Available via license: CC BY 4.0
Content may be subject to copyright.
I N T R O D U C T I O N Open Access
Marketing communications in health and
medicine: perspectives from Willis-Knighton
Health System
James K. Elrod
1
and John L. Fortenberry Jr.
1,2*
Abstract
Background: Communications prowess is a key ingredient of productive healthcare delivery pursuits, with
associated successes clearly positioning health and medical establishments for growth and prosperity. Many
conveyance mechanisms are at the disposal of healthcare providers, permitting numerous opportunities for
engaging current and prospective patients. For the best communicative outcomes, all must be considered when
formulating marketing communications initiatives, with consideration first, of course, requiring that healthcare
providers acquire an understanding of communications options and associated fundamentals.
Discussion: In pursuing knowledge of communications options and related guidance, healthcare providers can
benefit greatly by gaining operational perspectives from peer institutions. Over many decades, through scores of
deployments, Willis-Knighton Health System has acquired significant communications prowess, prompting
development of this special supplement in BMC Health Services Research, entitled “Marketing communications in
health and medicine: perspectives from Willis-Knighton Health System,”with this particular article supplying a brief
profile of the contents included in the associated supplement. Across the pages of the collection of articles
contained in the supplement, attention specifically is directed toward the components of the marketing
communications mix, foundational elements of communication, the patronage process, and the necessity for
integrating marketing communications.
Conclusions: Establishing an effective dialogue with current and prospective patients is an absolute necessity for
healthcare organizations, warranting intensive efforts to master marketing communications. Given the imperative
for excellence in marketing communications, it is hoped that the light shed by this supplement and its collection of
articles will help healthcare providers better understand marketing communications and deploy associated
initiatives successfully, affording greater patient engagement opportunities.
Keywords: Marketing communications, Promotion, Hospitals, Patients, Healthcare
© The Author(s). 2020 Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License,
which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give
appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if
changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons
licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons
licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain
permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the
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):817
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-05598-4
Background
Health and medical establishments provide arguably the
most essential services offered in any given community.
From quality-of-life enhancements to life-saving inter-
ventions, the services provided by healthcare organiza-
tions are without parallel, making these entities key
community assets. As facilitators of well-being and even
life itself, health and medical institutions profoundly in-
fluence their respective marketplaces [1–3]. Indeed,
healthy communities are productive communities, with
exceptional community health emerging largely from the
endeavors of those dedicated to supplying health and
wellness services on behalf of populations. This, in turn,
sets the stage for all-important economic opportunity
which drives community development, growth, and via-
bility, positively impacting individuals and institutions
alike [2,4–7]. But despite the skill of physicians, the
magnitude of medical technologies, the compassion of
nurses, or the benefit of any other associated investment,
healthcare services possess very little impact potential
unless they are communicated effectively to current and
prospective patients [8–14].
Communications prowess is a key ingredient of pro-
ductive healthcare delivery pursuits, with associated suc-
cesses clearly positioning health and medical
establishments for growth and prosperity while simul-
taneously yielding vital benefits for their various con-
stituencies. As such, healthcare institutions must direct
considerable attention toward shoring up communica-
tions capabilities, ensuring that audience engagement
successes match patient care successes. Such pursuits in-
variably direct healthcare providers to the discipline of
marketing, notably its marketing communications com-
ponent, which focuses on engaging desired audiences in
hopes of attracting patronage [1,8–11]. Many convey-
ance mechanisms are at the disposal of healthcare pro-
viders, permitting numerous opportunities for engaging
current and prospective patients [10,11]. For the best
communicative outcomes, all must be considered when
formulating marketing communications initiatives, with
consideration first, of course, requiring that healthcare
providers acquire an understanding of communications
options and associated fundamentals.
Discussion
In pursuing knowledge of communications options and
related guidance, healthcare providers can benefit greatly
by gaining operational perspectives from peer institu-
tions. Acquiring such insights can be difficult, given
competitive sensitivities, but occasionally healthcare in-
stitutions are compelled to share knowledge in published
accounts, motivated by desires to advance the state of
knowledge of the healthcare industry. Encouraged, ac-
cordingly, Willis-Knighton Health System sought to
contribute knowledge on the marketing communications
front, a vital area with excellence being mandatory for
successful healthcare operations and endeavors. Over
many decades, through scores of deployments, the insti-
tution has acquired significant communications prowess
[1,15,16], prompting development of this special sup-
plement in BMC Health Services Research, entitled
“Marketing communications in health and medicine:
perspectives from Willis-Knighton Health System,”with
this particular article supplying a brief profile of the con-
tents included in the associated supplement.
