Medical associations used have gone from “behind the
scenes” to “front and center” in terms of implementing branding and marketing
strategies. This has evolved from the
shifting goals of associations as they move from merely providing member
education and networking opportunities to creating a unique niche in the
marketplace and seeking to drive consumer behavior in the direction of members.
Seems members want more from their dues and have high
expectations in terms of the value their membership should bring to their
association and respective practice of medicine. Dermatologic surgeons, radiologists, plastic
surgeons, orthopedists, to name only a few, have all realized significant
value-add from their membership as their organization’s have invested in
developing unique stories and strategies to help build their patient volume and
overall reputation. Even hospital-based
central service professionals have used branding and marketing to encourage
member certification and tie their story to a quality patient experience.
Chances are, your medical association is considering
some form of branding rejuvenation. If
that’s the case, here are seven success factors for your consideration:
1.
Gain input from your members – Most likely, there’s a
group of members who have been influencing you to launch a brand campaign. These are the perfect group to include in
some sort of “marketing and/or public relations” committee. Learn what’s important to them and, more
importantly, what differentiates the strategy from other organizations.
2.
Balance with customer research – Regardless of
whether your customers are consumers, professionals, or another audience, it is
imperative that you discover what’s important to them, and balance this with
the internal impression of your organization as gleened from the aforementioned
work group.
3.
Create a strong brand message/story unique to your
members – Based on your objectives and findings from both internal and external
research, now is the time to develop your brand story and strategy. While there are several criteria and
approaches to developing a strategy, make sure it’s unique to your organization
and is supported by many “reasons to believe.”
4.
Include your members as organic messengers - Your
primary channel for telling your story is your membership. Each and every member of your association
should understand the thinking behind the strategy and have access to materials
to help share it with their customers.
Toolkits comprised of campaign materials are an excellent way to
disseminate the information and achieve consistency in the marketplace. Of course, in today’s digital world, these
materials should be available online via a campaign landing page or microsite.
5.
Never stop educating members about the campaign – You
might get tired of telling members about the campaign and how they can
contribute and benefit. You might think
you’ve saturated them with reminders.
Chances are, when you’ve reached this point – they are only beginning to
“hear” you. You can’t do enough to keep
your members apprised and engaged in the program and gaining their support to
carry it through in their marketplace or practice. Your website and publications are excellent
vehicles to keep the message front and center with your members.
6.
Quarterly reviews/meetings/analytics – Use the
workgroup, not only for their input up-front, but throughout the course of the
campaign to review its progress and make any necessary adjustments. You should be evaluating the success of the
campaign on a quarterly basis and factoring in analytics from your digital
efforts in the overall initiative.
7.
Brand reinforcement throughout all marketing activities
– Once your brand strategy is determined, and your story is being told to the
marketplace, think “consistency.” Let
the brand strategy guide your other marketing communications efforts such as
social media, publications, and your annual meetings. The beauty of a brand strategy is your
organization now has a platform from which it can drive and orchestrate all
other marketing messages and channels.
Take advantage of your hard work!
For more information on branding and marketing your medical association, please contact Rob Rosenberg, President - Springboard Brand & Creative Strategy at rob@springboardbrand.com or visit us at Springboard Brand 847.398.4920
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