Explore every episode of the podcast Health Marketing Collective

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

On today’s episode, Sara Payne is joined by Stewart Gandolf, CEO and co-founder of Healthcare Success, to explore an intriguing conundrum: when healthcare marketing works exceptionally well, it starts to become invisible and that’s when organizations can get into trouble. With over 30 years of experience helping hospitals and health systems grow through patient acquisition and digital strategies, Stewart Gandolf brings seasoned insight into the mechanics of high-performing healthcare marketing engines and the all-too-common danger of taking success for granted.

This conversation draws inspiration from Stewart Gandolf’s recent reflections on the paradox of effective marketing: the better it works, the easier and more effortless it seems to outsiders. Sara Payne and Stewart Gandolf dive into how this perception can lead leaders to undervalue the marketing effort, question investments, make the wrong cuts, or push for change without understanding what’s actually delivering results. Beyond the psychology and human behavior influencing these dynamics, they discuss the complexity of measurement, the importance of context and communication between marketing and leadership, and how AI is reshaping the marketing landscape.

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 Paradox of Invisible Success
2. Stewart Gandolf explains that when marketing is consistently delivering results, it starts to look easy and can become “invisible” within organizations (00:17). This is especially problematic because leadership may forget the pain that prompted investment in the first place, lose sight of true performance drivers, or make changes that disrupt what actually works.
3. Recency Bias and the Illusion of Stability
4. Organizations often treat strong performance as the new baseline and quickly forget the strategic effort and resources behind it (03:22). Sara Payne and Stewart Gandolf discuss how “shiny object syndrome” can distract attention from high-performing channels (like paid search or digital acquisition), with leaders shifting focus to less impactful activities or trivial details once core metrics are humming along (05:18).
5. Complexity Behind the Curtain: Measurement, Attribution, and Human Expertise
6. It’s tempting to attribute solid results to simple tactics, but Stewart Gandolf highlights the underlying sophistication: from stacks of experts across specialties (SEO, content, paid search, traditional media) to advanced AI-driven call tracking and analytics (09:01). Organizations underestimate both the tools and expertise required for sustained growth when they aren’t directly engaged with the process.
7. Communicating Value to Leadership
8. Over-indexing on metrics without providing clear narrative and context can be perilous (10:29). Sara Payne notes and Stewart Gandolf agrees that it’s essential for marketers to be active communicators, translating data into stories and real-world impact that resonate with executive teams. Tactics like opening meetings with patient stories or supplementing metrics with anecdotes help remind leaders of the “why” behind the numbers (13:02).
9. Adaptation, AI, and the Future-Proof Marketing Team
10. The accelerating ease of execution via AI and automation means execution itself is becoming commoditized (26:19). What remains invaluable, according to Stewart Gandolf, is strategic thinking, contextual understanding, and specialized expertise. Teams and individuals who resist embracing AI risk obsolescence whereas those who integrate human creativity and experience with tech will continue to deliver outsized value, even as the marketing landscape transforms (27:18).

Whether you’re a healthcare marketing leader or part of an agency, today’s episode is a powerful reminder: the factors driving growth are rarely as simple as they seem. Don’t let success become invisible; unlock its story, advocate for its value, and keep evolving alongside your industry.

Mentioned in this episode:

Health Marketing Collective is Powered by Inprela

The Health Marketing Collective is powered by Inprela: a communications firm built for health brands determined to lead, not follow. We partner with marketing innovators who aren't just chasing attention—they're building movements. Connect with the audiences shaping the future of care and lead the conversations that move your market. Ready to rise above the noise? Visit inprela.com. Let's create something that moves the market.

Inprela Communications

Join us at HLTH 2026 in Las Vegas!

We're headed to HLTH 2026 in Las Vegas, November 15 through 18, to hear from some of the industry’s top thought leaders about the ideas and innovations shaping what comes next. Health Marketing Collective listeners have access to a special $250 discount on a General Attendee pass with code H26HMC. We hope to see you there!

Learn more and register at HLTH.com

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

On today’s episode, Kelly Franchetti, CEO of The Patient View, nurse, rare disease mom, and seasoned patient insights expert joins Sara Payne for an essential conversation about the art and science of weaving patient insights into brand planning. As healthcare marketers dive into planning season, Kelly offers a strategic and practical playbook for moving beyond assumptions and building campaigns, support programs, and messaging that truly resonate with patients.

We dig into the critical questions: Where do patient insights fit into the brand planning process? Why do so many organizations wait too long to seek patient feedback? And what real-world impacts have companies seen when they involved patients early vs. when they didn’t? Kelly Franchetti shares powerful stories from triple-negative breast cancer rebrands to evolving support in rare diseases showcasing how early, authentic patient input can fundamentally change both creative direction and patient outcomes.

This isn’t just market research. Kelly Franchetti explains how agile, front-end insight work is different, faster, and often significantly less expensive than most teams assume. Practical guidance follows for working with tight budgets, leveraging advisory boards, and collaborating with agencies to get the strongest ROI from your patient engagement investments.

1. Move Patient Insights Upstream: Too often, patient feedback is treated as a late-stage validation step testing messaging after it’s already locked in. Kelly argues for bringing patients into the room from the very start of brand planning 02:21, when strategy, positioning, and creative direction are being formed. Early involvement is not just easier and less costly; it’s foundational to building architecture that reflects real patient needs.
2. Beware of Assumptions Even on Experienced Teams: Even sophisticated marketing teams can unconsciously operate from inside the brand, not inside the condition. Common assumptions such as what patients’ biggest pain points are, or what support they need often miss the mark. Kelly Franchetti stresses that gaps arise not from lack of skill but from differing perspectives; closing those gaps during planning season is what drives real resonance and results 05:02, 07:54.
3. Patient Insight vs. Market Research & Advisory Boards: Patient insight initiatives are not just another traditional market research project, nor are they interchangeable with advisory boards. Kelly Franchetti explains that patient insight work is quicker, more agile, and designed to shape hypotheses before they are fully formed 15:58. Advisory boards have their value for focused, tactical conversations, but fall short in surfacing the full breadth of patient perspectives required for foundational planning 20:41, 22:41.
4. Involving the Patient Voice Isn’t Out of Reach: Patient insights don’t require big teams or massive budgets. Programs can be spun up quickly (in as little as two to three weeks) and at budgets starting as low as 10,000–15,000 17:41, 18:25. Kelly Franchetti encourages teams to explore what’s possible with what they have rather than assuming time and cost are barriers.
5. ROI Is Highest When Insights Inform Early Decisions: If you only have resources for one initiative, invest on the front end shaping strategic priorities and messaging pillars instead of saving for late-stage message testing. Testing confirms, but early input shapes 26:46. Realigning plans after launch is always possible pulse checks midyear are fast and affordable 32:30 but the greatest ROI comes from minimizing assumptions upfront, regularly calendaring patient insight check-ins, and being honest about where the plan is built on guesses versus knowledge.

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

Mentioned in this episode:

Health Marketing Collective is Powered by Inprela

The Health Marketing Collective is powered by Inprela: a communications firm built for health brands determined to lead, not follow. We partner with marketing innovators who aren't just chasing attention—they're building movements. Connect with the audiences shaping the future of care and lead the conversations that move your market. Ready to rise above the noise? Visit inprela.com. Let's create something that moves the market.

