The healthcare industry has experienced significant transformations in recent years, with the Covid-19 pandemic serving as a catalyst for change. As healthcare marketers adapt to evolving trends and navigate the challenges posed by the pandemic, individuals like Paul Matsen, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at the Cleveland Clinic, have successfully embraced the changing landscape. In this article, we explore Matsen's insights and strategies, highlighting his experiences in overseeing large-scale projects, fostering connection in a virtual environment, leveraging digital solutions, and breaking away from traditional healthcare marketing approaches.
Adapting to a New Era:
The healthcare industry witnessed a paradigm shift over the last three years, requiring nimbleness and responsiveness from marketing teams. Matsen recognized the need to adapt and embrace change, enabling his team at the Cleveland Clinic to thrive in this dynamic environment. As the overseer of an international team spread across multiple locations, Matsen emphasized the importance of fostering connections despite working predominantly in a virtual environment.
Leveraging Digital Solutions:
The digital revolution has had a profound impact on the healthcare industry, revolutionizing patient care and marketing strategies alike. Matsen acknowledged the pivotal role of digital technologies in healthcare, highlighting the ability for patients to book appointments online, reorder medications, and access test results through electronic health records. In line with this digital transformation, Cleveland Clinic has focused on content development as its primary marketing strategy. By creating SEO-friendly articles, investing in paid search, and developing targeted campaigns, the clinic ensures that trusted content reaches the right patients.
Reaching a Wider Audience:
With an increasing emphasis on content development, Cleveland Clinic has seen its website experience significant growth. Matsen predicts that the clinic's website will reach over 1.2 billion visits this year, primarily driven by the interest in the clinic's health library and Health Essentials content. This content covers a wide range of topics, including sugar substitutes and gender identity, helping individuals gain a better understanding of health-related issues. Additionally, Cleveland Clinic actively utilizes social media and podcasting, investing in its newsroom team to produce organic promotional content. This content focuses on research, innovation, and patient care stories, garnering global coverage and raising awareness about the clinic.
Exploring AI and Content Creation:
Looking ahead, Matsen recognizes the potential of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in search algorithms and content creation. While cautious about adopting every new idea, Matsen's team is actively developing a roadmap to identify areas where generative AI can have the most significant impact on the business. They are considering AI's potential in creating and editing podcasts, drafting press releases, and generating social media posts. By leveraging AI technologies, Cleveland Clinic aims to enhance its marketing efforts and engage with its audience more effectively.
Breaking the Mold:
One of the challenges faced by healthcare marketers, according to Matsen, is the prevalence of "a sea of sameness" in healthcare advertising. To overcome this, Cleveland Clinic has focused on breaking away from industry conventions and creating distinctive campaigns. Matsen cites the "unadorned facts" campaign from 2011 as an example, which utilized line drawings, bold colors, and intriguing facts about the clinic to capture people's attention. In recent years, the clinic's centennial campaign showcased its history through various mediums such as print, digital, audio books, documentary films, and virtual events. This innovative campaign successfully preserved and made accessible the clinic's history, engaging a new generation of caregivers.
Paul Matsen's journey as a healthcare marketer in the face of transformative industry changes offers valuable insights into adapting to new trends, embracing digital solutions, and breaking away from traditional marketing approaches. Cleveland Clinic's success in fostering connections, leveraging digital technologies, and creating distinctive campaigns demonstrates the importance of staying agile and embracing change.
Source: A conversation with the CMO of the Cleveland Clinic (healthcare-brew.com)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: TAYLOR GENTER
Taylor is a Marketing Manager at Extract specializing in marketing strategy and planning. With a strong background in data analytics, graphic design, and digital and social media marketing, she brings a comprehensive skill set to her role. She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Marketing at the University of Wisconsin- Whitewater. Taylor enjoys analyzing people’s behaviors and attitudes to find out what motivates them, and then curating better ways to communicate with them.