For some reason, investing has been top-of-mind for me this past week … In the context of healthcare, however, the question is – Where should we invest to make the most significant impact?
There’s no shortage of priorities: expanding services/service lines, recruiting talent, modernizing systems, and growing market share. Fortunately, there are two foundational tools that can bring clarity and focus:
- Your mission.
- Your brand.
These strategic filters should guide investment decisions and align your entire organization around what matters most.
Here’s how mission and brand work together as a decision-making framework and how healthcare executives can use them to drive mission-aligned growth.
Use Mission as your Strategic North Star
Mission defines why your organization exists. It articulates your purpose beyond profit and should influence every investment decision you make.
When budgets are tight, or priorities compete, your mission helps determine the investment that best reflects why you’re here.
Mission in Action
- A system focused on health equity prioritizes mobile clinics, translation services, or social determinants of health programs.
- An academic medical center with a mission rooted in innovation might fund clinical trials or research collaborations—even if the financial ROI is long-term.
But how can you make your organization’s decision criteria clear to those constantly requesting funding for pet or personal projects – put your mission statement at the top of every capital planning or initiative request form. Make it part of the vetting criteria so those making the request understand you have the greater good and mission of the organization in mind.
Use Brand to Define How You Deliver on That Mission
If mission is your why, brand is your how. It’s the perception you create in the market and the experience you deliver across every touchpoint.
A strong brand translates mission into expectations. It tells patients, providers, and partners what they can count on from your organization.
Brand in Action
- A brand promise centered on access might justify investment in central scheduling, urgent care centers, or extended hours.
- A brand built on clinical excellence would prioritize physician recruitment, specialty marketing, and academic affiliations.
Brand clarity helps ensure that your spending aligns with the experience you’re promising. And that consistency builds trust – internally and externally.
The Investment Framework: Mission + Brand = Smarter Strategy
Use this grid to evaluate proposed initiatives:
Question |
Mission Check |
Brand Check |
| What is the goal of this investment? | Does it advance our core purpose? | Does it reinforce what we want to be known for? |
| Who does this impact most? | Does it serve the populations we exist to care for? | Will it improve perceptions or loyalty among key audiences? |
| What experience does it enable? | Is it aligned with the values we promote? | Does it deliver on our brand promise across touchpoints? |
| How will we measure its success? | Can we track mission-aligned outcomes (e.g., access, equity)? | Can we track brand-aligned outcomes (e.g., volume, referrals, growth)? |
If an initiative checks both boxes—it’s worth serious consideration. If it only checks one, leadership has a decision to make: double down, adjust, or walk away.
Contact us at Springboard or email Mike Chapman at mike@springboardbrand.com to learn how we can help align your organization around what matters most in healthcare.