Inprela Communications

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

On today’s episode, Scott Brinker joins Sara Payne for a candid discussion on the accelerating pace of marketing and the impact of marketing technology and AI on today’s business environment. Widely known as the “Godfather of MarTech,” Scott Brinker brings his nearly two decades of expertise through his Chief MarTech platform and numerous bestselling books to help us navigate the challenges and opportunities at the intersection of speed, strategy, and creativity in modern marketing.

Is marketing really moving faster, or does it just feel that way? That’s the key question Sara and Scott unpack, digging into the effects of digital transformation and AI on content creation, expectations, and, importantly, the human cost of relentless urgency in the field. They explore the implications for marketing leaders, the hidden costs of always-on activity, and how to build sustainable rhythms that foster both creativity and strategic impact, especially in healthcare.

Join us as we examine how marketers can balance agility and discipline, use technology as a force for focus rather than just acceleration, and reclaim space for deep thinking to build brands rooted in trust and authenticity.

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 Double-Edged Sword of Marketing Velocity: Scott underscores that the rapid pace of marketing goes far beyond AI, it’s rooted in years of digital transformation and an explosion of touchpoints and technologies. While these innovations enable marketers to do more, faster, they introduce significant costs, particularly by eroding critical time for reflection and strategic thinking. The challenge: can the human mind keep up with technology’s pace? (04:24)
2. The Cost of Speed: Creativity, Strategy, and Burnout: Both Sara and Scott warn that constant urgency often leads to a shortcutting of the creative and strategic process, resulting in decision fatigue and burnout. Marketing effectiveness isn’t just about reaction time; it’s sustained by discipline, iteration, and making space to revisit projects with fresh eyes. Short-term responsiveness should not eclipse long-term impact. (06:21)
3. Discipline and Cadence Trump Perpetual Chaos: Adapting concepts from agile development, Scott advocates for operating rhythmic sprints, structured backlog, and focused delivery cycles to help teams juggle changing priorities without succumbing to perpetual interruption. Sarah Payne echoes the need for discipline, emphasizing the importance of being intentional about what merits urgency, and communicating clear priorities across organizations. (12:30)
4. More ≠ Better: Activity vs. Impact in the Age of AI: The proliferation of AI and automation threatens to amplify “activity for activity’s sake.” Scott urges marketers not to simply fill newfound time with more execution but to protect it for higher-order thinking and true innovation. Drawing parallels to software development, he notes that an avalanche of new features or campaigns rarely translates to better outcomes if it’s not grounded in value and customer impact. (24:31)
5. Scarcity of Trust and Attention: The New Differentiators: Looking ahead, Scott predicts that as technology further reduces the friction of activity, human attention and trust will become the scarcest and most valuable assets for brands. The organizations that excel will be those who invest in building genuine relationships and deliver consistently on customer-centric outcomes, focusing less on technology for its own sake and more on understanding and serving their audiences with authenticity. (27:01)

Mentioned in this episode:

Health Marketing Collective is Powered by Inprela

The Health Marketing Collective is powered by Inprela: a communications firm built for health brands determined to lead, not follow. We partner with marketing innovators who aren't just chasing attention—they're building movements. Connect with the audiences shaping the future of care and lead the conversations that move your market. Ready to rise above the noise? Visit inprela.com. Let's create something that moves the market.

Inprela Communications

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

On today’s episode, we’re joined by Bernie Armada, professor at the University of St. Thomas and a leader at the intersection of storytelling, communication, and applied improvisation. Bernie shares his personal journey from crippling stage fright to expert communicator, revealing how improvisational techniques can transform not just individual confidence but the very nature of leadership and connection in our AI-driven world.

With host Sara Payne, Bernie dives into how improv uniquely cultivates better listeners and more authentic leaders, breaking down the conventions that often stifle true connection. The episode is packed with stories, practical insights, and powerful anecdotes from the classroom to the corporate boardroom and even the radiology suite on why every leader, regardless of background, can benefit from improv training.

We explore how the skills learned in improvisation are transferable far beyond performance, shaping the way executives, technical professionals, and communicators of all stripes build trust, foster collaboration, and bring a more human touch to their work in an increasingly automated world.

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

1. Improv as a Catalyst for Human Connection: Bernie emphasizes that in an era where AI can automate much of our work, the ability to genuinely connect with others is more critical than ever. Improv teaches us to be fully present, attentive listeners, not just hearing words, but reading expressions, body language, and intent, laying a foundation for deep human connection and trust (10:37).
2. Leadership is About Listening, Not Judging: Improv skills empower leaders to step down from perceived pedestals and engage authentically with their teams. By “taking off the armor” sometimes literally, as Bernie Armada invites both students and professionals to remove their shoes, participants break down hierarchical barriers, build trust, and foster a sense of equality and community in the workplace (15:10).
3. Unlearning Professional Veneers for Authenticity: Professional success often comes with rigid habits and protective “veneers,” but improvisation helps participants “unlearn” these conventions. Through playful exercises, individuals rediscover their authentic voices, build confidence, and cultivate a more effective, approachable style of leadership and communication (21:27).
4. Improv Works for Everyone, Not Just ‘Natural’ Communicators: Whether you’re an engineer, physician, scientist, or executive, the skills developed through improvisation like mirroring, vulnerability, and in-the-moment responsiveness are universally beneficial. Bernie describes transformative experiences with highly technical professionals who, through applied improv, become more engaging speakers and leaders, able to connect with both peers and lay audiences (27:20).
5. Practical Advice: Risk, Storytelling, and Lifelong Growth: For those looking to become more engaging communicators, Bernie recommends taking practical steps such as reading Alan Alda’s “If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?” and seeking out improv classes in your area. He highlights that the path to better communication is ongoing, shaped by risk-taking, sharing authentic stories, being comfortable with mistakes, and always striving to connect on a human level (42:25).

Mentioned in this episode:

Health Marketing Collective is Powered by Inprela

The Health Marketing Collective is powered by Inprela: a communications firm built for health brands determined to lead, not follow. We partner with marketing innovators who aren't just chasing attention—they're building movements. Connect with the audiences shaping the future of care and lead the conversations that move your market. Ready to rise above the noise? Visit inprela.com. Let's create something that moves the market.

Inprela Communications

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

In today’s episode, Sara Payne sits down with Kamal Bhandal, Senior Vice President of Invisalign Global Brand at Align Technology, to discuss how healthcare brands can earn true cultural relevance and become part of the everyday conversations, communities, and lifestyles of their audiences.

With deep experience at the intersection of healthcare, technology, and consumer marketing, Kamal Bhandal has played a crucial role in establishing Invisalign as one of the most recognizable names in healthcare. She’s led marketing transformations spanning everything from AI-powered systems to brand strategy, and in this episode, she shares her approach to building lifestyle-driven relevance, making social media a force multiplier, and learning directly from the consumers, especially younger generations like Gen Z who are shaping brand expectations for the future.

We break down what it really means for a healthcare brand to be relevant in people’s lives, why it’s essential to embed authenticity into your marketing practices, and what other healthcare leaders can take away from the next generation’s playbook for engagement, inclusivity, and community building.

Thank you for joining us at the Health Marketing Collective, where strong leadership meets marketing excellence because the future of healthcare depends on it.

