By Sharalee Scanlon
Owner, AD-SUCCESS Marketing

"What is healthcare marketing?"

"Why would a hospital need a marketing director?"

"What do you mean the whole face of healthcare is undergoing change?"

In 1974, when I graduated in health education and journalism from Eastern Kentucky University, I heard those questions a lot - especially from my parents! But the most common question was, "What are you 'really' going to do when you graduate from college?"

In my last year of college, courses such as "The Future of Healthcare" were fascinating to me. I even learned what an HMO was! The idea then was that the Health Maintenance Organizations, and other ideas on the horizon, just might be the answer to rising healthcare costs. However, in all of the projections and prognostications, one thing was missing.

The missing element was accountability. Accountability at all levels Ð by those who receive healthcare and by those who deliver healthcare.

I am passionate about healthcare marketing because the messages we marketing professionals create and deliver can have a tremendous effect on accountability. Here is what I mean:

To a great degree, we are all responsible for our own health. Yes, we are each dealt a different hand, but we can educate ourselves, examine our options and strive to understand them in order to make informed decisions.

Consumers have access to a wealth of well-researched, solid information. They can access this through hospital programs, print materials provided by pharmaceutical companies, clinics, physicians' offices, other healthcare providers, and health insurance companies. Accountability means taking advantage of all of this information and making smart choices.

In just the last couple of years, healthcare marketing programs have educated women across the country about the risks and symptoms of heart disease. Thanks to 20-plus years of healthcare marketing, the words "breast cancer" no longer have to be spoken in a whisper, and the premise of early detection is universally accepted -- again, thanks largely to healthcare marketing. By the way, participation in early detection programs (self-examination, regular mammograms, etc.) is a perfect example of accountability.

At my company, AD-SUCCESS Marketing, we have recently been involved in several campaigns to get consumers more involved in their own healthcare decisions. We have created marketing materials on how to use Internet healthcare tools, and we have promoted the availability of new medical technology in a smaller market (saving both time and money by precluding travel to distant medical facilities). Our Buddy Check television campaigns advocate breast cancer awareness; the Women's HealthWatch program deals with women's health issues, and we even promoted better health through fitness at athletic clubs we market in multiple Kentucky and Tennessee locations.

In addition, we have marketed the breadth and depth of hospice services, therapeutic and cosmetic dental implants, and we produced a multi-media campaign to educate lawmakers on the importance and needs of statewide mental health associations.

Perhaps most directly related to the issue of accountability is the "Easier to Carry" campaign AD-SUCCESS Marketing developed for Bluegrass Family Health, a health insurance company and long-time client. "Easier to Carry" promotes the new generation of consumer-driven health insurance plans, which require more accountability from consumers while granting more autonomy in healthcare decisions.

Our biggest challenge was to develop a message that described the fairly complex concept of Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRAs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) in only a few words (on billboards) or a few seconds (in television spots). The solution was the distinctive, purple Bluegrass Family Health "Easier to Carry" backpack, which contained attractive employee benefits, especially HSA and HRA accounts and insurance plans.

When we first approached the client with the backpack concept, the reaction was tentative. Of course, I am sure the AFLAC duck initially raised a few eyebrows, too! But thanks to a well-articulated strategy and a client willing to listen (and give input), the resulting campaign delivered an effective message to both employers and employees.

In the advertising industry, awards for creative excellence recognize ideas that stretch the imagination and deliver succinct, persuasive messages. The backpack concept must have really impressed the judges at the annual Lexington Advertising Club's ADDY Awards competition: the "Easier to Carry" TV series was honored with the Ralph Gabbard Television Excellence Award. The Gabbard trophy, named for the late, influential Kentucky broadcasting executive, recognizes the best entry in the television advertising category, and is one of the most prestigious awards presented by the Advertising Club.

The 30-second spots feature the Bluegrass Family Health purple backpack being stuffed with a number of employee benefits, like cash, vacation and holiday props, and health insurance. Voice-over narration and on-screen graphics then describe the options and advantages available with Bluegrass Family Health insurance products.

Faith Powers, Communications Director at Bluegrass Family Health, saw the honor as validation of a well-executed marketing message. "You have only thirty seconds to deliver a lot of information," she said, "and the 'Easier to Carry' scripts do a great job of educating our public Ð that includes business owners, HR people, and consumers."

At AD-SUCCESS, we saw an opportunity to be "part of the solution" by helping Bluegrass Family Health successfully communicate, educate, and change perceptions to enhance healthcare accountability. Ultimately, we believe we have contributed to the greater good.

So, what is healthcare marketing? It can be communication, education, motivation, or sales. It should always aim to enhance what I believe is needed most in healthcare: accountability in all levels of delivery and consumption, and the willingness to address healthcare challenges responsibly and creatively.

Messages and how they are delivered do effect people's lives. Nowhere is that more evident than in healthcare marketing.