Marketing is full of buzzwords that, in the real world, don’t have any impact on long-term growth, sales, and – ultimately – revenue. And although the term has certainly been overused and co-opted by hopeful industry influencers, the concept of thought leadership continues to be an important component of brand marketing.Especially in highly technical sectors like healthcare, telemedicine, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices, thought leaders play an important role in advancing the industry as a whole. Companies that strategically amplify the voices of thought leaders among their ranks are poised to:

So what can healthcare and pharmaceutical brands do to approach thought leadership opportunities more strategically? Well, it starts at the drawing board – figuring out what internal experts have to say and which topics support the business’s larger goals.

What Does Your Brand Have to Say?

What your brand has to say about the latest industry trends and news is just as important as your messaging around product features and benefits. Before HCPs and patients become customers, first, they’re simply your audience. And any audience that’s unfamiliar with your brand will need evidence that your perspective and expertise are trustworthy.While organizations can often overcome that initial hurdle with partnered campaigns – essentially “borrowing” the reputation of other brands – that strategy won’t scale for long. Healthcare brands that invest time in developing a cohesive thought leadership program are building a foundation for long-term growth and audience trust.The hard part? Sifting through the industry topics and themes your brand could cover and determining which ones your brand should focus on is challenging. Whatever healthcare sector your organization occupies, you’ll likely have more in-house expertise than you need. Not every thought leadership topic will actually be advantageous to your marketing and sales strategies.That’s why it’s important to determine which topics:

Turning Cohesive Thought Leadership into Brand Equity

Brand equity is another marketing term that gets thrown around a lot, but it’s an incredibly valuable resource for both new and established healthcare brands. The value of any company’s brand equity depends on customer perceptions, and strategic thought leadership is a key mechanism for elevating public perception of an entire organization.However, having the strongest thought leadership platform in the world won’t matter if your brand strategy and digital marketing teams are struggling to cooperatively develop a promotion plan. In today’s digital-first age, every healthcare company is competing for its audience's limited attention, and that struggle is even harder when you’re trying to reach unfamiliar audiences with thought leadership content.At OpenHuddle, we recommend that healthcare companies make the most of every digital interaction with their customers, tailoring messages, media, and assets to each audience. We help companies apply segmentation throughout their marketing strategies, from thought leadership and brand awareness campaigns all the way to bottom-of-the-funnel tactics.You can stay up to date on OpenHuddle’s recommendations through our LinkedIn page. Or contact us to discuss how we can help you elevate your digital marketing approach.

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