Key Takeaways:

1. Relevance Is Earned, Not Assumed
2. Kamal emphasizes that brand relevance means earning the right to become part of people’s lives. It’s about understanding your audience on a deep level—not just through data, but by sitting “knee to knee” with customers, embracing their worldviews, language, and daily challenges, in order to craft resonant and meaningful brand experiences (02:01–06:03).
3. Investing in Consumer Understanding Is Non-Negotiable
4. Carving out time and budget for ongoing consumer immersion isn’t a “nice-to-have”; it’s foundational. Kamal stresses that gathering insights from both current and potential customers (from providers to end users) is the necessary first step for unlocking true relevance and building impactful marketing strategies and communication plans (06:46–08:21).
5. Social Media as a Force Multiplier
6. Rather than viewing social media as a mere channel, Kamal advocates treating it as an arena for discovery, community, and co-creation. Social platforms enable healthcare brands to both “edutain” audiences (educate + entertain) and foster true connection not only direct-to-consumer, but through providers and wider communities. Social listening and active engagement also drive real-time insights that can reshape marketing and product decisions (15:12–19:57).
7. Let the Next Generation Lead
8. To be relevant to Gen Z and beyond, brands must co-create with these consumers, not just market to them. Kamal shares how involving Gen Z voices “at the table” from the very beginning accelerates relevance and helps avoid misaligned assumptions. This collaborative approach is now essential as culture and expectations move at unprecedented speed (20:32–22:34).
9. Marketing’s Role in Fostering Team Culture & Embracing Change
10. Strong marketing leadership mirrors the principles of consumer relevance within teams by understanding individuals’ goals, fostering a culture of learning, and celebrating experimentation (including failures). Kamal underscores the importance of team chemistry, delegated voice, and supporting risk-taking as integral to ongoing organizational transformation and innovation (25:50–29:45).

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

Mentioned in this episode:

Health Marketing Collective is Powered by Inprela

The Health Marketing Collective is powered by Inprela: a communications firm built for health brands determined to lead, not follow. We partner with marketing innovators who aren't just chasing attention—they're building movements. Connect with the audiences shaping the future of care and lead the conversations that move your market. Ready to rise above the noise? Visit inprela.com. Let's create something that moves the market.

Inprela Communications

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

In today’s episode, we’re joined by Gwen Cantarera, Senior Director of Global Marketing at Nordic, for a deep dive into the critical role of alignment in organizational success and how marketing leaders can serve as catalysts for trust, connection, and strategic clarity. With experience leading global strategy, partner marketing, and communications for a complex healthcare consulting portfolio, Gwen brings a powerful perspective on breaking down silos and building bridges within healthcare organizations across the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

The conversation focused on why alignment is more than process and documentation; it's fundamentally about relationships, vulnerability, and trust. Drawing from a rich entrepreneurial background, Gwen shared why marketing often sits in a unique position at the heart of an organization, able to both gather diverse perspectives and act as the nexus for communication between teams like sales, delivery, and internal counsel. The discussion explored how curiosity and emotional intelligence are indispensable for marketing leaders aiming to create shared understanding and move organizations in the same direction.

Key Takeaways:

1. Alignment Is Built on Relationships, Not Just Process: A key theme that emerged was that organizational alignment doesn’t stem from more meetings or elaborate documentation but from frequent, informal, and transparent communication that builds trust. Gwen described how regular gut checks, open brainstorming, and a willingness to ask questions in real-time pave the way for true alignment across departments. It’s the “sausage making” the unpolished, vulnerable moments that ultimately drive connection and understanding 08:35.
2. Marketing as the Organizational Heartbeat: One concept discussed was marketing’s unique vantage point. Marketing often has touchpoints with every part of the business, from delivery to sales to counsel, making it ideally positioned to collect diverse inputs and act as the connective tissue. If approached with curiosity, marketing is able to notice dissenting opinions, identify where teams are misaligned, and distill the core issues so the organization can move forward together 01:26.
3. Vulnerability and Curiosity Are Essential Leadership Qualities: The discussion explored how effective marketing leaders model vulnerability by putting half-baked ideas forward for feedback and are not afraid to be corrected. This requires setting aside ego and demonstrating a willingness to learn in public, which encourages a culture where others feel safe to contribute openly. The willingness to “put down the wrong answer” is often the fastest way to arrive at the right one 14:08.
4. Transparency Through Open Dialogue Drives Impact: Several points were raised about the importance of intentional, open forums like “True North,” where anyone from C-suite to front-line consultants can hear what marketing is working on, ask questions, and share feedback. These sessions open the doors not just for reporting, but for meaningful, cross-functional dialogue that surfaces blind spots, fosters psychological safety, and establishes trust as the foundation for passionate, productive conflict 16:14.
5. Shared Language and Shared Purpose Accelerate Alignment: A key theme that emerged was the power of creating a common language and analogies to help diverse groups of engineers, clinicians, legal, and marketing work together effectively. When alignment is achieved, the organization will see messaging and positioning propagate organically, and leaders will notice their ideas reflected back by stakeholders without having to explain repeatedly. True alignment is visible in the pervasive, shared understanding and reference points adopted across teams 35:09.

Thank you for tuning into the Health Marketing Collective, where together, we navigate the intersection of leadership, marketing, and healthcare transformation.

Mentioned in this episode:

Health Marketing Collective is Powered by Inprela

The Health Marketing Collective is powered by Inprela: a communications firm built for health brands determined to lead, not follow. We partner with marketing innovators who aren't just chasing attention—they're building movements. Connect with the audiences shaping the future of care and lead the conversations that move your market. Ready to rise above the noise? Visit inprela.com. Let's create something that moves the market.

Inprela Communications

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

In today’s episode, we dive into the “new gold rush” of health marketing: AI search. Joining us is Vincent Grippi, founder and CEO of Grippi Media, a seasoned expert with over sixteen years of experience crafting digital marketing strategies for both startups and Fortune 500 brands. Featured in AdWeek, Business Insider, Fierce Healthcare, and Marketing Dive, Vincent has become a key thinker on the future of marketing, especially as AI rapidly reshapes the landscape of how consumers find and trust information.

As AI-driven search tools become more prevalent, marketers face a barrage of new acronyms, shifting priorities, and a swirl of tools promising the next competitive advantage. But is all this hype justified or is confusion clouding marketers’ judgment? Sara Payne and Vincent Grippi discuss the challenges, myths, and real strategies for thriving in the world of AI search, uncovering what businesses should and shouldn’t be chasing in the age of rapidly evolving algorithms.

Key Takeaways:

1. SEO Fundamentals Still Rule Ignore the Hype Around New Acronyms

Despite the explosion in AI search tools and terminology, Vincent stresses that marketers don’t need to throw out their SEO playbooks. Google has clarified that AEO and GEO are myths; strong, traditional SEO remains the foundation for ranking and discoverability in AI search results (03:02, 06:23). Chasing new acronyms or unproven tools is likely to waste time and resources.

2. Chasing Hacks and Tool-Based Shortcuts is Risky (and Costly)

Vincent warns against “hacks” like AI-generated spam content or gaming platforms like Reddit, which may yield short-term wins but almost always backfire, leading to plummeting rankings or even platform bans (04:09, 04:41). Many popular tools are simply wrappers built on top of existing AI like ChatGPT and charge steep fees without meaningful results. Marketers should be wary of proprietary “visibility” scores or brand metrics that vary wildly between platforms (16:05).

3. Discoverability is the New Visibility: Focus on Meaningful Presence

AI search changes how users access information summaries, replacing ten blue links, and click-through rates on web content are falling fast (20:12). Marketers must go beyond surface-level “visibility” to focus on discoverability: mapping high-value, original content to the specific prompts and research needs of their ideal customer profiles. This means prioritizing non-commodity content, such as unique research, proprietary data, case studies, and expert perspectives (08:46, 12:26).

