Takeaways: 2023 SHSMD Healthcare Conference

In early September, the LOOMIS healthcare account team attended the Society for Health Care Strategy & Market Development (SHSMD) Conference in Chicago. SHSMD helps its members stay at the forefront of healthcare’s rapidly evolving landscape while expanding its members’ knowledge and network to create value for the organizations and communities they serve. We left feeling more knowledgeable and aware of how to continue to foster growth in terms of marketing in the healthcare industry.

With topics from strategic planning to how AI is impacting the healthcare world, we learned a lot — but here are a few things we felt were worth sharing.

The importance of creating a dynamic brand to stand out amongst competitors.

Some questions we have found ourselves asking when it comes to establishing a dynamic healthcare brand are: have we created feasible and realistic goals for our clients? How can we translate those goals into action? Is our team unified on those goals to execute smoothly? Do the goals correlate with our clients’ brand identity. If not, what needs to be changed so that our communication and advertising is cohesive with all the brand stands for?

Internal communication is crucial for success.

Sometimes the best-laid plans can fall flat on execution if the organization isn’t aware of what the marketing team is doing. It’s essential to involve key organizational stakeholders, outside of marketing, to ensure the plan or strategy is successful. This not only enables the whole organization to be up-to-speed but also ensures that everyone has the opportunity to be heard. Whether you are working on a strategic plan or just updating employees on the company holiday schedule, it’s always important to keep everyone involved and on the same page.

It’s about building strong relationships with other departments based on transparency, trust, and mutual respect.

Overall, we found the SHSMD Connections Conference to be extremely valuable. Not only did it provide us with insights into healthcare marketing, but it also gave us the opportunity to connect with exceptional professionals in the field.

CHRISTINA MCKINNEY is account director at LOOMIS, the country’s leading challenger brand advertising agency and a top Dallas advertising agency for digital, social, mobile and user experience. For more about challenger branding, advertising, and marketing, leadership, culture, and other inspirations that will drive your success, visit our blog BARK! The Voice of the Underdog and catch up on all of our posts.

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