Focus

Nurture your Brand

Brand is about having a unique name that identifies a product; it's also about creating a sense of trust. Now, even hospitals are using this mantra, says Jayata Sharma.

A few years back, now a renowned hospital group faced a problem of non-recognition outside South India, despite its pan India presence. In fact, the market has it, that to win acclaim it approached a leader (now a CEO) of another renowned hospital to be a part of its organisation, to which the man refused declaring the former's presence is restricted only to Bangalore.

This was due to the fact that the group had not paid much heed to branding. Over the years, it followed a three-pronged approach — right attitude towards patients, highlighting ethical practices, and rendering personalised care. They captured the attention of people through regular announcements about new equipment or advanced procedure conducted, released advertisements, held regular CMEs, imparted training to employees and modified the way its employees interacted with patients. Today, the Group is an institution to reckon with in India.

The Promise of Quality

"Hospitals must look at customer delight, which is offering more than they expect" - Vivek Shukla Dharamshala-based Hospital Branding Consultant

A recent survey conducted by Madurai's Meenakshi Mission Hospital and Research Centre (MMHRC) revealed that 82 per cent of their new patients come through word-of-mouth, while the minuscule rest through referrals from doctors and corporate bodies. Talk about power of patient loyalty!

Hospitals can definitely incorporate branding to improve their business prospects. "Patients would prefer to avail of treatment at branded institutes and not mind shelling out extra bucks," says Dharamshala-based Vivek Shukla, Hospital Marketing Consultant, a brand building solutions provider to hospitals. Not only does it ensure a constant stream of patients, branding also opens windows of opportunity for business alliances. An example in this is the innumerable local hospital groups that have formed associations with Apollo Hospitals for its brand name.

Branding also helps in getting a higher cost for shares during book building. Branding enhances employee satisfaction and thus results in low attrition rates. For medical professionals, a branded hospital becomes the first choice to work in and be associated with.

Treatment of choice

Branding has been around for quite some time, though maybe not the way we know it now. Earlier, people were known to brand their horses using hot iron rods to make identification easier. However, today branding is a totally different exercise, especially in the case of hospitals.

A few years ago, the idea of branding did not even occur to Indian hospitals. It emerged as a result of the corporatisation culture, which laid emphasis on marketing. But plain marketing yielded short-lived results. It is only in the last five-seven years that hospitals have aggressively taken up branding as part of their portfolio.

Branding is an experience. It is more than just providing the best-in-class technologies and treatments. Branding aims to convert each patient treated into a brand ambassador for the hospital. Brands are built around experiences, which linger on customers’ mind.

"Good branding helps the patient recall the hospital name faster and helps the target customers to get hooked to the brand, whereby improving the brand value," says Dr Vivek Desai, MD, HOSMAC India Pvt Ltd, Mumbai.

"Branding is all about taking care of people's emotions and each employee is a brand ambassador of the hospital," opines Dr Nagendra Swamy, Group Director, Medical Services, Manipal Hospitals.

When a patient visits the hospital, there are certain set expectations they might have. It is up to the hospital to ascertain that right from the time of admission to discharge, everything is an experience. The positive image taken home by the patient proves the hospital's brand a success.

"Branding is about entering the mind and heart of the customer. So far, majority hospitals in India have only entered the body," says Jagdeep Kapoor, MD, Samsika Advertising, Mumbai, whose list of clients includes Association of Medical Consultants (AMC), Hiranandani Hospital, and Shroff Eye Clinic.

"It is easy when I tell my son to be like Sachin Tendulkar, synonymous to excellence," says Dr George M Chandy, Director, CMC, Vellore.

Branding exercise is many-a-times a choice of the hospitals. Like CMC, Vellore, which prefers to treat a large number of patients at a nominal cost. It sustains itself by cross subsidisation of cost. "Thus, we have patients pouring in from all parts of the country, who are willing to wait for days to get treated," says Dr Chandy.

An example of a successful brand is that of Mayo Clinic Hospital in Scottsdale, Arizona, US. Built in 1998, it is designed as a 'healing environment'. For the Mayo brothers, the best interest of the patient is the only interest to be considered. A soothing environment is provided through soft music, the corridors are extremely quiet and serene, and a nurse station is less than 20 steps from any room. One will hear no announcements, and visitors are never asked to leave. Also, the quality and quantity of time nurses spend with patients is pre-decided.

