In today’s healthcare landscape, many executives share a common concern: their teams may execute marketing tactics well but lack a deeper understanding of the business objectives that truly matter. Too often, marketing is viewed as a series of campaigns. Such as an “incident-driven” process – rather than a central strategy that guides an organization’s growth.
That disconnect is costly. Marketing must evolve from an inward-facing, process-driven function into one that is obsessed with the buying process, driven by loyalty, retention, and customer lifetime value. That requires a shift in mindset: moving from an internal operational lens to an external consumer experience lens. And, most importantly, it requires moving from doing marketing strategy to leading marketing strategy.
When marketing leadership is grounded in a clear business objective, focused on measurable goals like new patient acquisition, increased service line volume, or higher retention rates, it becomes a strategic force. A contemporary marketer’s role is to craft an economic imperative that yields real, profitable growth. This isn’t simply about generating awareness; it’s about aligning marketing strategy with organizational strategy to produce financial returns that matter to the C-suite.
That also means answering a few critical questions before launching any initiative:
- What specific business objective does this effort help accomplish?
- What is the expected net revenue impact?
- How much investment are we willing to make to achieve this objective?
- What level of growth can operations directly attribute to this initiative?
By translating marketing goals into these concrete, quantitative terms, marketers speak the language of their C-suite counterparts. This makes marketing strategy an integral part of executive decision-making.
More broadly, contemporary marketing strategy must recognize the economics of the customer experience. What is the true value of acquiring a new patient? What is the measurable impact of improving loyalty or lifetime value? Answering these questions transforms marketing into a vital engine of strategic growth – one that grows not just awareness, but bottom-line results.
At Springboard, we help clients make this shift every day. Our focus is on moving marketing strategy up the value chain, so it is not simply supporting the business. It drives its future. The challenges are real, but so is the opportunity.
The question is – what’s your strategy doing?
Let’s talk.
To learn more about Springboard’s thinking and strategy practice, click here. To set up a time to discuss your strategic opportunities, please contact mike@springboardbrand.com