4. Thought Leadership and Digital PR Are More Important Than Ever

AI search doesn’t just reward what’s published on your site it pulls in podcasts, videos, ratings, reviews, and third-party features. Sara and Vincent emphasize the necessity of digital PR, proactive reputation management, and strategic media placements to build both authority and trust (23:26, 25:26). Genuine originality and credibility whether in written articles, public speaking, or interviews set brands apart in both the algorithm’s eyes and consumers’ trust.

5. Marketers Must Reframe Success Metrics and Build Trust, Not Just Traffic

The AI search landscape demands new thinking around measurement: instead of obsessing over conversions or clicks, marketers should triangulate traditional SEO metrics with AI visibility, share of voice, and brand sentiment. With fewer referrals from search, ultimate success is about influencing perception, discovering new audience touchpoints, and fostering trust by surfacing reliably credible, compelling information where it matters (19:01, 36:07).

Thank you for joining us for this conversation on staying grounded and staying ahead amidst the noise of AI search. Be sure to subscribe for more insights, where strong leadership meets marketing excellence.

Learn more about Vincent and the work he does at https://www.grippimedia.com/.

Mentioned in this episode:

Health Marketing Collective is Powered by Inprela

The Health Marketing Collective is powered by Inprela: a communications firm built for health brands determined to lead, not follow. We partner with marketing innovators who aren't just chasing attention—they're building movements. Connect with the audiences shaping the future of care and lead the conversations that move your market. Ready to rise above the noise? Visit inprela.com. Let's create something that moves the market.

Inprela Communications

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

On today’s episode, Sara Payne is joined by Emily Hansen, Senior Director of Market Development at Axogen, a leader in surgical innovation for peripheral nerve repair. Together, they dive deep into the art of storytelling as a leadership tool–not just as a tactic for campaigns, but as a means of inspiring belief, forging emotional connections, and moving both sales teams and executives to action in healthcare organizations.

They open with a familiar scenario for any marketing leader: a national sales meeting where, despite sound strategies and robust data, audience engagement quickly fades. Emily unpacks why so many critical “big moments” fall flat and shares how she revitalized her own approach to presentations, receiving remarkable feedback from both executives and sales colleagues.

The conversation covers concrete strategies for crafting presentations that connect, the power of emotional resonance, and the often-overlooked step of enabling others in the organization, whether sales or clinicians, to spread that same powerful narrative. Emily also offers a behind-the-scenes look at how sharing real human stories, especially those rooted in emotional patient testimonials, can ignite cultural change and unleash advocacy across an entire organization.

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

1. Storytelling as a Leadership Tool

Emily Hansen emphasizes that storytelling in presentations, especially at high-stakes meetings, should go far beyond sharing numbers and priorities. The magic happens when marketing leaders approach presentations as opportunities to create belief and emotional affinity, not just disseminate information (00:49, 03:14). Slides are not the story; the narrative and connection are.

2. Start with the Audience, Not the Slides

One of the biggest pitfalls leaders face is defaulting to repurposed slides and crowded decks, which drains energy and loses engagement. Emily advocates beginning with a blank page, writing out the narrative first (even scripting key points), and ruthlessly editing down to what truly resonates. Slides should only serve as a visual accent to the story, never as the centerpiece (04:34, 05:19).

3. Create Emotional Resonance for Impact

The most memorable presentations Emily delivered focused on eliciting genuine emotion by sharing human-centered patient stories and testimonials. These stories cut through data fatigue and leave lasting impressions, often prompting colleagues to share personal connections and become advocates themselves (19:15, 20:39). Emotional resonance is not at odds with credibility it’s essential to it.

4. Inspire, Don’t Instruct

Many presenters mistakenly approach big stages as teaching moments, stuffed with data and bullet points. Emily suggests that real change and alignment come from inspiring people and constructing an experience, not just delivering information. The goal is to move people to action in their own best interest, whether they’re in sales, operations, or clinical practice (10:32, 11:17).

5. Enable the Message to Travel

Storytelling doesn’t end when the presentation is over. Emily describes the ripple effect of hearing her narrative and messaging echoed back by sales colleagues and even clinicians, equipping others to connect with patients and stakeholders more powerfully (27:10, 27:41). The true measure of impact is seeing those messages passed along and adapted, proof that the story is taking root in the organizational culture.

Thank you for tuning in to the Health Marketing Collective, where storytelling becomes a catalyst for organizational change and marketing excellence.

Mentioned in this episode:

Health Marketing Collective is Powered by Inprela

The Health Marketing Collective is powered by Inprela: a communications firm built for health brands determined to lead, not follow. We partner with marketing innovators who aren't just chasing attention—they're building movements. Connect with the audiences shaping the future of care and lead the conversations that move your market. Ready to rise above the noise? Visit inprela.com. Let's create something that moves the market.

Inprela Communications

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

In today's episode, we delve into the barriers to technology adoption among older, higher-risk populations and how innovative companies are reframing the narrative around “tech hesitancy” in healthcare. Joining us is Harry DiFrancesco, CEO and co-founder of Carda Health, who brings real-world insights from building virtual cardiac and pulmonary rehab programs designed to meet patients where they are, especially those traditionally underserved by hospital-based care.

After caring for his own parents and seeing firsthand the challenges of accessing rehabilitation in rural America, Harry founded Carda Health with a personal mission: to make advanced, supportive care available at home for those who need it most. In a landscape awash in new technology and AI-driven solutions, Harry DiFrancesco argues that trust more than tools or tactics is the critical factor for patient engagement and health outcomes.

In this conversation, Sara and Harry unpack common misconceptions about seniors and technology, discuss the real sources of adoption friction (it’s not what most people think), and share best practices for designing tech-enabled healthcare that earns genuine trust. They also explore the right and wrong ways to leverage AI in healthcare, emphasizing that technology must enhance value and human connection to truly succeed.

Thank you for joining the Health Marketing Collective, where we explore the leadership and marketing strategies shaping the future of healthcare.

Key Takeaways:

1. Challenging the "Tech Hesitant Senior" Narrative: Harry DiFrancesco pushes back against the widespread assumption that older adults simply can’t or won’t use technology. Instead, he highlights that tens of thousands of seniors engage daily with Carda Health’s virtual rehab solutions, proving it’s a matter of design and support not innate reluctance. The true barrier is that most tech is built for younger users, not that older users lack the capability or willingness.
2. Designing With Empathy and Intentionality: Success with older populations requires adapting design choices to meet their needs: larger fonts, simple navigation, and reducing unnecessary complexity (like having apps pre-downloaded and minimizing device setup). Harry DiFrancesco emphasizes listening to end-users, removing friction, and maintaining a deeply empathetic mindset leveraging staff who are trained to step in and help when human intervention is needed to overcome anxiety or confusion.
3. Trust Is Earned Through Value and Transparency: Trust, especially in healthcare, hinges on communicating clear, relatable value and maintaining transparency, particularly around costs. Carda Health works to advocate for fee waivers, proactively communicates about copays, and offers price estimates upfront, knowing that unexpected bills quickly erode confidence and engagement. Brands must ensure their users feel informed and see immediate benefits from participation.
4. AI as an Efficiency Layer (Not a Replacement for Care): Harry shares a realistic perspective on AI in health: it should support clinicians, improve efficiency, and free up time for meaningful patient relationships not replace human care. He critiques Silicon Valley’s fear-driven AI messaging, suggesting it breeds mistrust. At Carda Health, AI is used for device monitoring, automating coverage decisions, and relieving clinicians of administrative burdens, enabling them to focus on patient connection.
5. A “Locus of Control” Mindset Drives Adoption: Rather than blaming patients for non-adoption, Harry advocates for companies to internalize what they can change about their own products and processes to remove barriers. The fundamental adoption driver isn’t age or skepticism; it's whether the product delivers more value than friction. Companies that actively seek out, understand, and refine the factors contributing to user anxiety or hesitation can win trust and long-term engagement.

