3 Secrets to Successfully Marketing Robotic Surgery

One of the many ways hospital marketing stands apart from commercial marketing is that things can get real technical, real fast. Sure, some product advertisements include technicality as a marketing tactic—I'm looking at you Dyson Ball Vacuum—but with complicated healthcare procedures, marketers have an obligation to inform the patient of what is involved.

The question is, how can hospitals most effectively get the message about complex technologies to potential patients? Let's look at the marketing strategies of two hospitals that boosted their rates of robotic surgeries.

1. Deliver the message via multiple channels
Southwest General in Middleburg Heights, OH, has recently been promoting robotic-assisted gallbladder surgery. The hospital's new da Vinci surgical system allows surgeons to use just one tiny incision in the patient's belly button, making the procedure virtually scarless.

The hospital's integrated campaign includes print, radio, digital advertising, and social media.

"The ability to provide the message in multiple media outlets amplifies the understanding and interest level by potential customers," says Albert Matyas, vice president of marketing and business development for Southwest General. "It is really about educating the public about the new technology so they can gain a better understanding and discuss it with their caregiver."