The last couple years have presented a lot of challenges for health systems. As the Covid-19 pandemic dominated the conversation in 2021 and continues to do so now, healthcare systems must stay on top of ever-evolving messages and may hopefully look toward recovery in 2022. As an agency that works with clients across all facets of healthcare, we have a unique perspective on the upcoming marketing trends in the healthcare industry. Here are our predictions on what healthcare systems are going to be focused on in 2022.
Wellness & Vaccine Messages in Brand Campaigns
As the pandemic wears on, the public is naturally feeling an ever-growing fatigue with Covid-19 messaging. However, sharing education on Covid and other vaccinations remains critically important. In an attempt to craft these messages as underlying campaign themes, we expect to see healthcare systems use their system-level brand campaigns to continue to promote vaccinations and other general health and wellness initiatives. By tying these messages together, healthcare systems can remind the community of the trust they have in their providers right alongside important vaccination reminders.
Ideas to Try: Take a look at the marketing and communications strategy you’re currently using for Covid vaccine information. Has it stayed the same over the past year? If so, it might be time to shift your message and media, looking for a new way to appeal to the populations who are less apt to receive a Covid vaccine. As you get started building your strategy, look at Baylor Scott & White Health’s Find the Words campaign. They’ve done an excellent job bringing to life the potential serious consequences of not taking the vaccine and carefully and kindly offering information for common hesitancies.
Focus on Screenings
Many people have fallen behind on their regular health screenings during the pandemic. While virtual health helped many people gain access to convenient care the past couple of years, a virtual appointment isn’t a substitute for regular lab work, cancer screenings and more. Healthcare systems are ramping up their efforts to get patients caught up on these life-saving screenings, and we expect to see promotion of this take center stage in marketing communications this year.
Ideas to Try: Try finding a way to integrate health risk assessments directly into your campaign efforts. This will make it easier for those who want to take action toward their health do so right away to see if they need a screening (not to mention it provides additional campaign KPIs to judge the effectiveness of your campaign). Additionally, see if it’s possible for your health system to host mobile screenings to make them more widely accessible.
Increased Messaging Around Pediatrics
Many children have fallen behind on their vaccination schedules and missed well child visits during the pandemic. In an effort to get children seen again and remind parents of the importance of vaccinations, we expect to see a lot of marketing focus placed on pediatrics this year.
Ideas to Try: Meet busy parents where they are and put your message in a variety of media for the different ways people like to consume information. Think print collateral, web pages, digital ads and videos. In addition to your normal distribution channels, try also working with your Community Relations team to share your collateral with school nurses for extended reach.
While we can’t fully predict what the 2022 health landscape is going to look like, with creative thinking, health marketing teams can be ready to meet challenges as they arise! Need help with your 2022 strategy? Our team of creative and strategic thinkers would love to talk about your challenges.