Impacting population health through innovative marketing

Programmes focused on value-based care can help reduce costs and improve care and outcomes for entire populations. These programmes become even more appealing in light of the unsustainable growth of health-care spending compared with overall outcomes. While programmes like these are effective, they can, however, be difficult to execute. Modern marketing tactics offer a possible solution. Healthcare systems can use the same innovative marketing tactics and strategies business to consumer marketers have used (with great success) for years. Traditional, digital and social marketing tactics are designed to influence behaviour to create loyalty. When applied to the practice of health care and focused on population health goals, they can effectively motivate behaviours, incentivise actions and deliver measurable results. Correctly implemented in partnership with multichannel initiatives, community health programmes can do more than improve population health. They can also engender respect for the healthcare system in the community and help weave the system into the fabric of the community itself. These programmes can benefit the community, participating community organisations, programme participants and the healthcare systems that sponsor them. This paper reviews the theory and programmes launched by Carolinas HealthCare System and Cleveland Clinic.