The supplement’s first five articles profile the compo-
nents of the marketing communications mix: advertising,
personal selling, sales promotion, public relations, and
direct marketing. “Advertising in health and medicine:
using mass media to communicate with patients”pro-
vides a range of Willis-Knighton Health System’s in-
sights and experiences garnered from extensive
deployments of advertising, perhaps the best-known
form of promotion. Conveying messages through paid
use of mass media, advertising relies on television, radio,
newspaper, billboard, and related mechanisms to trans-
mit messages far and wide. The associated article dis-
cusses advertising’s interesting historical development in
the health services industry, notes its current status as a
mainstay communicative avenue, and profiles key moti-
vations and considerations associated with its use.
“Personal selling in health and medicine: using sales
agents to engage audiences”discusses the use of sales
employees to personally deliver messages to individuals
and institutions in desired markets. To many, the use of
sales representatives by health services establishments
seems somewhat foreign, but sales roles do exist in
health and medicine, affording a critical communications
capability. This particular article profiles Willis-
Knighton Health System’s use of sales agents and dis-
cusses proper deployment strategies, yielding engaged
and informed audiences. “Sales promotion in health and
medicine: using incentives to stimulate patient interest
and attention”spotlights the use of free samples, free tri-
als, coupons, contests, loyalty programs, and the like by
healthcare institutions as a means of reinforcing other
components of the marketing communications mix,
affording opportunities to better connect with patients.
Among other things, Willis-Knighton Health System’s
associated deployment strategies, including motivations
and considerations in use, are outlined and explored.
“Public relations in health and medicine: using publi-
city and other unpaid promotional methods to engage
audiences”profiles the communications avenue which
traditionally has served as the primary method by which
healthcare providers informed audiences of available of-
ferings. This typically is achieved by preparing and sub-
mitting press releases to news media firms in hopes that
Elrod and Fortenberry BMC Health Services Research 2020, 20(Suppl 1):817 Page 2 of 4
they, in turn, will present given stories to their audi-
ences. Public relations must be deployed carefully to
realize communications goals, with this article present-
ing Willis-Knighton Health System’s strategies and per-
spectives. “Direct marketing in health and medicine:
using direct mail, email marketing, and related commu-
nicative methods to engage patients”discusses the deliv-
ery of promotional messages directly to consumers.
While some applications clearly have the potential to ir-
ritate consumers (e.g., junk mail in post boxes, spam in
email inboxes), direct marketing can be deployed re-
spectfully, yielding a helpful communications asset, with
the associated article presenting viable strategies.
The next three articles of “Marketing communications in
health and medicine: perspectives from Willis-Knighton
Health System”shift attention toward complementary mar-
keting communications facets. “Foundational elements of
communication in health and medicine: avenues for
strengthening the marketing communications mix”re-
minds readers that many things communicate on behalf of
healthcare organizations, notably including the people
employed by them, the places in which they deliver services,
and the brands that represent them. As foundational ele-
ments of communication, thesemustbeaddressedpriorto
formulating the marketing communications mix, as they in-
fluence and impact an institution’s entire communicative
potential, with this article profiling associated pathways.
“Response hierarchy models and their application in health
and medicine: understanding the hierarchy of effects”turns
attention toward the patronage process by presenting
models which describe the stages through which con-
sumers pass on their way to becoming customers and pa-
tients of given healthcare establishments, permitting
insights which can assist healthcare providers in their
quests to hasten exchange and capture market share. “Inte-
grated marketing communications: a strategic priority in
health and medicine”discusses the need to cohesively as-
semble marketing communications, achieving harmony be-
tween and among components, permitting synergies which
bolster institutional abilities to engage current and pro-
spective patients.
