After 51 pages of doom and gloom on the current economic crisis, the latest issue of BusinessWeek (September 29, 2008) gives us its “Best Global Brands” article. After covering what is perhaps the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, what is the article’s advice for building a top brand? Keep spending:
After the provocative morning session on Thursday from Andrew Keen, things got back to normal with healthcare marketing sessions galore. Amy Davis, chair of the Brand Team at Mayo Clinic, delved into how that organization strived to have all employees across its system drive the brand promise. She said “Mayo Clinic is created every day, by every employee, in every interaction with every patient.” Then astutely said, “It’s that simple, and that difficult.” (more…)
1) Bix, the restaurant we ate at last night with our friends from Allegiance Health and BrandActive. A jazzy supper club with an entrance tucked down an alley somewhere in downtown San Francisco, the food was excellent and the speak-easy ambiance perfect. I am the furthest thing from a food critic, but the Ceviche was unbelievable.
Coming at you live from the annual SHSMD conference in San Francisco, and the city by the bay looks as incredible as ever. It’s great to be in the center of the healthcare marketing universe for a week, running into old friends and meeting new ones. (Shout outs to Philip Guiliano, Tom Panion and the Beryl team, and Anthony Gardner, my initial run-ins.) This looks to be a great conference, and my team and I will be logging in with learnings, opinions and rants all week. So if you couldn’t make the trip out, we’ll try to give you a little flavor. First thought out of the gate - attendance. (more…)
A good friend of mine, Philip Guiliano of BrandActive (a fantastic brand implementation firm), forwarded on this blog on customer experience, Customer Innovations - Driving Profitable Growth. At first glance, it seems like a great resource. Check it out.
Chris Bevolo will moderate “The Patient Centered Experience – Improving the Care Model” as part of the LifeScience Alley Annual Conference & Expo on Dec. 10, 2008 at the Minnesota Convention Center. The session will be held 2:15-3:45 p.m. as part of the conference’s “Innovation in Patient Care” track.
As the owner and president of GeigerBevolo, Inc., a Twin Cities firm nationally recognized as a thought-leader in healthcare branding, Bevolo believes healthcare providers need to move to a more consumer-centered approach to thrive in a changing market. He explains, “Market forces such as consumer-driven healthcare, increased competition and a new breed of industry influencers are combining to force healthcare providers to rethink their business models and redefine the marketing and branding strategies that allow them to compete.”
Bevolo moderates a panel of experts who will discuss innovative methods ranging from Web-based tools to provider-side approaches design to improve the patient experience and outcome. The panelists include David Herman, M.D., medical director of employee and community healthcare for the Mayo Clinic, and Marcia Miller, chief marketing officer for Carol, The Care Marketplace.
Conference keynote speakers will include Dr. Paul Keckley, executive director of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions in Washington, D.C. and Dr. Peter Agre, professor and director at Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Bloomberg School of Public Health, and winner of the 2003 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Bevolo also has been a keynote speaker and a featured presenter on the topics of branding, innovation and the patient experience at healthcare conferences throughout the country. He is a returning speaker to LifeScience Alley Annual Conference & Expo. Based on last year’s figures, the conference is expected to draw together 1,500 life science leaders from 25 states and a dozen countries. Learn more at www.lifesciencealleyconference.org.
On June 20, Foote Health System of Jackson, Mich., became Allegiance Health. Behind the scenes, GeigerBevolo worked extensively with the organization to develop this new brand identity.
GeigerBevolo began name exploration and logo development more than a year ago, in anticipation of the organization’s 90th anniversary. GeigerBevolo also helped develop a brand hierarchy and nomenclature system that emphasized simplicity and a patient-perspective across the system’s many facility sites, clinics and services.
A locally owned and locally governed health system, Allegiance Health serves the south central Michigan region near Lansing. Its 411-bed system features a full range of inpatient and outpatient services, state-of-the-art surgery facilities, a 20-bed Heart Center, an outpatient surgery center for same-day procedures, a new hospice residence and recently renovated Emergency Department.
To ensure consist application of the organization’s new name and identity, GeigerBevolo helped create an online guide for brand standards. The healthcare branding firm also designed many of Allegiance Health’s communications elements such as stationery, brochures, newsletters, vehicle graphics, building signage and a new Web site.
