Ignite: Healthcare Marketing Podcast

Cardinal Digital Marketing
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Hear the latest performance marketing strategies, industry news, and innovative tactics that will help grow your healthcare organization. Brought to you by Cardinal Digital Marketing, our CEO Alex Membrillo sits down with industry leaders and the nation's top healthcare marketing professionals to uncover practical insights to boost your digital presence and attract more patients.

  1. 5D AGO

    Inside the Brand Strategy Powering 1,000+ PDS Health Locations

    If your patient acquisition strategy depends too heavily on paid media, this episode explains why brand trust is now the real growth lever. On this episode of Ignite, Ashley Petrochenko, Cardinal's VP of Brand Marketing, sits down with Courtney Taylor, Senior Director of Brand Marketing at PDS Health, to discuss how one of the nation's largest healthcare organizations is using brand strategy to stand out in a crowded, low-trust market. They break down how clearer messaging, smarter storytelling, and connected consumer experiences can improve performance marketing efficiency and long-term patient loyalty. For healthcare marketers facing rising costs and shrinking attention spans, this shift is critical. You will learn: Why trust is becoming the biggest driver of patient conversion How stronger branding reduces lower-funnel acquisition pressure Ways to make complex healthcare messages simple and human How partnerships and storytelling expand reach beyond paid ads If you want a smarter patient growth strategy that doesn't rely on chasing clicks, this is the episode to listen to next. RELATED RESOURCES Connect with Courtney - https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneyjotaylor/ How to Build a Full-Funnel Healthcare Marketing Strategy -  https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/healthcare-full-funnel-marketing-strategy/ Marketing + Operations: Why Total Alignment is Vital to Growth - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/healthcare-marketing-operations-alignment/ What is a Patient Journey? Examples to Grow Your Practice  - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/what-is-a-patient-journey-grow-your-practice/ DSO Marketing: Branded House vs. House of Brands  - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/dso-marketing-branded-house-vs-house-of-brands/

    22 min

  2. APR 28

    Strategist's Corner: What healthcare can learn from retail

    Healthcare marketers are stuck chasing the same patients while retail brands are building demand at scale. In the first episode of The Strategists' Corner, a new series on the Ignite Healthcare Marketing Podcast, host Rich Briddock, Cardinal's Chief Strategy Officer, sits down with Ben Dutter, Chief Strategy Officer at Power Digital Marketing. Together, they break down what healthcare can learn from more mature industries like retail, e-commerce, and SaaS. You'll hear how top brands balance demand generation and capture, rethink measurement in a privacy-first world, and use creative to influence real patient decisions. You'll learn: Why overinvesting in bottom funnel limits patient growth How to measure true marketing impact beyond attribution What builds trust in high-stakes healthcare decisions How stronger creative can lift performance and demand If you want to move beyond incremental gains and build a smarter healthcare growth engine, this is the episode to queue up next. RELATED RESOURCES The Search Plateau Problem: Why Healthcare Providers Need Incrementality Testing -https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/healthcare-incrementality-testing/ How to Build a Full-Funnel Healthcare Marketing Strategy - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/healthcare-full-funnel-marketing-strategy/ When & How to Expand Your Healthcare Media Mix  - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/expanding-channel-media-mix-strategy/ Performance Creative: The Key to Paid Media Success  - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/performance-creative-the-key-to-paid-media-success/

