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Sales promotion in health and medicine:
using incentives to stimulate patient
interest and attention
James K. Elrod
1
and John L. Fortenberry Jr.
1,2*
Abstract
Background: Sales promotion—the use of incentives to encourage patronage—is a staple of marketing
communications in the health services industry. Sales promotion applications commonly used by health services
organizations include free samples, free trials, coupons, contests, and loyalty programs. These avenues engender
goodwill, appreciation, and attentiveness; they also serve as small, but powerful promotional mechanisms by
reminding recipients of healthcare institutions, compelling particular actions, encouraging repeat business, or
prompting some related desirable in an effort to hasten exchange and bolster loyalty.
Discussion: Sales promotion offers myriad opportunities for healthcare providers to connect with audiences. While
limited in their power to attract broad audiences when used in isolation, sales promotion avenues used in tandem
with other marketing communications create helpful engagement synergies which amplify conveyance initiatives.
This article presents an overview of sales promotion and notably shares deployment insights and experiences from
Willis-Knighton Health System, permitting peer healthcare establishments to view associated pathways, reflect on
their own sales promotion efforts, and potentially bolster initiatives with the perspectives supplied herein.
Conclusions: Sales promotion offers healthcare providers a complementary communications avenue, helping to
reinforce other elements of the marketing communications mix, affording opportunities to develop better
connections with patients. In formulating associated communication plans, health and medical establishments
should be reminded of the benefits offered by sales promotion and especially strive to effect creative applications
that build interest and attention. By doing so, opportunities to bolster patient volume and increase all-important
market share abound.
Keywords: Sales promotion, Marketing communications, Promotion, Hospitals, Healthcare
Background
Health and medical institutions exist to serve [1–3], and in
doing so, they obviously must proficiently attract and retain
patients [4–9]. With patient acquisition and retention being
vital determinants of success, associated skills must be
shaped, honed, and continually developed over the life
cycles of healthcare establishments, with communications
acumen being one of greatest importance [5,9–14]. Health-
care institutions direct communications toward current
and prospective patients in many ways, typically selecting
one or more established methods from the discipline of
marketing. One of these methods is known as sales promo-
tion, an element of what is known as the marketing com-
munications mix, a 5-component array which also includes
advertising, personal selling, public relations, and direct
marketing [5,11,15]. Sales promotion involves the use of
incentives, such as contests and free giveaways, to encour-
age patronage [5,15]. Known for its ability to generate
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data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data.
* Correspondence: john.fortenberry@lsus.edu
1
Willis-Knighton Health System, 2600 Greenwood Road, Shreveport, LA
71103, USA
2
LSU Shreveport, 1 University Place, Shreveport, LA 71115, USA
Elrod and Fortenberry BMC Health Services Research 2020, 20(Suppl 1):820
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-05601-y
Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.
interest and attention, sales promotion is a staple of
marketing communications in the health services industry,
with the component being deployed in a wide variety of
fashions [5,14,16–18].
A typical sales promotion application in health and
medical institutions involves the distribution of free gifts,
such as pens, calendars, magnets, paperweights, and
similar items—usually bearing the logos of given estab-
lishments—to current and prospective patients and other
publics of healthcare facilities. Other sales promotion
applications include free samples, free trials, coupons,
contests, and loyalty programs. These items engender
goodwill, appreciation, and attentiveness; they also serve
as small, but powerful promotional mechanisms by
reminding recipients of given institutions, compelling
particular actions, encouraging repeat business, or
prompting some related desirable in an effort to hasten
exchange and bolster loyalty [5,14,16–20].
Sales promotion efforts usefully complement other
elements of the marketing communications mix, creating
helpful synergies which reinforce the aggregate communi-
cative efforts of institutions [17–19,21]. Communicative
avenues making use of sales promotion indeed are heavily
traveled by healthcare establishments, placing a premium
on developing highly creative applications which foster
differentiation, enhance memorability, and elevate interest
and attention. Given the broad range of sales promotion
possibilities, especially hastened by creative influences,
benefits abound whenever opportunities arise to examine
the associated efforts of peer healthcare institutions. This
article presents one such opportunity, sharing sales pro-
motion insights and experiences from Willis-Knighton
Health System, permitting peer healthcare establishments
to view associated pathways, reflect on their own sales
promotion efforts, and potentially bolster initiatives with
the perspectives supplied herein.