Position Yourself

Branding tools can be broadly divided into tangible and intangible. Tangible would comprise the physical aspects like equipment, the space allotted as parking lots for patients, and even the smell at the hospital. Intangible implies the unique experience a patient would receive.

A balance of tangible and intangible: "Hospitals often make the mistake of concentrating more on the tangible part of branding, whereas it is the intangible part that enhances the brand image. A balanced blend is the mantra for success," opines Shukla.

While tangible tools are comparatively easy to implement, the intangible ones are a cumulative effect of sheer dedication of every employee of the hospital. They are the strongest tools, like a brand built through word-of-mouth, which can be relied on.

Targeting the Stressed Patient: At the time of check-in, a patient is naturally stressed. This is when the patient and his/her relatives need the hospital's emotional support the most. "If that stress is taken care of, then be rest assured the customer will remain loyal and in turn recommend your hospital," says Dr Sanjiv Malik, Regional Director, Max Healthcare.

Customer Delight: Technical support and best-in-class services are now basic expectations of patients. "Hospitals must look at customer delight, which is offering more than they expect. This can be easily given to them through a personal touch and emotional assurance," says Shukla.

Positive Experience: The process of hospital branding cannot be mechanical. "Hospitals must be careful to give a positive experience to patients and their relatives. Positive experience creates an ever-lasting impression," says Vishal Bali, CEO, Wockhardt Hospitals Group. Stronger the experience, greater is the recall value.

The hospital must treat everybody related to the patient as its customer, be it the relatives or even the insurance company who pays for the patient. This way, hospitals can have the insurance companies in their kitty, who in turn will direct more patients towards them.

An All-round Experience

Best quality, human touch and value for money are on top of every customers' wish list, when they look for a hospital.

For Various Tiers: Depending on the market, branding plans will differ for secondary, tertiary or multi-speciality hospitals. The branding budget, message, positioning, medium, all have to be devised and tailor-made according to the organisation. For instance: a secondary care hospital will target local surrounding areas and people, so they can brand themselves as a part of that region. "Secondary hospitals can establish themselves by being involved in local festivities, and target problems related to that particular area," suggests Shukla. Tertiary and multi-speciality care hospitals will need to target the national and global market, and also medical tourism.

Although modernisation and acquiring hi-tech equipment can be a part of branding, hospitals must not rely on them alone. This is especially true in the case of old hospitals. "Old hospitals must highlight their decade-long experience, flaunt their rich heritage and thus touch people's heart and emotions, instead of the latest gadgets they have acquired," says Shukla.

Name: The nomenclature too plays a critical role. It should depict the services the hospital specialises in (for instance Asian Heart Institute), should be short (Max Healthcare), must be self explanatory (Jet Airways), easy to pronounce (Tata) and easy to remember (Sony).

Reality Check: Branding begins through realising the USP of the hospital by conducting a reality check. This will include the hospital's inherent strengths, weaknesses, its competitors, the positioning, and quality of doctors and services. A consistent brand strategy is formed, which relates to the services provided, so as to highlight the brand.

"Simultaneously, it is important that the hospital design its logo, slogan, the colours to be associated with the brand and which will be used in all hoarding, brochures, and on the website," says Shanta John, MD, Mind Set EYW, a Hyderabad-based creative consultancy firm, which has worked on branding Apollo Clinics.

Value Proposition: Ensuring value proposition is essential. Value proposition need not mean high quality at a low price. It means, even if the hospital's charges are high, it must offer the best service, technology and most importantly, emotional assurance.

"The aim of branding has to be pre-decided, and the organisation must be clear about the picture they want to present to people," says Dr NC Borah, Founder of Guwahati Neurological Research Centre (GNRC), Guwahati. GNRC selects a branding theme for each year. This year's theme is customer delight, while last year it was cleanliness.

Being Unique: What makes hospitals endearing is also its uniqueness. The home dialysis facility of Manipal Hospital, Bangalore, helps in attracting more number of patients.

Being a pioneer in a technique or a surgery is another way. Everybody remembers Madras Medical Mission for conducting the first paediatric heart transplant or Apollo Hospitals, Chennai for its first telemedicine initiative.

