The document discusses four key learnings for healthcare marketing from the COVID-19 pandemic. Attribution of marketing efforts to patient volume is more important than ever. Supportive messaging that conveys being "in this together" resonates more strongly than bold messages. Personalized messaging tailored to a patient's specific care needs has seen high success. Continued testing and learning from data is essential to inform marketing efforts and stay responsive to shifts in audience behavior.

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Four Learnings for Healthcare Marketing After a Year of COVID-19
COVID-19 has been a life-changing event for us all. We are seeing with our health care clients
that over the last year, the average person was more reluctant than ever to visit a hospital,
despite the safeguards in place. MMI has faced this challenge head-on for our clients, looking
for creative and new approaches on how to drive patient volume during this uncertain time.
Now, as the world begins to shift into the *new* new normal post COVID-19, the tactics that were
tested for our health care clients in 2020 have not only proven to be successful but have become
the standard in measuring and driving patient volume. The following learnings are key for brands
looking to optimize their healthcare marketing efforts into 2021 and beyond.
1. Attribution is more important than ever.
• MMI has been able to tie marketing efforts back to patient volume through custom-built,
HIPPA-compliant dashboards. Our business intelligence tools connect all marketing data
to arrived patient data in a HIPAA-secure environment, allowing a direct connection to be
made between any digital marketing touch point and an arrived patient.
• Phone calls and online patient leads are now measurable and help determine next steps
in our marketing efforts, allowing our clients to focus their efforts on the channels and
campaigns that drive the most value.
2. Supportive messaging is your key to success.
• At the onset of 2020, we were often taking a bold approach to messaging to stand out
among competitors in the healthcare space. As priorities shifted due to COVID-19, so did
a shift in patient perception. Based on creative AB testing and feedback we received in
real-time, we saw that no longer did messages like “we can beat this” resonate as strongly,
but rather a reassuring tone along the lines of “we are in this together”.
• Warm and supportive messaging as it relates to your practice is key to driving patient
volume. Because people are reluctant to be in a hospital, it is more important than ever
that they know you are there with them every step of the way.

2. 3. Take it one step further and personalize your messaging.
• For our clients, we have adapted a more personalized approach on specific programs and
needs vs. general messaging.
• MMI has seen high success when marketing efforts speak to the specific care that the
patient is seeking, particularly when we can tie the messaging back to “serving” vs.
“selling.”
4. Use data to inform your efforts - Continue to test and learn
• At MMI, data is at the heart of all our marketing efforts. An important input is survey data,
such as from our sister agency The Harris Poll, that publishes a weekly COVID tracker with
weekly survey data and insights highlighting shifts in consumer perception.
• AB testing is more important than ever to test and learn in real-time on what messaging
existing and potential patients are responding to, and to be able to adjust messaging as
needed based on those learnings. Continue to monitor sentiment and media
performance closely to stay on top of changes in your audience’s behavior.
In conclusion
If the past year has taught us anything, it’s that flexibility is key. Throughout 2021 and into
2022, stay close to the data to inform your efforts, and continue to build flexibility into your
marketing plans as much as possible. Consider investment in personalization and attribution
initiatives to further understand the consumer and what channels are driving your success.
WANT MORE FROM MMI AGENCY?
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✉ Email us: letstalk@mmiagency.com