Health Marketing Collective Inprela Communications

Welcome to the Health Marketing Collective, where strong leadership meets marketing excellence.
On today’s episode, Sara Payne sits down with Frank Jaskulke, Vice President of Innovation at Medical Alley. With 20 years of experience in fostering collaboration within the healthcare industry, Frank is here to share his insights on building a culture of innovation and the importance of cross-sector partnerships.
Medical Alley was founded with a mission to keep the community at the forefront of health innovation, positioning the industry to be the best on earth. Frank emphasizes the necessity of viewing competition and collaboration not as opposites but as interconnected elements of a sophisticated and flourishing ecosystem. He discusses how technology can serve as a bridge between differing sectors and highlights the essential role of empathy in fostering successful partnerships.
Sara and Frank share several high-profile examples of both successful and failed collaborations in healthcare, examining what factors contributed to their outcomes. Through these stories, Frank underscores the importance of taking calculated risks and budgeting for these innovations, all while ensuring alignment with an organization’s mission and purposes.
In this episode, Frank shares examples from his own career, including legislative successes and groundbreaking collaborations that have had a significant impact on healthcare. He also offers valuable advice for staying ahead of market changes and trends in an industry that is constantly evolving.
Thank you for being part of the Health Marketing Collective, where strong leadership meets marketing excellence. The future of healthcare depends on it.
Key Takeaways:
1. The Power of Collaboration: Frank Jaskulke explains why collaboration is vital in healthcare, emphasizing a mindset of abundance over scarcity. Strong, cross-sector partnerships, particularly between healthcare and technology, are key to driving innovation and addressing industry challenges.
2. Budgeting and Calculated Risks: Innovation necessitates risk. Frank stresses the importance of budgeting for risk and ensuring organizational buy-in before pursuing innovative ventures. This strategic approach ties back to an organization’s core mission, leading to more effective and purpose-driven innovations.
3. Failed and Successful Collaborations: Learning from the past is essential. Frank discusses notable examples of both failed (like Haven) and successful (like Doxy and Trivalence) collaborations, drawing lessons that can guide future partnerships in the healthcare sector.
4. Staying Ahead of Trends: Engaging with industry professionals and maintaining a startup mentality are crucial for staying ahead of market changes. Frank highlights trends like the increased executive activity on LinkedIn and the shift towards digital health as pivotal movements shaping the future of healthcare.
5. Cultural Change and Preventive Medicine: Shifting from a reactive to a proactive healthcare system focused on preventive medicine is critical. Frank and Sara discuss the cultural changes needed to prioritize prevention and wellness, illustrating how incentivizing organizations and changing public behavior can lead to a healthier society.

Welcome to the Health Marketing Collective, where strong leadership meets marketing excellence.

On today’s episode, Julia Steele Rodriguez is joining us to talk about Key Opinion Leader (KOL) programs and their indispensable role in healthcare marketing. Julia is an industry leader with a background leading diverse teams in marketing, operations, revenue cycle, and clinical education, and she’s bringing us her insights on the impacts that KOL partnerships can have on health marketing strategies.

Our conversation focuses on the fundamental aspects of building and sustaining effective KOL programs. We explore best practices for identifying the right KOLs, fostering long-term and mutually beneficial relationships, and the critical nuances often overlooked in these partnerships. Julia also offers her insights into the marketing advantages of robust KOL programs, spotlighting how they can transform healthcare initiatives and enhance brand trust.

In addition, Julia shares her perspective on handling common challenges in KOL relationships, the importance of clear communication, and how to measure the success of such programs using the right KPIs. Her holistic approach and emphasis on human connections provide valuable lessons for anyone looking to leverage KOLs to drive healthcare marketing success.

Thank you for being part of the Health Marketing Collective, where strong leadership meets marketing excellence. The future of healthcare depends on it.

Key Takeaways:

1. Clear Definitions and Expectations: Julia emphasized the importance of having a shared understanding of what constitutes a KOL within the organization. This clarity helps align objectives and ensures that everyone involved is on the same page. It's vital to have a mutual understanding with KOLs themselves to foster an effective and productive relationship from the start.