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

Mentioned in this episode:

Health Marketing Collective is Powered by Inprela

The Health Marketing Collective is powered by Inprela: a communications firm built for health brands determined to lead, not follow. We partner with marketing innovators who aren't just chasing attention—they're building movements. Connect with the audiences shaping the future of care and lead the conversations that move your market. Ready to rise above the noise? Visit inprela.com. Let's create something that moves the market.

Inprela Communications

On today’s special episode, we’re revisiting one of our audience favorites: a candid conversation with Jody Tropeano Greene, Head of Content at HLTH. In light of the Call for Speakers opening for HLTH 2026, this episode is especially timely and an absolute must-listen for anyone hoping to make it onto the stage next year.

As the architect of HLTH Conference content and the person reviewing every speaker application, Jody provides an insider’s look at what truly sets successful submissions apart from the rest. She dives deep into why most applications fail, the elevated standards expected for 2026, and how this year’s “Age of Intelligent Healthcare” theme is shaping the agenda. Get ready for practical, actionable advice on crafting a compelling submission, understanding what leadership looks like in this new era of healthcare, and why authentic, bold, and sometimes controversial perspectives are more important than ever.

We also explore this year’s key content pillars, new session formats designed to spark real conversations, and what it means to move beyond the safe and surface-level to offer proof, candor, and substance. Whether you’re a longtime attendee, a first-time applicant, or a health tech innovator seeking a bigger platform, Jody’s advice could be the difference-maker for your application.

Key Takeaways:

1. Authenticity and Boldness Are Essential: Jody emphasizes that the most successful speaker submissions are those that present a strong, candid point of view and avoid overly-polished or safe talking points. It’s not what your company does, but what you stand for as a leader that will get you selected. Submissions that read like corporate pitches are quickly passed over in favor of those that offer truth, leadership, and even a bit of controversy.
2. Theme Focus: The Age of Intelligent Healthcare: The 2026 HLTH conference raises the bar by demanding real-world, proof-driven insights around AI’s tangible impact on health outcomes. The agenda is intentionally designed around major industry challenges, including the aging population, advances (and unknowns) surrounding GLP1s, and under-discussed dimensions of women’s health. Flexibility in the program ensures Health spotlights what’s truly timely and relevant.
3. Diverse Voices and Fresh Perspectives Wanted: Underrepresented and unconventional perspectives are highly valued, from recently-departed government officials ready to speak candidly, to founders and clinicians with the courage to take a stand. Unique backgrounds even from outside of healthcare are prized for the fresh thinking they bring.
4. Session Formats Are Evolving: HLTH is moving beyond standard panels towards dynamic formats like the “challenge arena,” where leaders solve real attendee-submitted problems live on stage, and “power panels” that push speakers to address big existential questions with direct, sometimes opposing takes. The goal: foster candid discussion and real solutions, not just polite agreement.
5. Preparation and Persistence Matter: Besides strong applications, a visible, authentic digital presence (especially on LinkedIn) can help demonstrate you’re stage-ready even if you’re a newer voice. If you don’t get selected, attending the conference, engaging in year-round community activities, and learning from top speakers will strengthen future applications. Past and ongoing engagement with Health also plays a role in tie-breaker decisions for speaker selection.

Thank you for joining the Health Marketing Collective. Don’t miss your chance to apply for a spot at HLTH 2026. Be bold. Be authentic. The future of healthcare and who gets to shape it depends on you.

Mentioned in this episode:

Health Marketing Collective is Powered by Inprela

The Health Marketing Collective is powered by Inprela: a communications firm built for health brands determined to lead, not follow. We partner with marketing innovators who aren't just chasing attention—they're building movements. Connect with the audiences shaping the future of care and lead the conversations that move your market. Ready to rise above the noise? Visit inprela.com. Let's create something that moves the market.

Inprela Communications

On today’s episode, Sara Payne welcomes back Jennifer Hovelsrud, a seasoned leader in enterprise content marketing with over 20 years of experience across both large enterprises and high-growth startups. Together, they shake up the usual format with a dynamic exchange of marketing “hot takes,” diving deep into the challenges, tensions, and timely debates that senior marketing leaders are navigating in 2024.

Jen and Sara tackle everything from measurement pitfalls and the evolving role of content, to how AI is reshaping brand publishing, thought leadership, brand relevance, and marketing’s seat at the business strategy table. Instead of a structured interview, the show adopts a lively trust-fall approach, surfacing candid opinions and sparking spirited debate to uncover new insights for leaders in health marketing.

We hear firsthand how dashboards and metrics can become noise without a strategic lens, why brands must rethink their role as publishers in the wake of fragmented media, and how the phrase “thought leadership” has lost much of its power. The conversation also explores the new challenges of corporate statements on social issues, the friction between compliance and speed, and the dramatic shifts in brand strategy as AI exposes bland and inauthentic marketing. Ultimately, Sara and Jen remind us that marketing leadership is about navigating change, making tough trade-offs, and protecting trust, relevance, and authenticity in health care.

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. Measurement vs. Impact: Most Dashboards Are Motion, Not Meaning: Sara and Jen agree that today’s marketing dashboards tend to track activity impressions, downloads, engagement rates but often fail to measure true impact, such as shifts in brand perception, trust, or influence (01:54). Leading indicators and metrics are valuable, but they must be strategically aligned and connected to business outcomes rather than mere busyness or noise (02:10).
2. Brands as Publishers: Filling the Media Gap, Authentically: With traditional media fragmented and underinvested, Sara and Jen discuss how corporations must step in as publishers, providing educational and point-of-view content rather than just marketing to compete for visibility in a world shaped by AI-powered search (08:25). Success in this area will require serious auditing, new content templates, and a clear shift from promotional messaging to genuine value and instruction (13:36).
3. Thought Leadership: The Phrase Has Lost Its Punch: Sara raises the provocative question of whether “thought leadership” has become watered down, simply a catch-all for content without genuine leadership or a distinct point of view (15:03). Both speakers admit to overusing the term for internal buy-in, but call for raising the bar: true thought leadership must influence how people think and act, rather than just fill digital real estate (15:47).
4. Marketing’s Strategic Seat: From Support to Shaping Business: Instead of simply reflecting business strategy, marketing must proactively shape it. Jen argues that marketing and communications leaders need to be at the table, influencing organizational direction, business goals, and customer experience, especially as trust and education become market drivers (29:32). The shifting environment demands a new appreciation for marketing’s role as a business advisor not just a sales enabler (31:32).
5. AI and Brand Authenticity: The New Imperative for Human Content: Sara and Jen agree that AI will force brands to become more distinct and human (35:06). Rather than replace great marketing, AI exposes generic, bland strategies making authenticity, opinionated viewpoints, and clear values the competitive edge. Brand investment, particularly upper-funnel initiatives focused on trust and perception, is poised to become even more important, but only when paired with real consistency and experience (37:45), as customers judge brands by lived interactions, not just polished branding.