Definition and overview
Sales promotion is one of many elements constituting the
broad discipline of marketing, formally defined as “aman-
agement process that involves the assessment of customer
wants and needs, and the performance of all activities
associated with the development, pricing, provision, and
promotion of product solutions that satisfy those wants
and needs”[5], p. 288. Promotion, as evidenced in this
definition, is a core feature of marketing, earning inclusion
as one of the Ps in the classic expression known as the
four Ps of marketing (i.e., Product, Price, Place, Promo-
tion). The promotion aspect of marketing essentially
entails any and all elements associated with engaging audi-
ences, with the core pathways for engagement being
depicted in a descriptive model known as the marketing
communications (or promotions) mix [4,5].
The marketing communications mix, as traditionally
depicted, contains five principal avenues of communica-
tion; namely, advertising (i.e., the paid use of mass media
to deliver messages), personal selling (i.e., the use of
sales agents to personally deliver messages), sales pro-
motion (i.e., the use of incentives, such as contests and
free giveaways, to encourage patronage), public relations
(i.e., the use of publicity and other unpaid promotional
methods to deliver messages), and direct marketing (i.e.,
the delivery of messages via mail, the Internet, and
similar routes directly to consumers) [5,11]. Healthcare
providers examine each of these communicative avenues,
selecting one or more believed to be most capable of
reaching target audiences, with the ultimate goal being
to encourage patronage or compel some other desired
action [5,15].
Sales promotion is a unique aspect of the marketing
communications mix, relying on incentives to encourage
patronage [5,15]. Examples of sales promotion as
deployed by health and medical institutions include the
following.
Free gifts: A medical center’s birthing unit delivers
gift baskets to new mothers; a cosmetic surgery
clinic distributes logo-bearing skin care products to
patients at the conclusion of their visits.
Free trials: A hospital’s wellness center offers free
30-day trial memberships, permitting prospects to
evaluate the facility and its services; a weight loss
clinic offers prospects opportunities to partake in 3-
month trials to evaluate a special diet program.
Coupons: An eye clinic offers a coupon entitling
recipients to a $500 discount for laser vision
correction surgery; a dental clinic offers a coupon
granting holders a 10% discount which can be
applied toward any dental service.
Contests: A nursing home offers residents or their
responsible parties the opportunity to be entered
into a cash prize draw in return for participating in
a customer satisfaction survey; a pediatric medical
center offers patients the opportunity to participate
in an art contest with the winning submission being
placed on permanent display.
Loyalty programs: A hospital offers a patient VIP
program, affording access to a range of gratuities,
including covered parking, free food in the cafeteria,
a monthly newsletter, and more; a dental practice
offers patients a free dental cleaning service after
every 10 dental cleaning services received.
The expense associated with selected incentives varies,
but the items or opportunities tend to be of negligible
value in light of benefits received or expected. They very
often are intended to serve as small tokens of appreciation
Elrod and Fortenberry BMC Health Services Research 2020, 20(Suppl 1):820 Page 2 of 8
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awarded for engaging in some desired action (e.g., visiting
a clinic, participating in a survey, being a loyal customer),
achieving something momentous (e.g., a health or wellness
milestone), reaching a celebratory point (e.g., a birthday or
anniversary), and the like. At other times, they are
deployed to compel those not associated with given
healthcare establishments to become patrons. Depending
on aims, incentives can be directed toward current or pro-
spective patients (i.e., business-to-consumer applications)
or health and medical providers (i.e., business-to-business
applications), with an excellent example of the latter being
distribution of logo-bearing pens, baked goods, or similar
items to patient referral sources in the community,
demonstrating appreciation for past referrals or perhaps
setting the stage for future referrals. Regardless of form or
target, sales promotion applications ultimately seek to
stimulate the interest and attention of desired audiences
[5,9–11,17–19].
Sales promotion, used in isolation, cannot reach audi-
ences of the size achieved by other components of the
marketing communications mix, especially those that
use mass media channels, such as advertising. But these
barriers can be traversed by combining sales promotion
pursuits with other marketing communications elements
to create conveyance synergies. A medical clinic’s televi-
sion advertisement, for example, could incorporate a
reference that new patients will receive a free health
planner—a sales promotion element—when they present
at the clinic, amplifying the availability of the incentive
far beyond that achieved merely by onsite conveyances.