2. Strategic Identification and Engagement: Identifying the right KOLs involves a mix of objective data and subjective measures. Julia suggests looking at publications, conference participation, and leadership roles in professional societies. Additionally, engaging with KOLs in their natural environments, such as conferences, can provide deeper insights into their fit and potential for partnership.

3. Fostering Long-Term Relationships: Building long-term relationships with KOLs requires mutual benefit and respect. Julia notes that understanding what KOLs want to gain from the partnership, beyond financial compensation, is crucial. Many KOLs seek to influence market developments and innovation, and providing them with insider insights and involvement opportunities can strengthen the relationship.

4. Internal Alignment and Communication: Internal consistency in dealing with KOLs, from contracting to invoicing to regular updates, is critical to maintaining smooth and effective collaborations. Missteps in these areas can lead to frustration and disengagement. Julia highlighted the importance of trust and proactive communication to keep KOLs engaged and valued.

5. Measuring Success: Success in KOL programs isn't just about immediate ROI but also about long-term impacts on healthcare outcomes and organizational credibility. Julia points to anecdotal evidence, changes in market sentiment, share of voice in industry conversations, and the overall influence KOLs bring to marketing strategies and product adoption as key indicators of a program's effectiveness.

[embed]https://youtu.be/1Xgck3OwH1o?si=02POoGJz5aI6A3Va[/embed]

 

Welcome to the Health Marketing Collective, where strong leadership meets marketing excellence.

On today’s episode, Brian Jones is joining us to talk about purpose-driven marketing, the importance of marketing for company growth, and marketing’s role in driving meaningful change.

As the Chief Growth Officer for Avesis, a dental and vision supplemental benefits health plan, Brian leads initiatives that help Avesis stand out, aligning marketing strategies with the company's mission to enhance healthcare access and outcomes for Medicaid and Medicare populations. His innovative approach and focus on removing hurdles that block access to health care have marked him as a leading voice in purpose-driven healthcare marketing.

We’re discussing one of these initiatives that targeted individuals with special healthcare needs to see how marketing campaigns can have positive impacts on the greater community. Brian shares the reasons his organization chose to prioritize social determinants of health rather than more traditional marketing efforts, and the effects he has seen on communities, including helping expecting moms give their babies a better start at a healthy life.

Thank you for being part of the Health Marketing Collective, where strong leadership meets marketing excellence. The future of healthcare depends on it.

Key Takeaways:

1. Purpose-Driven Marketing: Brian Jones highlights the importance of marketing geared toward social impact, particularly in health care. Emphasizing the role of purpose-driven campaigns in addressing social determinants of health, he underscores how such initiatives not only support business growth but also significantly enhance community well-being.

2. Strategic Integration & Alignment: The challenge of integrating varied elements within an organization is profound. Brian discusses the necessity of aligning marketing strategies with broader organizational goals to ensure coherence and efficiency. This strategic alignment is pivotal for effectively delivering on the company's mission and market expectations.

3. Technological Innovations & Access to Care: Innovation is key in transcending traditional healthcare barriers. Brian elaborates on how Avesis leverages technology, such as the development of an app to improve dental care accessibility for individuals with developmental disabilities, highlighting how tech solutions can drastically improve care delivery and patient outcomes.

4. Leveraging Leadership for Social Good: Leadership isn't just about steering company policies but also about advocating for societal benefits. Brian showcases how leadership commitment can drive significant improvements in healthcare, particularly through initiatives aimed at vulnerable populations, thereby illustrating the profound impact of thoughtful leadership on community health.

5. Measuring Success Beyond Business Metrics: With a keen focus on outcomes rather than output, Brian and Avesis prioritize evidence-based approaches and community feedback to refine their services. This outcomes-focused strategy ensures that their services genuinely address the needs of the communities they serve, underscoring the importance of impact over income in the healthcare industry.

[embed]https://youtu.be/hldXAgTcUD4?si=Zs1WMNblXhOszRbS[/embed]

About Brian Jones

Chief Growth Officer

Brian currently serves as the Chief Growth Officer for Avesis, a dental and vision supplemental benefits health plan. As the Chief Growth Officer, Brian is focuses on forging strategic alliances, spearheading market entry strategies, and optimizing business processes for scalability for our members, clients, groups, brokers, and providers across all products and markets. Brian also serves on the Board of Directors for Team Smile; a non-profit organization providing children in need with a life-changing dental experience through the power of sports.