The episode ends with a common thread: today’s health marketing leaders are navigating change, trade-offs, and new demands for authenticity and relevance. What leaders choose to fund, say, and risk will shape trust and market impact and in the coming months, these debates may evolve even faster. Stay tuned, and thank you for being part of the Health Marketing Collective.

Mentioned in this episode:

Health Marketing Collective is Powered by Inprela

The Health Marketing Collective is powered by Inprela: a communications firm built for health brands determined to lead, not follow. We partner with marketing innovators who aren't just chasing attention—they're building movements. Connect with the audiences shaping the future of care and lead the conversations that move your market. Ready to rise above the noise? Visit inprela.com. Let's create something that moves the market.

Inprela Communications

Today’s episode dives into one of the most pressing topics in marketing and leadership today: the impact of AI on the creative and marketing professions, and why storytelling is more essential than ever. Host Sara Payne is joined by Joe Lazer, Chief Marketing Officer at Pepper and author of the new book, Super Skill: Why Storytelling is the Superpower of the AI Age. Joe’s work has been featured in outlets including Fast Company, Forbes, Adweek, and Digiday, and he brings firsthand experience navigating the seismic shifts in content creation caused by generative AI.

In this lively and insightful conversation, Sara and Joe tackle head-on the anxieties marketing leaders feel about AI. From the moment ChatGPT launched, writers, marketers, and creatives everywhere asked if their jobs would soon disappear. But Joe flips that narrative on its head. Drawing on neuroscience, evolutionary history, and today’s marketing trends, he argues that the uniquely human skill of storytelling is not just irreplaceable but actually more valuable than ever in an AI-powered world.

The episode explores why trust and authenticity are emerging as the most scarce and important resources as AI-generated “slop” floods the web, and why people increasingly connect with brands through real, vulnerable stories told by actual humans. Joe lays out the case for building a “creator culture” within organizations, where brand’s people, not just their logos, are the new engines of marketing excellence.

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

Key Takeaways:

1. Storytelling Is a Superpower in the Age of AI: When AI drives the cost of mediocre content to zero, only truly human, deeply authentic stories will break through. Speaker A explains that the value of real storytelling will rise not fall as AI-generated content proliferates. Storytelling’s roots in human experience, emotion, and connection simply can’t be faked by algorithms, and this advantage is backed by neuroscience and evolutionary biology.
2. Trust is the Ultimate Competitive Advantage: As AI blurs the line between truth and fiction online, trust not just content becomes the real scarce commodity. Sharing authentic stories, especially those rooted in vulnerability, remains the fastest way humans build trust. Speaker A notes that storytelling triggers biologically-embedded mechanisms, such as the release of oxytocin, that foster empathy and genuine human connection.
3. The Age of Institutional Brand-Building is Over. Welcome to the Creator Economy: Authority is rapidly shifting from institutions to identifiable individuals. The most engaging content now comes from real people, executives or employees whose stories mirror the values and challenges of their audiences. Social algorithms heavily favor posts from individuals over faceless organizations, driving engagement and conversions exponentially higher.
4. Vulnerability is Powerful Even (and Especially) on Professional Platforms: The “dinner party from hell” experience on LinkedIn, saturated with self-congratulatory “success” stories, only highlights what most brands and professionals get wrong. The real connection (and effective leadership) comes from embracing vulnerable, honest storytelling about hardship, growth, failures, and real life. This not only opens the door for others to reciprocate but forges genuine relationships and opportunities for help and collaboration.
5. Storytelling is a Habit And It’s Everyone’s Job: Speaker A insists storytelling shouldn’t be considered a niche or “soft” marketing skill, but a daily discipline and core competency for everyone, from the boardroom to the front lines. He encourages companies to actively nurture storytelling talent, train staff across roles, and build creator rosters. Building the daily habit of sharing stories offline and online hones the muscle of communication, empathy, and innovation, driving leadership and marketing excellence in the rapidly-evolving, AI-laden landscape.

If today’s conversation resonated with you, we encourage you to check out Joe’s new book, Super Skill: Why Storytelling is the Superpower of the AI Age. Thank you for listening to the Health Marketing Collective, where strong leadership meets marketing excellence. See you next time!

Mentioned in this episode:

Health Marketing Collective is Powered by Inprela

The Health Marketing Collective is powered by Inprela: a communications firm built for health brands determined to lead, not follow. We partner with marketing innovators who aren't just chasing attention—they're building movements. Connect with the audiences shaping the future of care and lead the conversations that move your market. Ready to rise above the noise? Visit inprela.com. Let's create something that moves the market.

Inprela Communications

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

On today’s episode, we’re joined by Wendy Cutting, VP and CTO of Product, Data, and Engineering at HealtheMed, to dig into one of the most important and nuanced challenges in healthcare: the often-fraught relationship between product and marketing. As someone who has navigated this dynamic for more than 20 years in both retail and healthcare organizations, Wendy offers a seasoned, practical perspective on why friction arises between product and marketing—and, crucially, what it takes to break down silos and truly drive adoption and impact.

Wendy’s expertise lies in transforming business strategy into scalable healthcare technology, embedding security, compliance, and operational rigor at every stage. She partners deeply with marketing and executive teams, ensuring that every product built aligns with the way it’s positioned and understood in the market. As Sara Payne and Wendy Cutting unpack the tension between product validation and iteration versus marketing’s drive for activation and scale, they explore how data, executive alignment, and cross-functional collaboration are essential to maximizing both innovation and adoption.

Together, they look at real-world lessons from retail, practical approaches from healthcare, and actionable strategies for any organization striving to improve collaboration and move as one unified team.

Key Takeaways:

1. Data as the Critical Bridge: The recurring theme throughout the discussion is the value of data—particularly the role of dedicated analytics teams as the connective tissue between product and marketing. Rather than relying on product or marketing to own and interpret the data independently, organizations see the most alignment and trust when an objective analytics group manages the data, making it accessible and transparent for all teams ([00:05:30 - 00:06:26]).
2. Roadmap Transparency Drives Alignment: Successful organizations foster collaboration by involving both product and marketing in roadmap planning early and often. This includes openly sharing roadmaps, planning work well in advance (ideally giving marketing a six-month window for larger organizations), and engaging in collaborative quarterly business reviews. Such practices help both sides anticipate needs, plan resources, and adjust tactics to better serve shared goals ([00:08:30 - 00:11:16]).
3. Lessons from Retail: True Customer Focus: Drawing on her background at Best Buy and Target, Wendy Cutting argues that healthcare has much to learn from retail’s customer obsession. In retail, understanding and personalizing to the end user is essential—otherwise, there is no sale. In healthcare, complexity and segmentation often obscure that focus, but those organizations that embrace human-centered design (as in retail) achieve stronger engagement and better results ([00:12:05 - 00:12:44]).
4. Building Trust Through Regular Cross-Functional Meetings: Beyond just process, success also comes down to relationships. Regular, bi-weekly touchpoints between product and marketing leaders—even when there’s little on the agenda—foster trust, friendship, and mutual understanding. This consistency sets the tone for fast pivots, shared wins, and more empathetic collaboration across the board ([00:24:17 - 00:24:39]).
5. Executive Support and a Shared Purpose: Executive alignment is critical: when leadership frames business objectives clearly and everyone is on the same page about ultimate goals, it becomes much easier to resolve tensions and unite product and marketing behind outcomes that matter for both business and customer. Wendy Cutting emphasizes that technology and marketing should always serve people first—not just revenue—by solving what’s genuinely missing in people’s lives ([00:22:14 - 00:22:50]).

