Short-Term Moves, Long-Term Vision

Strategic Communications Planning in an Uncertain Healthcare Climate

Let’s be honest: the healthcare industry is not exactly operating in a calm, predictable environment right now. Between new executive orders, increasing regulatory pressure, economic impacts and global supply chain disruptions, leaders are dealing with nonstop change in the face of healthcare industry uncertainty.

Here’s the catch: while short-term decisions and plans are necessary, they also come with risks if they’re made in the absence of an accompanying long-term vision. And for healthcare communicators and marketers, those risks could show up in very real ways. Unclear goals. Ill-conceived approaches. Rushed campaigns. Shrinking budgets.  

Why Are Healthcare Leaders Stuck in a Short-Term Mindset? The political impact on healthcare makes it hard to count on policies or reimbursement models to have lasting power, forcing tough healthcare leadership decision-making. Inflation, staffing shortages and economic factors are straining margins and forcing CFOs to scrutinize every line item. And operational challenges, like supply chain interruptions, keep pushing leaders into reactive mode.

Still, healthcare organizations can’t afford to stop future planning altogether. Short-term thinking may help keep the lights on, but it’s no way to build trust, reputation or category leadership. That’s where healthcare communications strategy can make a difference.

What’s the Risk of Prioritizing “Now” Over “Next” in Healthcare Marketing?
For marketing and communications professionals, today’s volatile environment brings both practical challenges and strategic pitfalls.

Pragmatically, campaign cycles are shrinking dramatically. Programs that once took a year to build are now being conceived and launched in a matter of weeks. Budgets are being allocated in smaller increments, sometimes quarter by quarter, forcing communications and marketing teams to constantly scale approaches. Instead of focusing on long-term strategies, many healthcare communicators are managing moment by moment, often sacrificing a cohesive healthcare marketing strategy.

A rushed pace could come with consequences for healthcare organizations and their agencies. When every project feels like a fire drill, teams can easily burn out. Creativity is stifled. Tactics take precedent over strategy. Long-term storytelling gets shelved. And without committed budgets, it can be harder to make the case for ongoing brand-building efforts. The potential impact? Organizations that run too fast may lose sight of where they’re going.

Can Anything Good Come of This?
Plot twist: uncertainty can also create space for innovation. When long-term plans are off the table, organizations can experiment in ways they might not have before to reach and engage with their stakeholders.

Agility can be a real differentiator. A healthcare company that can whip up a targeted digital campaign in weeks or pivot messaging in response to a policy shift will have an advantage over peers that may not be as nimble. Shorter planning cycles also allow for more pilot programs. Instead of going all in on a year-long campaign, healthcare marketers can test new approaches by gathering insights and adjusting or optimizing strategies accordingly.

One more upside is potential relevance. With shorter campaigns, organizations can respond to cultural moments, industry developments or competitor moves in real time. Done well, this can make communications feel more connected to the audience you aim to reach. After all, regardless of who the stakeholder is, reaching them in a way that resonates is a win.

How Can Healthcare Communicators Plan in a Volatile Market?
The answer is not to totally abandon short-term planning. Rather, the key is anchoring it in a long-term vision.

Healthcare communicators and marketers can maintain a vision for the future while still moving fast by:

• Building flexible campaigns that can be scaled based on budget or priorities.

• Preparing contingency plans that anticipate quick pivots without having to go back to the drawing board.

• Maintaining a consistent brand narrative, so even if tactics change, the story being told does not.

• Evaluating both short- and long-term outcomes to track the quick wins, while also paying attention to indicators of brand trust and loyalty.

• Documenting lessons learned by capturing insights that can be applied to future planning.

What Healthcare Communicators Should Remember
The volatility in the healthcare industry isn’t likely to ease anytime soon. But uncertainty doesn’t have to mean instability. Every short-term decision made now can still be a building block in a longer-term strategy.

‍
The healthcare communicators who will succeed are the ones who effectively balance immediate pressures without losing sight of tomorrow. If they strike the right mix of short-term agility with long-term vision, they can not only weather this storm but also help their organizations come out stronger on the other side.

This article was first published on O'Dwyer's.