Special care was given to announcing the new brand identity to the community. A teaser and reveal campaign was used to help build excitement for both internal and external audiences, followed by a public campaign paying tribute to the heritage of the organization. Campaign components included television, print and radio advertising, a video program, a community benefit report, and more. To view the new Web site and video, please visit www.allegiancehealth.org.
Chris Bevolo opened the Minnesota Health Strategy and Communications Network’s (MHSCN’s) 2008 Summer Conference with a keynote presentation on July 16. Building upon the conference’s do-it-yourself theme, Bevolo discussed brand strategy as the blueprint for how an organization wants to brand itself for the future, and how to lay the groundwork for developing such blueprints.
As the owner and president of GeigerBevolo, Inc., a Twin Cities firm nationally recognized as a thought-leader in healthcare branding. Bevolo reported both the good news and the bad news on brand building in healthcare. He asked, “Why brand strategies are only embraced by 5-10% of hospitals and health systems today?” Addressing this question, he offered suggestions and cautions for building brands when the organization isn’t ready for a brand strategy.
Bevolo has been a keynote speaker and featured presenter on the topics of branding, innovation and the patient experience at healthcare conferences throughout the country. He also authored the 166-page book, “A Marketer’s Guide to Brand Strategy: Advanced techniques for healthcare organizations,” published in 2008 by HealthLeaders Media, as well as numerous articles and white papers.
Most recently, Bevolo published “Pointing the Way,” a paper examining these emerging influencers, why are they important, what impact are they having now and could have in the future, and ideas for monitoring and potentially “influencing the influencers.” He will draw from this paper at his upcoming presentation to Iowa Hospital Association’s 79th Annual Meeting.
…and I liked it!
My stomach was rumbling late this morning. It was time for food. I thought to myself, “Where to go… where to go?” Suddenly my hankering for a tasty sub kicked in. I grabbed my keys and my trusty iPhone (I can’t just call it a cell phone) and took off down the street. As I approached my destination a dude with a mohawk screeched his bike to a halt beside me. He leapt off, locked it up and tore into the restaurant to grab his next batch of deliveries. In the blur I could barely make out the good old Jimmy Johns slogan on his back, “Subs so fast you’ll freak.” After all, if I could have easily processed the message it certainly wouldn’t qualify as freakishly fast.
At the Iowa Hospital Association’s 79th Annual Meeting, Chris Bevolo, president of healthcare branding firm GeigerBevolo, Inc., will offer a thought-provoking look at new sources influencing how patients choose their healthcare providers.
According to Bevolo, consumer-driven healthcare continues to spread, and how consumers make healthcare decisions is changing. “As consumers are asked to spend more of their own money to receive care, they will consider the entire spectrum of value, from access and expertise to service, convenience, and price. As a result, they are turning to new sources for help,” says Bevolo.
He adds, “Organizations such as information providers, health and wellness firms, employers, and patient brokers have the potential to have great influence with consumers when it comes to healthcare decisions. And those responsible for marketing and branding at healthcare provider organizations must understand how to consider these audiences in their strategies.”
Bevolo’s presentation will draw from “Pointing the Way” a recently published white paper. The paper and presentation examine these emerging influencers, why are they important, what impact are they having now and could have in the future, and ideas for monitoring and potentially “influencing the influencers.”
GeigerBevolo has gained a national reputation as thought leaders in healthcare branding. Supporting this position, Bevolo authored the 166-page book, “A Marketer’s Guide to Brand Strategy: Advanced techniques for healthcare organizations,” published in 2008 by HealthLeaders Media. He also has published a number of articles and papers, served as a judge in local and regional design and marketing competitions, and has been a frequent presenter and featured conference speaker on the topics of innovation, patient experience, branding, strategic design and positioning.
Most recently, Bevolo spoke as the keynote presenter at “The Power of Impressions” 2008 Conference hosted by The Beryl Institute in Dallas; the annual marketing mini-conference for Benedictine Health System of Duluth, Minn.; at the Illinois Society of Healthcare Marketing and Public Relations’ annual conference; and at the Forum for Healthcare Strategists’ national conference.
The Iowa Hospital Association’s 79th Annual Meeting will be held Oct. 7-9, 2008 at the Des Moines Marriott Downtown. For details, please visit http://www.ihaonline.org/am/am1.shtml.