Even with the help of a talented medical marketing agency, health insurance companies are never going to be sexy, or set consumer pulses racing. Most Millennials report that they would rather go 24 hours without using any social media than sign a stack of healthcare insurance forms. Yet this industry does have a major ace in the hole in terms of brand perception and audience engagement: healthcare is a social good, and Millennials are pro-social consumers who expect brands to do their part.
By developing a compelling medical marketing campaign, brands in the health field can get the message out about the differences they are making in people’s lives — something that’s good for both society and business.

How Cigna positioned itself as a healthcare champion

Speaking at the recent ANA Masters of Marketing Conference in Orlando, Florida, Cigna’s Global CMO, Susan Bacus, said that 81% of people believe global brands have the power to make the world better, according to recent research. Additionally, from its own internal research, Cigna discovered that roughly 70% of healthcare costs are linked to lifestyle choices.

Given these numbers, the company took action in a few key areas to transform how the brand operates and is publicly perceived. The first step was a stronger attempt to improve health outcomes through prevention. To help accomplish this, Cigna devised a clever “TV Doctors” marketing campaign featuring some of the most famous fictional physicians from the small screen, all of whom encouraged people to get regular checkups.

The results were impressive — and not merely from a patient care perspective. In the aftermath of the campaign, preventative visits jumped 18%, customer growth spiked 6% and revenue climbed 9%.

In addition to the campaign, Cigna also placed a new emphasis on discussion of larger societal issues affecting wellness while also taking a more empathetic approach to its health guidance and advocacy efforts.

Bacus said Cigna’s campaign and subsequent changes proved that caring for people and good business are not mutually exclusive. In fact, a more empathetic approach is actually better for business; it not only drives superior health outcomes,  but it improves how a brand is perceived by a public that’s increasingly cause conscious.

Using the power of medical marketing to make the world a better place

Cigna’s “TV Doctors” campaign is a good example of how a medical marketing agency can serve the business interests of an enterprise, while also serving a larger societal good. Brands can choose to pursue cause-related marketing by partnering with a non-profit or follow Cigna’s example of reorienting its marketing messaging and business processes to improve real-world outcomes.

This kind of altruistic, cause-related marketing offers a variety of benefits: It attracts new customers, it deepens the loyalty of the customer base you already possess and it enhances a company’s image. It also helps brands stay aligned with audience expectations. This is especially true in the medical field, where access to affordable insurance coverage is not universal, and the “business” side of medicine is often a sensitive subject.

What a top medical marketing agency can do for you

Being a top Florida advertising agency, we help healthcare firms create the kind of compelling marketing campaigns that engage audiences and win new customers. If you’d like to see what a dynamic new medical marketing approach could do for you, please reach out to us today.