    33 min

  3. APR 21

    Trust Is the New Healthcare Growth Engine

    Trust is no longer a brand message. It is the growth engine behind patient acquisition today. In this episode of Ignite, Ashley Petrochenko, Cardinal's VP of Brand Marketing, sits down with Rachel Johnson, Marketing Director at Acorn Health, to break down how healthcare marketing is shifting toward consumer-led journeys where patients arrive informed, empowered, and already forming opinions before they ever engage. She shares how behavioral health has become a powerful example of this shift and why marketers must rethink how they build trust across the entire experience. This matters because growth is no longer driven by channels alone. It is driven by how well your brand shows up across every touchpoint patients actually trust. You will learn: Why patient journeys are longer, messier, and harder to control How reputation and peer conversations shape patient decisions What it takes to build trust before the first interaction How to align marketing and operations to reduce friction   If you are rethinking how to drive real patient growth today, this is a conversation you do not want to miss. RELATED RESOURCES Connect with Rachel - https://www.linkedin.com/in/racheljohnson730/ What is a Patient Journey? Examples to Grow Your Practice - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/what-is-a-patient-journey-grow-your-practice/ Marketing + Operations: Why Total Alignment is Vital to Growth - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/healthcare-marketing-operations-alignment/ Optimizing for AI Search: A New Era in Healthcare Marketing  - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/optimizing-for-ai-search-a-new-era-in-healthcare-marketing/ How a Primary Care Provider Futureproofed Their SEO in an AI-Driven Search World  - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/search-content-strategy-ai-landscape/

    19 min

  4. APR 14

    Patient Acquisition Needs Programmatic Infrastructure

    If your patient acquisition strategy depends on last-click performance, you're missing the system that actually drives demand. In this episode of Ignite, Lauren Leone, Cardinal's Chief Growth Officer, sits down with Lisa Fisher, Associate Media Director, Paid Social & Programmatic Lead, to break down why programmatic should be treated as always-on infrastructure, not a short-term campaign. They share how healthcare marketers can use programmatic to build demand, improve performance across channels, and drive measurable growth over time. This shift is critical as competition increases and traditional channels hit saturation. You will learn: Why small programmatic budgets fail and what to do instead How programmatic increases branded search and organic performance The right way to measure impact beyond last-click attribution How to build full-funnel patient journeys with video and CTV   If you want a more scalable and predictable patient acquisition strategy, this is the episode to queue up next.   RELATED RESOURCES Connect with Lauren- https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenthomasdigital/ Connect with Lisa- https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisaruthfisher/ How to Build a Full-Funnel Healthcare Marketing Strategy - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/healthcare-full-funnel-marketing-strategy/ The Search Plateau Problem: Why Healthcare Providers Need Incrementality Testing - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/healthcare-incrementality-testing/ When & How to Expand Your Healthcare Media Mix  - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/expanding-channel-media-mix-strategy/ 2026 Healthcare Marketing Trends: The New Rules Redefining Growth  - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/healthcare-marketing-trends-2026/

    24 min

  5. APR 7

    The end of easy growth in healthcare

    Healthcare marketing is entering a new phase where AI, data, and trust are redefining what actually drives patient acquisition. In this continuation of our 200th episode, we take the conversation further as Lauren Leone, Cardinal's Chief Growth Officer, sits down with our media, analytics, and creative experts who are in the trenches every day. They break down how AI, data, and platform shifts are redefining what actually drives patient acquisition and where most teams are falling behind. You'll learn: Why first-party data and real patient outcomes now drive visibility and trust How AI is accelerating insights and changing how teams act on data What's actually improving paid media performance today Why creative and full-funnel strategy matter more than targeting   As we continue celebrating our 200th episode, this conversation brings the real-world perspective on the trends shaping what's next in healthcare growth.   RELATED RESOURCES 2026 Healthcare Marketing Trends: The New Rules Redefining Growth  - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/healthcare-marketing-trends-2026/ The Search Plateau Problem: Why Healthcare Providers Need Incrementality Testing - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/healthcare-incrementality-testing/ Optimizing for AI Search: A New Era in Healthcare Marketing - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/optimizing-for-ai-search-a-new-era-in-healthcare-marketing/ Performance Creative: The Key to Paid Media Success  - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/performance-creative-the-key-to-paid-media-success/