The final article, “Reflecting on ‘Marketing communica-
tions in health and medicine: perspectives from Willis-
Knighton Health System’: understanding the big picture,”
concludes the supplement by taking the insights provided
and presenting them in an operational framework, dem-
onstrating the marketing communications process. This
framework concisely summarizes the facets profiled in the
associated articles, permitting readers to see how these
pieces work in concert together in health and medical set-
tings, providing a basic communications structure for ad-
vancing patient engagement initiatives, while also
supplying a succinct summary of content, handily con-
cluding the supplement.
Conclusions
Given the imperative for excellence in marketing com-
munications, health and medical providers must work
intensively over the course of organizational life to de-
velop associated prowess as a means of facilitating last-
ing patronage, yielding essential benefits for healthcare
institutions, their customer populations, and their
greater communities. Willis-Knighton Health System’s
marketing communications insights and experiences, as
profiled in this special supplement, supply helpful food
for thought for advancing the patient engagement initia-
tives of most any healthcare institution, whether long
established or newly initiated. The operational perspec-
tives afforded nicely complement traditional textbook
and trade publication portrayals, offering healthcare pro-
viders an opportunity to bolster their knowledge con-
cerning one of the most vital practices associated with
the pursuit and realization of institutional prosperity and
its numerous mutual benefits.
Acknowledgments
A special note of thanks is extended to 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 ser-
vices. 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 hon-
orary doctorate of science and humane letters from Northwestern State Uni-
versity 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.
Elrod and Fortenberry BMC Health Services Research 2020, 20(Suppl 1):817 Page 3 of 4
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
Not applicable.
Competing interests
JKE and JLF Jr. are both employed with Willis-Knighton Health System.
Published: 15 September 2020
References
1. Elrod JK, Fortenberry JL Jr. Formulating productive marketing
communications strategy: a major health system’s experience. BMC Health
Serv Res. 2018;18(Suppl 3):926.
2. Shi L, Singh DA. Essentials of the US health care system. 4th ed. Burlington:
Jones and Bartlett; 2017.
3. Griffith JR. Hospitals: what they are and how they work. 4th ed. Sudbury:
Jones and Bartlett; 2012.
4. McKenzie JF, Pinger RR, Seabert DM. An introduction to community and
public health. 9th ed. Burlington: Jones and Bartlett; 2018.
5. Rotarius T, Liberman A, Trujillo A, Oetjen R. The economic impact of several
hospitals on their community. Health Care Manag (Frederick). 2003;22(4):
318–30.
6. Begun J, Kahn L, Cunningham B, Malcolm J, Potthoff S. A measure of the
potential impact of hospital community health activities on population
health and equity. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2018;24(5):417–23.
7. Austrian Z, Alexander S, Piazza M, Clouse C. Mission, vision, and capacity of
place-based safety net hospitals: leveraging the power of anchors to
strengthen local economies and communities. J Community Pract. 2015;
23(3/4):348–66.
8. Berkowitz E. Essentials of health care marketing. 4th ed. Burlington: Jones
and Bartlett; 2017.
9. Thomas RK. Marketing health services. 3rd ed. Chicago: Health
Administration Press; 2014.
10. Fortenberry JL Jr. Health care marketing: tools and techniques. 3rd ed.
Sudbury: Jones and Bartlett; 2010.
11. Fortenberry JL Jr. Cases in health care marketing. Sudbury: Jones and
Bartlett; 2011.
12. Elrod JK, Fortenberry JL Jr. Billboard advertising: an avenue for
communicating healthcare information and opportunities to disadvantaged
populations. BMC Health Serv Res. 2017;17(Suppl 4):787.
13. Schiavo R. Health communication: from theory to practice. 2nd ed. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass; 2014.
14. Parvanta CF, Nelson DE, Harner RN. Public health communication: critical
tools and strategies. Burlington: Jones and Bartlett; 2018.
15. Elrod JK. Breadcrumbs to cheesecake. Shreveport: R&R Publishers; 2013.
16. Elrod JK, Fortenberry JL Jr. Catalyzing marketing innovation and competitive
advantage in the healthcare industry: the value of thinking like an outsider.
BMC Health Serv Res. 2018;18(Suppl 3):922.
Publisher’sNote
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional affiliations.
Elrod and Fortenberry BMC Health Services Research 2020, 20(Suppl 1):817 Page 4 of 4