A direct mail piece marketing an eye clinic could include
a 50% off coupon which could be applied toward the
purchase of prescription lenses, combining direct
marketing and sales promotion. These decisions, of
course, are dependent on the desires of given healthcare
establishments, as echoing the availability of incentives
via mass media or other channels of communication
certainly would be expected to hasten the number of
individuals taking advantage of the opportunities, increas-
ing associated costs. Ultimately, with sales promotion, the
depth and breadth of distribution can be fine-tuned to
meet designated engagement goals and objectives, afford-
ing myriad conveyance options [5,11,17–21].
Institutional background, deployment history,
and context within marketing communications
From its earliest of days, dating back to 1924, Willis-
Knighton Health System has emphasized communications
excellence, something which in present times remains a
strategic priority, compelling extensive communicative
experimentation and innovation [4,7,22]. Headquartered
in Shreveport, Louisiana and situated in the heart of an area
known as the Ark-La-Tex where the states of Arkansas,
Louisiana, and Texas converge, Willis-Knighton Health
System holds market leadership in its served region where
it delivers comprehensive health and wellness services
through multiple hospitals, numerous general and specialty
medical clinics, an all-inclusive retirement community, and
more. The system’s achievement of market leadership is
attributed, in part, to communications prowess, permitting
Willis-Knighton Health System to effectively engage
current and prospective patients, evoking interest and
attention, ultimately leading to burgeoning patient volume
and customer loyalty.
Today, Willis-Knighton Health System leverages the
power of the full marketing communications mix,
deploying all of its components, including sales promo-
tion. The institution’s use of sales promotion is historic,
dating back to its origins. Early sales promotion efforts
would be considered to be primitive by modern stan-
dards. Indeed, the days of simple calendars marked with
block text depicting the name, address, and telephone
number of the institution or basic ink pens imprinted
with a similar plain presentation are things of the past.
Today, thanks to vastly improved production processes,
highly innovative concepts, advanced understanding of
promotional avenues, and more, sales promotion efforts
deployed by Willis-Knighton Health System are more
impressive than ever.
In recent years, Willis-Knighton Health System has used
a wide range of items for its various sales promotion
endeavors. Its most frequently utilized endeavors center
on the distribution of free gifts (e.g., logo-bearing pens,
memo pads, first aid kits), with most of them being circu-
lated as simple gestures of gratitude, primarily aimed at
fostering loyalty among current patients, as opposed to
building patient volume. Beyond free gifts, the institution
has offered discounts to individuals who attend particular
seminars, such as those profiling laser vision correction
services. Willis-Knighton Health System’s Fitness and
Wellness Centers have offered a range of enticements, in-
cluding membership specials and similar incentives, as
Fig. 1—a billboard advertisement conveying an associated
sales promotion—demonstrates. The Oaks of Louisiana,
Willis-Knighton Health System’s senior living community,
has offered move-in specials as an incentive for individuals
to become assisted living residents.
But the most notable of sales promotion efforts for-
warded by Willis-Knighton Health System is that of its
Willis the Bear mascot, presented in Fig. 2, which is
distributed exclusively to women who give birth at a
Willis-Knighton Health System facility. This particular
item was developed from the ground up, with executives
working directly with a teddy bear manufacturer to
create a custom stuffed animal to represent Willis-
Knighton Health System and its maternity services offer-
ing. While developing Willis the Bear carried far greater
costs than the typical sales promotion application which
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utilizes prefabricated items, its associated value to the
institution has more than covered the expenditures,
generating extensive publicity and offering myriad
marketing communications opportunities beyond sales
promotion, as Fig. 3—a billboard advertisement featuring
Willis the Bear—demonstrates. Indeed, Willis the Bear is
the preeminent sales promotion effort offered by the in-
stitution [22,23].
While constituting a relatively small part of Willis-
Knighton Health System’s overall marketing communi-
cations budget, sales promotion efforts are viewed to be
valuable endeavors, offering another method to bolster
interest and attention in the quest to connect with
patients and increase opportunities to serve. Less
recognized as a marketing communications pathway
than other elements of the marketing communications
mix, such as advertising and direct marketing, sales pro-
motion is capable of playing a critical role in advancing
the conveyance goals of health services organizations.
Strengths
With nearly one century of associated experience,
Willis-Knighton Health System’s sales promotion efforts
have evolved over the decades, as both the institution
and available incentives have evolved, with continued
use being warranted to present day. A number of
strengths of sales promotion have particularly motivated
persistency of use, with these characteristics being de-
scribed as follows.