Not to forget hospitals who believe in reaching out to patients, rather than waiting for patients to come. Since the last 16 years, CMC, Vellore has been sending out nurses to neighbouring villages to help people avail of treatment. This, indeed, had an everlasting impact on patients.

"We never think twice before telling an impressive brand story to our customers" - Dr N Sethuraman Founder Chairman MMHRC

Spreading Brand Stories: Hospitals can take lessons from MMHRC which is rigorously working towards this. "We never think twice before telling an impressive story to our customers and in the market that can help our branding exercise," says Dr N Sethuraman, Founder Chairman of MMHRC. One of MMHRC's favourite anecdote is the dedication of the nursing staff. A six-month-old baby, an accident victim, was rushed to the hospital. A lactating nurse then breast-fed him. "This shows the dedication of our staff," adds Dr Sethuraman.

Going a step Further

By brand extension, we mean when a hospital, possibly with just one speciality, decides to include other specialities. Wockhardt and Fortis, which started as cardiac institutes and later became multi-specialty hospitals, are apt examples of brand extension.

So, why brand extension? Bali of Wockhardt explains, "For 16-17 years, we were known as a cardiac hospital. When people had accepted our brand, why not explore new avenues?" This is when Wockhardt Hospital Group thought of expanding to other specialities like neurology, orthopaedics and more. "After extension, our brand has become stronger," Bali adds.

However, some dub brand extension as a risky business since brand association has already registered on the minds of people. Dr Desai of HOSMAC, opines, "If hospitals plan to expand, they must do so in specialities related to their original speciality. This way, people are likely to accept the additions sportingly."

Shouldice Hospital at Toronto is one hospital which has been involved since inception only in hernia-related operations. All surgeries are tailor-made and the average length of the patient's hospital stay is less than 50 per cent when compared with other hospitals doing hernia-related operations. Also, in hernia operations, it is well-known fact that patients have to come for repeat treatments. And doctors at Shouldice ensure that the percentage of repeat operations is less than 10 per cent as compared to other hospitals. In fact, recently, for an alumni meeting of the hospital patients, a whopping 1,500 people showed up.

An interesting study by Harvard Business Review showed that brand extension can dilute the original brand. The Journal of Consumer Marketing in a study done on the top 10 international brands found that hardly anyone amongst these had extended their brands. No wonder, consultants vouch for sticking to the original brand.

What Not to Do

"A brand must be nurtured continuously" - Dr Aninda Chatterjee Medical Director BM Birla Heart Research Centre Kolkata

Brand building has to be constructive and long term, which can be achieved by building the brand around the hospital itself. It would be a mistake if the institute builds it around a particular person for the simple reason that if the person decides to leave the hospital, it becomes difficult to rebuild a new brand. One instance is when Manipal Hospital built its cardio-thoracic surgery team around Dr Devi Shetty, who then quit to build Narayana Hrudayalaya. The same was with Madras Medical Mission which faltered when Dr KM Cherian left for Frontier Lifeline, Chennai.

Brand is dynamic in nature. "It must be nurtured continuously," says Dr Aninda Chatterjee, Medical Director, BM Birla Heart Research Centre, Kolkata. In CMC, Vellore, patients have to stand in long queues to get treated. "We know it is not beneficial for us to make patients wait. Even if we are known and appreciated, we cannot take it for granted. We are planning to expand our premises and staff soon," says Dr Chandy.

Branding of hospitals is not an overnight feat. It takes consistent quality service, establishing relations with patients, loads of hard work, which can take anywhere between three and seven years.

Hospitals must never propagate untrue key areas or incomplete information. Often hospitals claim of being a pioneer in some technology, when somebody else has accomplished the feat before. This results in negative branding. Hospital brand is all about trust, and it can and should not be breached at any cost. "Never over-promise and under deliver," cautions Bali.

The well-known coffee outlet chain, Starbucks, is known to have turned down a lucrative offer by an established US airline for a co-branding venture. The deal entailed the airline offering Starbucks coffee to its customers. Starbucks' hesitation stemmed from the dilemma if the airline would be able to provide the same experience, ambience and temperature of the coffee that Starbucks provides at its cafés. If not, then they would lose their customer experience.

As branding assumes more significance in healthcare, perhaps one day more successful case studies of hospitals would emerge and could be cited for other industries to follow.

jayata.sharma@expressindia.com