    20 min

  6. MAR 31

    Healthcare Marketing Trends Reshaping Growth

    Search alone is no longer enough to keep driving patient acquisition in healthcare today. In this special episode celebrating the 200th episode of Ignite, Lauren Leone, Cardinal's Chief Growth Officer, and Rich Briddock, Chief Strategy Officer, break down the biggest shifts changing how healthcare organizations drive growth today. From tougher attribution and rising media costs to full-funnel strategy and smarter creative, this conversation shows why healthcare marketers need a more modern approach to stay competitive and prove impact. You will learn: • Why search-only strategies are hitting a ceiling • How better measurement leads to better growth decisions • What a stronger full-funnel media mix looks like today • Why creative strategy matters more as platforms automate If you're trying to drive patient growth in a more competitive, more complex digital landscape, this is the episode to listen up next. RELATED RESOURCES Connect with Lauren- https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenthomasdigital/ Connect with Rich - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-briddock-01426682/ 2026 Healthcare Marketing Trends: The New Rules Redefining Growth  - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/healthcare-marketing-trends-2026/ The Search Plateau Problem: Why Healthcare Providers Need Incrementality Testing - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/healthcare-incrementality-testing/ When & How to Expand Your Healthcare Media Mix - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/expanding-channel-media-mix-strategy/ Performance Creative: The Key to Paid Media Success  - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/performance-creative-the-key-to-paid-media-success/

    26 min

  7. MAR 24

    Why Good Measurement Starts Outside the Platform

    Most healthcare marketers trust the numbers inside ad platforms. The problem is those numbers often don't reflect what is actually driving new patients. In this episode of Ignite, Lauren Leone, Cardinal's CGO and Alex Kemp, Sr. Director of Analytics, break down some of the most common measurement traps healthcare marketers fall into. From blended CPA misconceptions to platform over-attribution, the conversation explores why dashboards alone rarely tell the full story. The discussion also explains how leading teams are building smarter measurement frameworks that connect marketing performance to real business outcomes. You will learn: Why blended CPA can hide inefficient patient acquisition How platforms over-credit conversions across channels What a true source of truth for healthcare marketing looks like How incrementality testing and media mix modeling improve decisions   If you want a clearer picture of what your marketing is actually driving and how to scale patient acquisition with confidence, this is an episode worth listening to.   RELATED RESOURCES The Search Plateau Problem: Why Healthcare Providers Need Incrementality Testing  - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/healthcare-incrementality-testing/ When & How to Expand Your Healthcare Media Mix - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/expanding-channel-media-mix-strategy/ Healthcare PPC & Google Ads Marketing Trends in 2026 - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/healthcare-ppc-google-ads-trends-2026/ RevRx™: Unlocking the Power of Media Mix Modeling  - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/media-mix-modeling-revrx/

    16 min

  8. MAR 17

    Healthcare SEO Strategy for the AI Era

    Healthcare SEO is changing fast as AI reshapes how patients search and how answers appear in Google. In this episode of Ignite, Ashley Petrochenko, Cardinal's VP of Brand Marketing sits down with John Vantine, SEO Director at GoodRx, who helped scale organic traffic from 4 million to 12 million monthly sessions. With more than 20 years of SEO experience, John explains how the rise of AI search and generative answers is forcing healthcare marketers to rethink traditional SEO playbooks. Instead of chasing massive content libraries, the future belongs to brands that focus on trust, intent, and content that actually serves the patient journey. In this episode, you'll learn: • Why publishing thousands of pages is no longer a winning healthcare SEO strategy • How AI search and Google's evolving results are changing patient discovery • The role of user experience and trust signals in modern healthcare rankings • How to build a focused content strategy that drives real business impact If healthcare SEO is part of your growth strategy, this episode will change how you think about content, search, and patient discovery in the AI era. RELATED RESOURCES Connect with John - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnvantine/ 2026 Healthcare Marketing Trends: The New Rules Redefining Growth  - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/healthcare-marketing-trends-2026/ Optimizing for AI Search: A New Era in Healthcare Marketing - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/optimizing-for-ai-search-a-new-era-in-healthcare-marketing/ How a Primary Care Provider Futureproofed Their SEO in an AI-Driven Search World - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/search-content-strategy-ai-landscape/ How to Avoid Keyword Cannibalization Between Paid Search & SEO  - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/avoid-keyword-cannibalization-between-paid-search-seo/

    21 min
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Hear the latest performance marketing strategies, industry news, and innovative tactics that will help grow your healthcare organization. Brought to you by Cardinal Digital Marketing, our CEO Alex Membrillo sits down with industry leaders and the nation's top healthcare marketing professionals to uncover practical insights to boost your digital presence and attract more patients.

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