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

Mentioned in this episode:

Health Marketing Collective is Powered by Inprela

The Health Marketing Collective is powered by Inprela: a communications firm built for health brands determined to lead, not follow. We partner with marketing innovators who aren't just chasing attention—they're building movements. Connect with the audiences shaping the future of care and lead the conversations that move your market. Ready to rise above the noise? Visit inprela.com. Let's create something that moves the market.

Inprela Communications

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

On today’s episode, Carrie Maurer joins Sara Payne for the second conversation in a powerful two-part series dedicated to the realities of high-stakes, consensus-driven B2B buying environments. With over 25 years of experience as a senior marketing and growth leader, former CMO, and advisor to CEOs across industries, Carrie Maurer brings deep expertise in guiding leadership teams to unlock market expansion and position marketing as a true partner in revenue growth.

This episode centers on the inside story of how major B2B buying decisions are really made—and why even the most innovative solutions and persuasive pitches can still stall or slip through the cracks. Sara and Carrie zoom in on two critical, often misunderstood concepts: the group dynamics behind big-ticket buying choices, and the pivotal role trust and risk management play in moving opportunities through complex sales cycles. More than exploring marketing tactics, they tackle structural and cultural barriers that can either empower—or hinder—marketing from being a genuine driver of business decisions and deal velocity.

Key Takeaways:

1. In High-Stakes B2B, Inaction Is the Real Competitor
2. Carrie Maurer points out that B2B deals most often stall not because a buyer doesn’t like a solution, but because taking action feels risky—and the default, safest choice is to do nothing. Buyers hesitate when they cannot fully defend their decision internally, meaning trust and risk reduction are more impactful than even the best innovations.
3. Decisions Are Made by Groups, Not Individuals
4. The notion that marketing and sales can win over a single ‘key decision maker’ is fundamentally flawed. Meaningful B2B decisions are nearly always made by buying groups—informal or formal clusters with varied priorities, concerns, and veto power. Effective marketing strategies must look beyond personas to understand and support the group dynamics and internal politics that shape consensus.
5. Marketing’s Role Is to Help Decisions ‘Travel’
6. Success isn’t just about generating interest. Marketing must help opportunities move from initial clarity (awareness) through confidence (defensibility) to consensus (organizational alignment). This means anticipating objections, aiding internal champions, and providing tools and narratives that enable buyers to ‘sell’ the decision internally.
7. Operating Models Can Be Hidden Constraints or Force Multipliers
8. A major cause of stalling is not creative failure but structural misalignment within marketing teams. When internal processes and shared services slow marketing’s responsiveness, opportunities slip and trust erodes—both with buyers and inside the business. Organizations that prioritize impact (speed, alignment, proximity to buyer needs) over efficiency (queues, rigid processes) empower marketing to be a genuine growth driver.
9. Trust Is Built Through Defensibility, Not Just Brand Warmth
10. In B2B, trust isn’t about likability or soft sentiment. It’s about creating ‘safety’ for buyers: Are you enabling them to defend and own the buying decision with confidence in front of skeptical stakeholders? Marketing must provide proof points, support, and responsiveness at exactly the right moment to reduce the personal and emotional risk involved in high-profile buying decisions.

This episode provides both a mirror and a map for marketing leaders: If your team is only focused on personas, lead generation, or creative campaigns, you’re missing the real leverage point. True marketing excellence requires architecting cultures, systems, and models that enable decisions to move with confidence, speed, and group consensus—because when decisions move, revenue follows.

For more insights or to connect with Carrie Maurer directly, reach out via LinkedIn, and stay tuned to the Health Marketing Collective for the best in leadership-driven marketing strategy.

Mentioned in this episode:

Health Marketing Collective is Powered by Inprela

The Health Marketing Collective is powered by Inprela: a communications firm built for health brands determined to lead, not follow. We partner with marketing innovators who aren't just chasing attention—they're building movements. Connect with the audiences shaping the future of care and lead the conversations that move your market. Ready to rise above the noise? Visit inprela.com. Let's create something that moves the market.

Inprela Communications

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

On today’s episode, Carrie Maurer joins host Sara Payne for a candid exploration of marketing’s impact in complex B2B environments where buying cycles are long, decisions are high stakes, and the revenue impact of marketing matters more than ever. With over 25 years as a CMO and growth leader working alongside CEOs in large enterprises, high-growth companies, and startups, Carrie is uniquely positioned to offer a real-world perspective on how marketing can—and must—operate as a genuine driver of revenue in regulated, highly complex industries.

The episode is anchored around one crucial question: If marketing disappeared tomorrow, would revenue actually suffer? Together, Sara and Carrie dig into what it means for marketing to be accountable to revenue, as opposed to simply activity or awareness metrics. They explore how marketing’s influence goes beyond campaigns or messaging, and instead is about aligning strategy, operations, and storytelling so that growth can happen.

Carrie brings clarity to the often-overlooked design problems that prevent marketing from impacting revenue, emphasizing the importance of leadership decisions, system design, and cross-functional accountability. The conversation moves from practical signals of marketing’s real impact—like buyer momentum and internal champion empowerment—to the nuances of strategic partnership between sales and marketing, and the discipline of sequencing growth activities. Rounding out the episode, Sara and Carrie discuss the value of patience as a strategic advantage and the critical need for marketing to measure and influence decision movement, not just attention.

Thank you for joining the Health Marketing Collective, where strong leadership meets marketing excellence. The future of B2B marketing depends on it.

Key Takeaways:

1. Marketing’s True Accountability Is to Revenue, Not Activity
2. Carrie challenges marketing leaders to reconsider what they measure. Activity metrics—like campaign impressions, downloads, or event attendance—are visible and controllable, but they signal motion, not movement. The real test of marketing’s impact is whether it drives revenue by helping decisions progress within the buyer’s and seller’s organizations.
3. Design Problems Need Leadership Decisions and System Alignment
4. If marketing’s absence wouldn’t affect revenue, it’s not a failure of people but a sign that marketing hasn’t been designed to influence where decisions are made. Fixing this requires leadership choices around scope, structure, priorities, and operating models—not just more marketing effort.
5. Strategic Partnership Between Sales and Marketing Is Essential
6. For marketing to have a revenue impact, it must sit at the strategic table with sales, product, and operations. When marketing has commercial fluency—understanding the product, competitive landscape, buyer environment, and internal business case dynamics—it strengthens sales teams, empowers internal champions, and helps navigate complexities that stall high-stakes decisions.
7. Sequencing and Patience Are Strategic Advantages in B2B Growth
8. In complex sales cycles, the discipline of sequencing—guiding both buyer and seller organizations through the right steps in the right order—is more important than speed for its own sake. Patience, when combined with strategic discipline, accelerates true momentum and ensures decisions progress with confidence, reduced friction, and less risk.
9. Measure Evidence of Movement, Not Just Attention
10. The most meaningful marketing metrics in complex B2B environments are observable signals that a decision has advanced: stakeholders joining earlier, buyers asking implementation questions, champions articulating the value proposition in their own words, and sales spending more time on next steps instead of re-explaining basics. These are signs of confidence and alignment—core to marketing’s role as a revenue driver.

Subscribe to the Health Marketing Collective to continue learning how strong leadership and marketing excellence are reshaping the future of business. And stay tuned for Part 2, where Carrie returns to explore why so many marketing teams struggle to deliver on true revenue accountability.

