"Advertising is based on one thing: happiness," Don Draper proclaims in the first episode of AMC's Mad Men, the gritty, award-winning drama centered around a 1960s advertising agency.
"And do you know what happiness is? Happiness is the smell of a new car. It's freedom from fear. It's a billboard on the side of a road that screams with reassurance that whatever you're doing is okay. You are okay."
Sure, Don said this while delivering a pitch to a tobacco company, but the sentiment relates to hospital marketing today. Patients are constantly looking to be reassured that they and their family are getting the best care. That they're going to be okay. They need to be told this before they reach their positive outcome—and that's where marketing comes in.
Your past doesn't (have to) matter
Much of the first three seasons of Mad Men revolves around Don Draper, the charismatic, adulterous, mysterious, agency creative director trying to cover up his past. (Don't worry, there will be no spoilers here, but come on, we're already on season five.)
Suffice it to say, Don does a little rebranding campaign of his own (wink, wink), reinvents himself, and achieves substantial success.
Many healthcare organizations often find themselves in a similar position. Either their predecessors made bad decisions that resulted in a poor public reputation, or the brand simply doesn't stand out from the competition and resonate with the community.
Luckily, hospitals that change their names and reposition their brands tend to have a much easier go of it than Don.
Some recent examples: Cheboygan Memorial Hospital will now be known as McLaren—Northern Michigan, Cheboygan Campus after the organization filed for Chapter 11 after a reported loss of $7 million in 2011. McLaren Health Care bought the organization in April and is in the process of rebranding. Leaders are confident this rebranding and restructuring will spark a turnaround for the hospital.
Similarly, St. Mary Medical Center in Apple Valley, CA, recently changed its name to St. Joseph Health, St. Mary, in order to reflect its move toward stronger alignment with its parent health group. A spokesperson for St. Mary's, which joined the 14-hospital system in 1992, said the name change is part of an effort to strengthen network among St. Joseph hospitals so that they can better share resources.
"If you don't like what is being said, then change the conversation."
In season three of Mad Men, Don says this to a developer planning to demolish Penn Station, an idea which, not surprisingly, was unpopular with New Yorkers. Hospital marketers should take Don's advice.
Every organization, at some time or another, will experience a major public relations crisis. And while it's unavoidable, the way you react to the crisis is completely within your control and can greatly influence the way the crisis' media coverage plays out.
In 2010, I covered Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital's keen response to unfavorable media coverage regarding its marketing budget, no less. Earlier this month, I wrote about how Twitter can be an effective crisis and media management tool. There are plenty hospital crisis management success stories out there.
Don's words should be taken to heart even when you aren't in crisis mode. A huge part of a successful marketing department is an on-point, proactive public relations strategy. You should always be pitching local and national media about your successes, accomplishments, and good-old heart-warming patient stories.
It's okay to bend the rules, sometimes
If you watch Mad Men (and, if I haven't stressed this enough already, you should) you know the rules don't apply to Don. At least, that's what he would tell you.
The healthcare industry, on the other hand, is full of rules and regulation, and for good reason. Unfortunately, that tends to lead to a very standard, structured thought-process across hospital departments, which can stifle innovation.
As marketers, it's important to remember to step out of the box every once in a while. On Mad Men, the copywriters are always throwing a ball around, flipping through magazines, and drinking whiskey on the rocks in order to generate new ideas.
While those specific examples might not fly in today's workplace, especially that last one, there are some modern day equivalents. Attend as many healthcare marketing conferences as you can. If you can't afford to fly to any of the national conferences, check out local organizations' events and lectures.
Choose some hospital marketing role models and keep abreast of their initiatives. Mad Men's Peggy Olsen shoots from secretary to copywriter in just a few episodes, in part thanks to her mentor, Don. There's no reason you can't have a mentor, too.
A lot has changed since the 1960s, especially the patient experience. Mad Men's hospital scenes are cringe-worthy. But many of the old-school advertising idioms are true to this day. I'm sure Don would tell you the same thing, but he's too busy pouring himself another Old Fashioned.
Marianne Aiello is a contributing writer at HealthLeaders Media.