As we all resolve to gain the internal status and respect required to make marketing departments more relevant in 2025, it’s critical to be seen as an informed strategic driver rather than a support function. Here are some marketing strategies for 2025 that are actionable steps to achieve this:

1. Align Marketing Goals with Business Objectives

  • Speak the Language of the C-Suite: Tie marketing metrics to revenue, growth, acquisition, and retention. Highlight how brand and service line campaigns contribute to ROI and competitive positioning.
  • Set Measurable Goals: Use data to show how marketing initiatives drive tangible outcomes like lead generation, conversions, and increased profitability.
  • Involve Marketing in Decision-Making: Advocate for a seat at the table during leadership planning sessions to ensure marketing’s (and the customer’s) voice is heard.

2. Shift the Marketing Narrative

  • Wise Investment: If marketing is seen as an expense, we’re fighting an uphill battle – instead, position marketing as an investment in the organization’s growth at every opportunity.
  • Proactive Voice: To positively affect growth and elevate your brand, marketing must be proactive. Get out in front of news, trends, and market conditions to lead the conversation.
  • Strategic Collaboration: Marketing is a strategic partner with unique insights – use your research, data, and insights to inform organizational shifts.

3. Collaborate Across Departments

  • HR Partnership: Collaborate on employer branding and recruitment campaigns to attract top talent.
  • Operations and IT: Partner on digital transformation initiatives, ensuring marketing tools integrate seamlessly with operational systems.
  • Priority Departments: Contribute to communications and ensure messaging from your priority departments – Foundation, Medical Group, etc. – align with your brand position.

4. Showcase Marketing’s Value

  • Report on Results: Create concise, impactful reports or dashboards that show the outcomes of marketing efforts, such as website traffic, engagement, and customer acquisition costs.
  • Celebrate Wins: Share success stories internally, like a high-performing campaign or a new customer acquisition. Use storytelling to make the results relatable and memorable.
  • Educate Colleagues: Host workshops or lunch-and-learns to explain how an investment in marketing contributes to the company’s success.

6. Build Credibility with Thought Leadership

  • Elevate the Company Brand: Use marketing to position the company as a thought leader in its industry, driving greater visibility and trust.
  • Promote Executive Voices: Support the leadership team with speaking engagements, media coverage, and LinkedIn content to amplify their influence.
  • Be Indispensable: By focusing on strategy and insights, your marketing department can evolve into the central driver of organizational growth and innovation.

6 ½. Realize When You Cannot Do It All

  • Amplify Your Efforts: Sometimes, you need a “half-step” to go full speed. A partner who has “seen it all” can bring in a new perspective, expertise, best practices, and fresh ideas to assist in growing your brand and department.

Springboard has been helping healthcare brands grow for over 20 years. If you’d like to explore creative collaboration, please contact us at mike@springboardbrand.com.