This is a white paper I wrote about marketing to consumers' values in healthcare. It eventually grew into an article.

1. Echo Branding:
Speaking to the Consumer’s Values and Priorities
by Dan Dunlop
In this fast-paced, high-speed world of cell social mission. The company actively advocates
phones, e-mail, the Internet and personal digital on behalf of clean water, fair trade, and generally
assistants, people are looking for meaning in strives to contribute positively to communities
places they haven’t in the past. They want to and the environment. That connection with the
connect with the products they use in a real and brand and its values makes the relationship even
meaningful way. And, be assured, that includes more meaningful and rewarding.
the healthcare consumer.
Echo Branding in Healthcare
“Instead of For many of today’s consumers, the products
What consumer values and priorities should
a cup of coffee and services they select represent opportunities
we reflect in healthcare marketing? It all begins
at the office, to express their individual style and values. This
with understanding that effective marketing puts
is the notion of echo branding—the brand takes
many consumers the consumer first. Building upon that, what is
on a reflective quality for the end user, echoing
are opting important to the healthcare consumer?
their values and priorities. And this extends far
to pick up beyond the cars people drive and the clothes
a $4 latte they wear, and includes the hospitals they
from Starbucks choose and the health plans they join.
on the way
into work.
Significantly,
a cup of coffee
has now been
replaced with
a relationship.”
Today, many of these brand relationships take
Tufts-New England Medical Center, in a recent
the form of indulgences. Products that we use
advertising campaign for its new suburban
every day, like coffee, shampoo, and body lotion,
pediatric specialty centers, put forth a message
have taken on a new level of importance. They
of “convenience without compromise.” Consumers
are no longer simply functional; now they are
were promised the exceptional care they could
expressions of our personal brand and
expect at Tufts’ downtown Boston facility, but
serve as rewards for a fast-paced life.
with the convenience of having the center in their
suburban community. And Tufts communicated
The consumer’s mindset is: “With such a hectic
this through a campaign that mimicked a child’s
life, I deserve to ‘treat myself’ and my family in
activity book. The look was colorful, engaging
some of the everyday choices I make.” Instead
and familiar, and the messaging reflected an
of a cup of coffee at the office, many consumers
understanding of the pressure suburban parents
are opting to pick up a $4 latte from Starbucks
face trying to juggle careers, chauffeuring kids to
on the way into work. Significantly, a cup of coffee
after-school activities, and caring for a sick child.
has now been replaced with a relationship. Not
It was very human and
only do the consumers indulge themselves, but
relatable of Tufts-New
they derive a sense of belonging and identity
England Medical Center to
based on the choice of Starbucks, and what that
say: We understand that a
choice or brand affiliation represents. After all,
drive into downtown Boston
Starbucks is a company with a well-publicized

2. is a hassle, and we want to make it easier for you The Benefit of Echo Branding
to access great healthcare. That is an excellent
instance of echo branding in a healthcare context. The benefit to the brand, product or healthcare
organization is that the consumer forms a more
Another example is the UNC Health Care Heart significant brand loyalty grounded in a sense of
Campaign. This campaign, targeting Baby shared values and identity. These brands foster
Boomers, spoke directly to Boomers’ desire to a sense of shared experience and belonging.
live life to the fullest during the second half of Echo branding helps to take the marketer out of
their lives. Values such as questing, desiring to the realm of simply selling services, and allows
travel, spending more time with family, and them to enter into a relationship with potential
seeking out adventure (even second careers), patients.
were all communicated through the campaign.
The messaging was simple: “At the UNC Heart The first step is to identify the services and
Center, we work to get you back to your life.” amenities your hospital has adopted that
One headline from the campaign read: accommodate the needs and values of your
potential patients. These are marketable
“Echo branding attributes that have a high likelihood of
helps to take resonating with the healthcare consumer.
the marketer Examples could include steps you’ve taken
to make care more accessible; extended
out of the realm
family visiting hours; larger patient rooms with
of simply sleeping areas for family members; seemingly
selling services, small things like free parking or valet service;
and allows them or the ability to schedule appointments online.
to enter into
a relationship Whatever you decide to feature in your
marketing, it needs to be relevant to the
with potential
consumer’s life. When you travel this path
patients.”
“You’ve spent your entire life getting to the point with your marketing, you put your institution
where you can start living it.” The messaging in the preferred position of becoming the
was reinforced by the campaign tag line: hospital that understands the needs of patients
“We treat heart disease so you can live your life. and their families, and that cares enough to
Your way.” Finally, the imagery used in the develop services that meet those needs. Soon
campaign showed Boomers living active lives, you will begin to see consumers being
once again reinforcing the values of self- transformed into brand advocates, while
actualization and re-connecting with family. your preference numbers gradually increase.
And couldn’t we all benefit from an increase in
In his book, The Culting of Brands, Douglas the number of advocates for our institutions?
Atkin states that “brands function as complete These are the people who will go out and tell
meaning systems. They are venues for the your story to others and sing your praises.
consumer (and employee) to publicly enact a That’s the best marketing money can buy.
distinctive set of beliefs and values.” Hence the
evolution of meaning-based brands like The About Jennings
Body Shop, Burt’s Bees, and Ben & Jerry’s, Jennings, founded in 1979, specializes in advertising,
where an ice cream bar becomes a Peace Pop! public relations and brand development for
According to Atkin, cult brands’ values are often businesses in healthcare, transportation, financial,
aspirational—pointing toward how the world telecom, and real estate. Using both consumer
ought to be. These brands are self-consciously anthropology and healthy skepticism, Jennings finds
different from their competitors because of the the relevant, relatable connection between a person
meaning and significance they bring to the and a product. For more, see www.jenningsco.com.
consumer. That is echo branding.