided

There are two distinct groupings within a hospital C-Suite. There is the “operations” side, which features leadership roles typical in any type of industry or organization: Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, etc. But in healthcare, there is also the “clinical side,” whose members have been immersed in the medical field for their entire career as nurses and physicians.

While necessary, the second “group” of leaders adds a new tier of wants and pain points – which can complicate the joint objectives of the organization. On the positive side, the expansion of leadership adds accountability to the inner workings of a hospital. But on the downside, a full C-suite may present its own assortment of challenges. Specifically, clinician-based C-suite members, including the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) and Chief Medical Officer (CMO), tend to be more aware of and concerned with patient-oriented ambitions and challenges. Conversely, the CEO and CFO are business-driven, ensuring that the hospital remains a functioning operation.

There are so many internal functions that require attention and improvement. All decisions, whether it is the need to implement new hospital programs or invest in a tool that mitigates risk, must be critically analyzed to understand how it will impact the healthcare system.

Facilitate Authentic Connections

While there are common trials among many healthcare organizations, each one has specific needs. Researching the wants and needs of the C-suite members enables a better understanding of the obstacles and opportunities of specific leadership roles. Whether by focus groups, social media monitoring, surveys or interviews, the research portion of a campaign is paramount. It lets you know whom you’re talking to and what you should say. It informs the messaging to C-suite executives so you can develop trust and communicate a solution.

Strike a Balance in Short and Long-Term Thinking

C-suite executives thrive on a symbiotic relationship. A CMO on the clinical side may want a product or system in place to improve patient diagnosis and treatment. This may be a short-term implementation that yields long-term benefits – improved patient outcomes, patient relationships and brand reputation.

But to the operational side of the C-suite, the long-term success may be overshadowed by the initial obstacles: integrating the product into the hospital, training physicians or reworking processes. Therefore, before you can frame messaging for a product or service to win over both sides of the C-suite, you would need to understand how short-term efforts, such as improved patient care will evolve into long-term solutions.

Identify Challenges of the Decision-Makers

A hospital executive has the influence and the resources to follow through with the implementation of new technology, talent or efficiency-driven processes, but before reaching him or her, it’s essential to understand how your product will meet their challenges head-on.

Healthcare executives don’t always share the same perception of what is a valuable investment of resources, even if they can meet the needs of both distinct groups. Amidst the pressures to reform traditional modus operandi (and cut costs and readmission rates by doing so), the C-suite is challenged with basing investment decisions on the future of healthcare. To a healthcare marketer, this means you must have the research and validation in place before crafting messaging.

Check out upcoming Switchboard posts, in which we will explore impactful ways to communicate solutions that resonate with both groups of hospital leadership.

To learn more about healthcare persona research, reach out to SunnyS@TheSwitch.us.