Emotional Advertising is Still Most Effective

According to Cincinnati marketing firm KemperConnect's March "The Use of Emotions in Advertising" study, 88% of healthcare executives say it's critically important to incorporate emotions into hospital marketing and advertising messaging, yet only 61% of marketers say they use the tactic regularly.

As I mentioned in a previous column on patient outreach, the hospital experience starts long before a patient is admitted or even walks through your doors. The first thing consumers want to know about your organization isn't the technology you use or the range of services you offer. They want to know you understand.

Most people don't watch a hospital commercial and decide right that moment that it is the place they want to go for care. But when they do need care, they're more likely to remember positive emotional sentiments than your state-of-the-art Cyberknife.

Of course, once you've hooked consumers with your emotion-stimulating ad, you can detail the hospital's offering in more depth on the campaign microsite, which, as we all know, is no longer optional.