Welcome to the Health Marketing Collective, where strong leadership meets marketing excellence.
Today’s episode is the first of the CMO Corner series, and we’re kicking it off with one of the most accomplished and respected chief marketing officers in all of health care, Marcia Miller. 
Marcia is one of the most respected CMOs in all of healthcare. She has grown her success by not shying away from risks. Marcia discusses the crucial intersections of risk, fear, and leadership in marketing, emphasizing the need for marketing to be acknowledged as a pivotal element of strategic business discussions.
Marcia shared her insights on why marketing needs a seat at the leadership table and how proving your value can change the game. Our conversation covers the art of taking risks, the importance of brand consistency in healthcare, and the power of building high-performing teams. 
With so much wisdom in one conversation, she leaves us with this key piece of advice: face fears, embrace challenges, and always advocate for yourself, especially in leadership roles. 
Thank you for being part of the Health Marketing Collective, where strong leadership meets marketing excellence. The future of healthcare depends on it.
Key Takeaways:
1. Earning & Occupying a Leadership Seat: Marcia Miller stresses the imperative for marketing professionals to demonstrate the tangible value and impact of their strategies to secure a rightful place at the decision-making table. This involves not only advocating for marketing's role but also aligning marketing strategies directly with core business objectives to enhance visibility and influence within the company.
2. Confronting Fear with Courage: The conversation sheds light on the transformational power of approaching fear not as a barrier but as a motivator. Marcia's personal journey in starting a fly fishing school serves as a poignant example of how embracing risk can open doors to fulfilling endeavors that one might typically shy away from due to fear of failure.
3. Strategic Partnerships and Crisis Management: The selection of creative partners is highlighted as a critical decision point in health marketing. Marcia advises seeking partners who not only bring expertise and innovative ideas but also possess the reliability to manage crises effectively. This underpins the broader strategic approach of assuming positive intent and fostering respectful, yet honest dialogues to drive brand success.
4. Female Leadership & Self-Advocacy in the Workplace: With an emphasis on the unique challenges faced by women in leadership roles within healthcare marketing, Marcia Miller encourages female professionals to vigorously advocate for themselves and actively seek leadership opportunities. Building confidence and resilience is key to navigating and overcoming gender-based obstacles in professional environments.
5. Practical Strategies for Team Building and Budgeting: Marcia shares her holistic approach to constructing high-performing marketing teams and budget advocacy. Key strategies include hiring talent that complements existing team strengths, setting realistic goals, and aligning budget proposals with clear, data-driven expectations. This ensures that marketing efforts are both effective and sustainable, reinforcing the need for leadership to fully support and understand the value of their marketing divisions.
About Marcia Miller
Chief Marketing Officer 
Marcia is a career marketer with strong experience in a wide range of business challenges - from Start-up companies... to Fortune companies ...to marketing agencies - she's tried her hand at all of them. She's at her best when she is building teams, brands or companies and she prides herself on helping others develop professionally while not letting a job define them. When she's not working, you'll find her...

Welcome to the Health Marketing Collective, where strong leadership meets marketing excellence.

Today’s episode is a continuation of our conversation with Jen Hovelsrud of Elevance Health. On our last episode, we talked about how we can maintain content harmony and start thinking of our company as a publisher. Now, we’re digging deeper and discussing how we, as brand leaders, can empower our teams to create content quickly in a way that ensures brand consistency and long-term brand health.

Jen, an expert in enterprise content marketing and social media, shares her strategies on empowering teams, utilizing tools for brand monitoring, and the delicate balance between creative freedom and brand coherence. We’ll also discuss budget allocation, the potential and ethical use of AI in content generation, and the pivotal role of strong leadership in fostering marketing success.

Thank you for being part of the Health Marketing Collective, where strong leadership meets marketing excellence. The future of healthcare depends on it.

Key Takeaways:

1. Harmony in Brand Consistency: While brand consistency is a cornerstone of strong marketing, it's the power of a central source of truth and the avoidance of a perfectionist mindset that truly empowers content creation teams.

