3. Learning Objectives
• Understand the importance of gaining consensus and
alignment of key board members and hospital leaders
when launching a brand-building initiative.
• Use a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities,
and threats) analysis to assess the capabilities of the
organization and identify key areas that need
strengthening.
• Engage an external branding expert to facilitate the
strategic branding process and provide objectivity in
finding the right brand positioning.
4. Learning Objectives
• Implement a brand-building strategy that can
evolve and adapt in a digitally networked and
rapidly changing market.
• Engage leadership, as well as employees,
along the journey to ensure brand-building
success.
5. Introduction
• Children's Hospital Boston: one of the top two
hospitals in U.S. News and World Report for the past
20 years.
– Largest research program and the highest caliber of
scientists among its peers
– Affiliation with Harvard Medical School
– First successful heart surgery on a child for a
congenital defect, the first successful remission of
pediatric leukemia, and the first successful treatment
of a fetus in utero for a heart defect
6. Building a Reputation: Key Factors
• Retention and expansion of market share
• Recruitment of high-quality physicians, scientists,
and employees
• Strong platform for friend and fundraising
• Strong attraction for grant funding
• Better able to withstand crises, such as medical
errors, if there is an element of trust and a
preconceived positive impression of organization
7. Building a Reputation:
More Key Factors
• Better able to attract media coverage
• Better positioned to pursue legislative and
advocacy agendas
• Improved staff morale and investment in
mission
• Willingness for customers to pay for quality of
service
8. The Seven Steps
1. Leadership must be involved
2. You’ll need help
3. Use a selection process to refine and clarify goals
4. Intensive information gathering
5. Synthesize findings and develop brand blueprint
6. Sharing findings
7. Understand the market context before launching
9. Measurement
• Measurements will help you document and
demonstrate campaign progress, which will help
to build long-term support for branding efforts
• At Boston Children’s, a pre- and postsurvey of
“medical opinion” leaders is currently in the first
phase (presurvey) of measurement, and
postmeasurement will occur within an 18-month
period.
10. Marathon vs. Sprint
• The major initiatives mentioned in this chapter
require at least 18 months of implementation,
and a few years of start up. As such, building a
national reputation with limited funds requires
time—three to five years.