Potential to stimulate interest and attention
Sales promotion is well known for its ability to stimulate
interest and attention, with this often being cited as its
greatest strength. Evoking interest and attention sets the
stage for the target audiences of sales promotion efforts to
extend their patronage, facilitating the all-important mar-
keting goal of exchange, leading to the capture of market
share. Of course, the nature of sales promotion campaigns
will dramatically impact the degree of interest and atten-
tion generated, making deployment characteristics (e.g.,
selection of incentives, timing of promotions, methods of
presentation) very important [5,9–11,17,18].
A logo-bearing ink pen handed out to the patients of a
dermatology clinic likely will be appreciated and serve as
a useful reminder by those receiving such, but it will not
generate the kind of interest and attention that more
sophisticated sales promotion incentives can elicit.
Consider, however, a discount coupon for laser vision
correction services placed in an eye clinic’s advertise-
ment, an online advertisement offering a chance to win
an all-expense paid trip to a major sporting event in ex-
change for attending a sports medicine clinic’s seminar
on the latest orthopedic surgery techniques, or a direct
mail parcel noting that all who attend a heart institute’s
Fig. 1 A billboard advertisement communicating a sales promotion offered by WK Fitness and Wellness Centers
Fig. 2 Willis-Knighton Health System’s Willis the Bear
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grand opening will receive a logo-bearing fleece blanket.
These would constitute more advanced incentives, with
the examples also merging associated incentives with
other forms of marketing communication to magnify
promotional impact. As with most any marketing
pursuit, sales promotion efforts require institutions to
stipulate desired goals and make selections, accordingly,
to achieve those particular desires.
Ability to synergize communications
Sales promotion serves as an excellent complement to
other forms of marketing communication. When used in
tandem with other methods, synergies are created that
extend the communicative impact of given promotions.
In the examples presented in the preceding paragraph
(i.e., the eye clinic, the sports medicine clinic, the heart
institute), inclusion of sales promotion incentives in the
given communications (i.e., the advertisements, the
direct mail piece) likely will generate much greater
attentiveness toward those communications. In some re-
spects, inclusion of a sales promotion incentive can help
to paint a bullseye on advertisements, direct mail pieces,
and other forms of communication, drawing eyes that
would otherwise be disinterested or perhaps too occu-
pied to notice given conveyances. In such cases, incorp-
orating sales promotion incentives into other forms of
communication magnifies the value of those particular
overtures [16–21].
Of course, care must be taken not to overutilize sales
promotion as a communicative mechanism, as doing so
can diminish the special nature of given promotions,
making them common and expected, negatively impact-
ing its primary attribute of generating interest and atten-
tion. In some circumstances, such as that of couponing,
overuse can stall patronage whenever these promotions
are withdrawn, as potential patients will simply wait for
given coupons to appear again before pursuing services.
That said, sales promotions should be considered as spe-
cial offers available for a limited time after which they
are withdrawn for undefined periods, ensuring that they
indeed remain special and retain their compelling
effects.
Opportunities for vast customization
Options abound with sales promotion, courtesy of many
different forms (e.g., free gifts, coupons, discounts, con-
tests), conveyance partners (e.g., other elements of the
marketing communications mix), circulation plans (e.g.,
timing and length of promotion), and other deployment
aspects. Typical applications can be observed across
most any market, but healthcare institutions certainly
should not feel limited to such. Sales promotion permits
extreme latitude, as it essentially entails the assembly of
incentives viewed to be attractive and compelling to
target audiences. The possibilities for such are endless,
limited only by the creative imagination and, of course,
budgetary constraints [5,9–11,14,17–21].
Additional expenditures normally will be required to
realize highly creative applications, but greater returns
on those particular investments should be expected, as
Willis-Knighton Health System experienced with its
Willis the Bear mascot. The greater the differentiation
from typical applications, the more likely interest and
attention will be bolstered, permitting given sales
promotion efforts to excel. It certainly is worth experi-
menting with things that defy the sales promotion
norms of given marketplaces. With the component being
somewhat boundless, imaginative perspectives are
welcomed and just might lead to something truly novel,
boosting marketing communications.
Limitations
While motivations for using sales promotion are compel-
ling, it is vital to understand associated limitations as they
must be factored into deployments. Fortunately, by gaining
an awareness of potential obstacles followed by prudent
planning and implementation, barriers can be traversed
effectively. Notable limitations are described as follows.