2. Leadership & Leveraging Strengths: Sara and Jen touch on the pivotal role of leadership within marketing. It’s important to foster a team environment where creativity is nurtured, strengths are leveraged, and members are encouraged to contribute unique perspectives, all within the boundaries of brand guidelines to maintain harmony.

3. Resource Realities & Focused Strategy: Sara and Jen discuss the common struggle of under-resourced content teams across organizations. Jen highlights the critical importance of a disciplined, strategic approach to content creation, especially when resources are limited. She advocates for a clear, purpose-driven strategy that defines a well-chosen area of impact, echoing the necessity of prioritizing and measuring for sustainable content marketing.

4. Ethical AI & Operational Potential: AI can provide useful first drafts but there will always be  the necessity of human oversight. This episode discusses the creation of ethical guidelines surrounding AI's use in highly regulated industries like healthcare.

5. Empathy & Execution: There’s a need for balancing creativity with consistency without stifling innovation. It’s important to have a supportive environment where mistakes are seen as opportunities rather than failures. Empathy, respect for individuality, and space for personal expression are essential for both vibrant content and professional contentment.

[embed]https://youtu.be/jLzPN3GfJ2M[/embed]

About Jen Hovelsrud

Staff Vice President

Elevance Health

Jen leads Enterprise Content Marketing and Social Media for Elevance Health, a health company and largest licensee of Blue Cross Blue Shield Health plans. She is focused building brands through strategically-connected and purpose-driven driven content and communication.

LinkedIn.com/in/Jennifer-Schoech-Hovelsrud

Www.ElevanceHealth.com

Welcome to the Health Marketing Collective, where strong leadership meets marketing excellence.

On today’s episode, Jen Hovelsrud is here to talk about how we can create consistency in our content and begin thinking like publishers rather than advertisers. Jen is an expert in content marketing, focusing not only on creating content, but the structures and strategies that unify the content and messaging of large, multi-faceted organizations.

Jen is breaking down what she calls a federated model of content marketing that allows for consistency and unity when working with several brands under a single parent company. She also shares her philosophy on companies needing to become publishers and emphasize tactics that build relationships and foster brand loyalty.

Thank you for being part of the Health Marketing Collective, where strong leadership meets marketing excellence. The future of healthcare depends on it.

Key Takeaways:

1. Purpose-Driven Persistence: Jen Hovelsrud illuminates the dedication necessary for implementing a purpose-driven approach within large organizations, highlighting that successful integration spans beyond a mere marketing strategy to become the core of business operations. Aligning people and brands with this mission demands time, patience, and concerted effort, as evidenced by the nine-month timeframe to establish it at the corporate level.

2. From Advertisers to Publishers: Shifting the marketing mindset is essential in today's content-rich landscape, and Jen underscores the importance for brands to evolve from thinking like advertisers to becoming savvy publishers. This transformation enables the creation of impactful, engaging content that fosters authentic relationships with audiences, relying on a deep understanding of their needs and a clear, insightful point of view.

3. Infrastructural Integrity: Building the backbone to support a purpose-driven narrative requires more than just passion; it necessitates a robust organizational framework. This groundwork lays the foundation for aligning content strategies with an overarching purpose, setting the stage for brand consistency and amplifying the resonance of messaging across various audiences.

4. Managing Momentum and Expectations: Sara Payne and Jen Hovelsrud discuss the nuanced dance of balancing the slow build of a purpose-driven brand with managing stakeholder anticipation for quicker wins. Accountability to the mission and an unwavering commitment to storytelling integrity are vital for amortizing the extensive investment involved in this strategic shift.

5. Content Harmony in a Digital World: Breaking down silos is crucial for achieving content objectives that resonate with and add value for the audience. Jen's federated model of embedding specialized teams within business lines exemplifies a strategic approach for nurturing content harmony and brand consistency during an era of rapid digital content proliferation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XX_Vq3lTU5Y

About Jen Hovelsrud

Staff Vice President

Elevance Health

Jen leads Enterprise Content Marketing and Social Media for Elevance Health, a health company and largest licensee of Blue Cross Blue Shield Health plans. She is focused building brands through strategically-connected and purpose-driven driven content and communication.

LinkedIn.com/in/Jennifer-Schoech-Hovelsrud

Www.ElevanceHealth.com