Fig. 3 A billboard advertisement featuring Willis-Knighton Health System’s Willis the Bear
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Limited impact in isolation
Sales promotion as a communications and engagement
mechanism is not well suited for use in isolation. A
coupon offering a discounted membership at a hospital’s
wellness center, for example, is of limited value without
being piggybacked onto other communications plat-
forms. Onsite coupon distribution, while representing a
nice gesture that likely would be appreciated, is not par-
ticularly compelling, as prospects are already onsite and
potentially ready to purchase memberships, even without
an enticement. However, if the coupon is placed in an
advertisement in a local newspaper, forwarded via a dir-
ect mail piece to area residents, or placed in the hands
of a wellness center representative who distributes them
as community contacts are made, then generation of
significant interest and attention becomes a distinct
possibility.
There certainly are situations where limited use of sales
promotion incentives is desirable, as in cases where the
goal is simply to issue small tokens of appreciation to
customers, calling for limited distribution of, say, a logo-
bearing first aid kit to patients of an urgent care center.
Certainly such an approach would be justified in cases
where patient retention, as opposed to patient acquisition,
is the primary goal. Regardless, healthcare providers
considering the use of sales promotion as a conveyance
mechanism must remain aware of its limited potential
when used independently of other communications. As a
complementary communicative tool, tandem deployments
which incorporate other elements of the marketing
communications mix generally are advised [16–21].
Escalates communications expenditures
Quite obviously, the incentives featured in sales promo-
tion applications carry costs, with level of expenditure
predicated by the type of item offered, degree of distri-
bution, duration of use, and related variables impacting
associated financial outlays. Regardless of selections,
whether bargain basement or otherwise, such pursuits
increase the aggregate marketing communications costs
associated with promoting healthcare services, especially
if sales promotion is used to its fullest as a complemen-
tary element to other conveyances [17–21]. Any admin-
istrative pursuit, particularly those requiring financial
outlays, requires prudent planning as this can aid in en-
suring that time, money, and other necessary resources
are deployed in a manner to increase the likelihood of
achieving desired results. Sales promotion as a commu-
nicative mechanism should be treated in the same man-
ner. As long as sales promotion efforts are well devised
and implemented, healthcare institutions should remain
at least cautiously optimistic that associated resource re-
quirements will generate an acceptable return on invest-
ment. When viewing sales promotion in this light, the
pathway should be considered an investment directed
toward the advancement of communications goals.
Potential to be replicated by competitors
Most any incentive used in sales promotion applications
can be replicated, making this particular pathway a diffi-
cult one in which to achieve a competitive advantage.
Commonly deployed free gifts, such as pens, notepads,
calendars, and the like, are usually sourced by one of
many promotional products companies, which offer
similar, if not identical, offerings to anyone willing to
make a purchase. Coupons for discounted services can
be matched—or even surpassed—with relative ease by
competitors. The same could be said of contests, loyalty
programs, and other types of incentives [5,11,16–21].
Perhaps the best workaround in defense of replication
involves the identification of highly creative, unique
incentives, with these attributes diminishing the ability
of competitors to follow suit and mirror such. The
resources required to realize a high-profile sales promo-
tion incentive almost certainly will be intensive, but the
prospect of gaining a promotional offering that incorpo-
rates natural defenses against competitive replication is
quite compelling and a worthy reward for pursuing this
laborious pathway.
Operational reflections
For administering any component of the marketing
communications mix, Willis-Knighton Health System
advises establishing a baseline foundation of resources,
including (1) top leadership support and commitment,
(2) financial resources sufficient for funding communica-
tions activities, (3) competent personnel charged with
effecting given initiatives, and (4) formal processes
permitting effective planning, implementation, and
evaluation of initiatives. Adequate resources set the stage
for productive audience engagement endeavors, minimizing
chances of resource-depleting and reputation-damaging
mistakes which, in the realm of marketing communications,
often are very public, given the open circulation of such
conveyances. These resources also ensure competencies in
using given marketing communications mix components,
with proper deployment being essential for realizing desired
outcomes.
Beyond the advisories conveyed elsewhere in this
article, Willis-Knighton Health System suggests that
healthcare institutions desirous of deploying sales
promotion applications develop at least one high-profile
incentive, something highly creative and unique which
garners extremely high interest and attention and is less
likely to be copied by competitors due to its distinctive-
ness. In Willis-Knighton Health System’s case, Willis the
Bear serves as its high-profile incentive, anchoring its
sales promotion program. While it would be nice for all
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sales promotion incentives to be highly distinctive, for
most institutions, the resource requirements associated
with doing so invariably will be excessive. But temporal
and financial resources for developing, say, one or two
high-profile items might possibly be available and, if so,
investment in such can prove highly beneficial. This sort
of pursuit will stimulate broad sales promotion efforts,
ensuring that at least some applications go beyond rou-
tine deployments, helping to achieve a form of competi-
tive advantage.
Willis-Knighton Health System has observed another
occurrence for which healthcare institutions involved in
sales promotion should be on guard. Free gifts, if not
closely monitored, can get out of hand very quickly
without disciplined ordering processes and inventory
control systems. Without effective protocols, wasteful
scenarios abound, including multiple orders, excessive
inventory, inventory shrinkage, and related resource
drains. Even though the per-item price of many promo-
tional products is negligible, aggregate costs across an
institution, especially large systems, can add up very
quickly. If deployed effectively, associated financial out-
lays can be considered to be investments, but if misman-
aged, such outlays become nothing more than losses,
wasting precious resources. A disciplined approach is
the best defense against such waste, permitting sales
promotion efforts the greatest opportunity possible to
make a positive contribution to the communicative goals
of healthcare institutions.
Conclusions
Sales promotion offers healthcare providers a complemen-
tary communications avenue, helping to reinforce other
elements of the marketing communications mix, permit-
ting associated synergies and opportunities to develop
better connections with current and prospective patients.
In formulating communications plans, health and medical
providers should be reminded of the benefits afforded by
sales promotion, incorporating it, when and where
possible, for purposes of enriching conveyance pursuits,
with a special eye toward effecting highly creative applica-
tions to amplify interest and attention. As evidenced by
Willis-Knighton Health System’s deployment experiences,
sales promotion affords unique opportunities to bolster
patient volume and grow vital market share, permitting
healthcare providers increasing opportunities to demon-
strate their proficiencies in service to others.
Acknowledgments
A special note of thanks is extended to Marilyn Joiner, Darrell Rebouche, and
the greater Willis-Knighton Health System family for their helpful assistance
throughout the development and publication of this article.
About this supplement
This article has been published as part of BMC Health Services Research
Volume 20 Supplement 1, 2020: Marketing communications in health and
medicine: perspectives from Willis-Knighton Health System. The full contents
of the supplement are available online at http://bmchealthservres.biomed-
central.com/articles/supplements/volume-20-supplement-1.
Authors’contributions
The authors jointly developed the submitted manuscript, with each
performing critical roles from early conceptualization through to the
production of the full manuscript. The manuscript resulted from a
collaborative effort. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Authors’information
JKE is President and Chief Executive Officer of Shreveport, Louisiana-based
Willis-Knighton Health System, the region’s largest provider of healthcare
services. With over 55 years of service at the helm of the institution, JKE is
America’s longest-tenured hospital administrator. A fellow in the American
College of Healthcare Executives and honoree as a Louisiana Legend by
Friends of Louisiana Public Broadcasting, he holds a bachelor’s degree in
business administration from Baylor University, a master’s degree in hospital
administration from Washington University School of Medicine, and an
honorary doctorate of science and humane letters from Northwestern State
University of Louisiana. He is the author of Breadcrumbs to Cheesecake,a
book which chronicles the history of Willis-Knighton Health System.
JLF Jr. is Chair of the James K. Elrod Department of Health Administration,
James K. Elrod Professor of Health Administration, and Professor of Marketing
in the College of Business at LSU Shreveport where he teaches a variety of
courses in both health administration and marketing. He holds a BBA in
marketing from the University of Mississippi; an MBA from Mississippi
College; a PhD in public administration and public policy, with
concentrations in health administration, human resource management, and
organization theory, from Auburn University; and a PhD in business
administration, with a major in marketing, from the University of Manchester
in the United Kingdom. He is the author of six books, including Health Care
Marketing: Tools and Techniques, 3rd Edition, published by Jones and Bartlett
Learning. JLF Jr. also serves as Vice President of Marketing Strategy and
Planning at Willis-Knighton Health System.
Funding
Article processing charges were funded by Willis-Knighton Health System.
Availability of data and materials
Not applicable.
Ethics approval and consent to participate
Not applicable.
Consent for publication
Figures 1, 2, and 3 are published with permission of Willis-Knighton Health
System. All required approvals for publication were obtained.
Competing interests
JKE and JLF Jr. are both employed with Willis-Knighton Health System.
Published: 15 September 2020
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