Mentioned in this episode:

Health Marketing Collective is Powered by Inprela

The Health Marketing Collective is powered by Inprela: a communications firm built for health brands determined to lead, not follow. We partner with marketing innovators who aren't just chasing attention—they're building movements. Connect with the audiences shaping the future of care and lead the conversations that move your market. Ready to rise above the noise? Visit inprela.com. Let's create something that moves the market.

Inprela Communications

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

On today’s episode, Sara Payne welcomes Robin Goldsmith, practice leader for Verizon’s healthcare domain practice and host of the “Healthcare on Air” podcast. With more than two decades of experience spanning patient engagement, media, data analytics, and digital transformation, Robin Goldsmith shares his unique perspective from the frontlines of healthcare marketing innovation. This conversation explores what it takes to lead through moments when the pace of innovation outstrips understanding—and the old playbook no longer works.

Throughout the episode, Sara and Robin discuss what it feels like to drive (and survive) fundamental change in healthcare, the challenges and surprises of shifting entrenched practices, market readiness for innovation, and the evolving role of marketing leadership as technology transforms how care is delivered and experienced. From navigating resistance and cultivating trust to finding simplicity in complex solutions, this episode is packed with actionable insights for marketing and leadership professionals at every stage of healthcare transformation.

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

Key Takeaways

1. Change Management Requires Courage, Storytelling, and Customer Focus

Robin recalls the shift from broad campaigns to data-driven marketing at Everyday Health and CrossX, highlighting that guiding organizations through change demands leaders to step out of their comfort zones. Success hinges on the ability to weave a compelling, benefit-driven narrative and keep the end customer—whether patient or practitioner—at the forefront of every strategy (03:53).

1. Market Readiness Is Critical for Innovation Success

Innovations in healthcare marketing only flourish when the market is fundamentally ready for change. Robin emphasizes the importance of identifying early adopters and mapping out educational phases to gradually build acceptance and momentum. Pushing the market too soon often results in resistance; thoughtful go-to-market strategies, incremental testing, and understanding organizational priorities are essential (06:24).

1. Building Trust—Not Just Change—Drives Adoption

Trust is the foundation for any successful transition in healthcare marketing. Teams must anticipate objections, map customer concerns, and create easy on-ramps for testing new strategies. Robin notes that allowing incremental adoption and being honest about failure builds genuine trust with stakeholders, crucial for long-term success (10:02).

1. Simplicity Over Complexity in Messaging

Both speakers reflect on the challenges of communicating complex technological and strategic shifts. Simplicity in messaging—distilling narratives to their essence—improves understanding, buy-in, and word-of-mouth advocacy. Overcomplicating dilutes impact and drives disengagement, especially within large organizations or when rolling out innovative solutions (14:03).

1. Marketing Leadership Must Be Elevated in Times of Change

As healthcare changes faster than ever—accelerated by the pandemic, new technology, and shifting consumer expectations—Robin advocates for marketing leadership to have a seat at the strategic table. By shaping narratives, aligning messaging with organizational objectives, and orchestrating channel strategies, marketing can be the catalyst for successful adoption and meaningful transformation (19:04).

Join us in celebrating moments when healthcare marketing rises to the challenge, forging the path to a future where excellence and innovation go hand in hand.

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

Mentioned in this episode:

Health Marketing Collective is Powered by Inprela

The Health Marketing Collective is powered by Inprela: a communications firm built for health brands determined to lead, not follow. We partner with marketing innovators who aren't just chasing attention—they're building movements. Connect with the audiences shaping the future of care and lead the conversations that move your market. Ready to rise above the noise? Visit inprela.com. Let's create something that moves the market.

Inprela Communications

1. Clarity and Simplicity Win During Disruption: Holly emphasized that, especially in transformative moments, more information is not necessarily better. Instead, marketers should focus on clear, simple messages delivered through trusted voices. Avoid the trap of excessive complexity and lean on simplicity to help audiences—whether internal teams, clients, or consumers—truly understand and connect with your story.
2. Building a Timeless, Elastic Narrative: Great narratives answer the basics: who you are, what you do, and the value you deliver. Holly shared Included Health’s approach of selecting familiar but meaningful words that are aspirational enough to grow with the company, yet grounded in today’s reality. Successful messaging is both “speakable” (easy for everyone to use in conversation) and emotionally charged—capable of rallying both employees and customers.
3. Buzzwords Alone Don’t Differentiate: In a marketplace saturated with terms like “integrated care” and “whole person health,” standing out requires more than industry jargon. Holly described how Included Health extends buzzwords with clear, ownable language—such as “mind, body, wallet support”—to spark genuine curiosity and make their value proposition concrete and memorable.
4. Internal Alignment Is a Process—Not an Event: Achieving strong company-wide adoption of a new narrative demands intentional rollout: from partnering with the CEO and leadership, to department-level rollouts, all-company meetings, and hands-on workshops. Holly advised that embracing new language often feels awkward and requires letting go of comfortable legacy terms, but it’s necessary to position the organization for where it’s going—not where it’s been.
5. Harness AI for Both Efficiency and Strategy—And Use It as a Feedback Loop: Holly described Included Health’s integrated approach to AI: using tools like Writer for generating content “catalogs” that meet both audience needs and channel requirements, while emphasizing that efficiency gains must serve broader strategy. The team also runs regular “LLM audits”—asking AI tools what they know about Included Health—to reveal how the company is perceived externally, using that insight to refine future content and strengthen employer branding.

1. Human Connection Becomes the Strategy: In an era where AI is making “mediocre marketing incredibly efficient,” true value now lies in creating fewer, more meaningful conversations. Sara stresses that human connection is no longer the “soft stuff”—it’s the strategic moat. Success will come to brands that invest in deeper relationships, invite-only roundtables, intentional follow-ups, and authentic presence, rather than just producing more content.
2. From Earned Media to Earned Influence: The definition of earned media is evolving. With shrinking newsrooms and fragmented attention, Sara explains that the new currency is “earned influence:” it’s not about where you show up, but who trusts and engages with you. PR strategies that chase only exposure will fall short; brands must now focus on building relationships, credibility, and trust within their communities and among peers.
3. Metrics Will Get Smaller and More Honest: The era of vanity metrics is ending. Sara predicts that brands will shift to measuring trust, depth of conversation, and quality of relationships—even if those numbers are less flashy. One trusted connection can outperform a thousand passive impressions. Successful brands will be those brave enough to prioritize and report these more intimate, honest metrics.
4. Executive Social Media as Leadership, Not Amplification: Simply sharing pre-written posts won’t cut it. In 2026, executive presence on social platforms like LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram must be deeper and more meaningful. People want access to how leaders think, not just what the marketing team writes for them. True executive social presence is about sharing genuine viewpoints, engaging in real dialogue, and showing curiosity, conviction, and humanity.
5. Customer-First Mindset is No Longer Optional: Centering on the customer is now the bare minimum. Self-centered messaging about a brand’s solution or roadmap will no longer be tolerated by audiences. Marketing must be grounded in genuine customer needs and real-world impact. Those who try to fake empathy or customer orientation “will be rejected.”

1. Authenticity Is Boldness in Health Marketing: Nishant emphasizes that boldness in healthcare marketing doesn’t require shock value—it demands authenticity. The “Health Insurance is Broken” campaign resonated because it spoke honestly about the pain points seniors face in navigating health insurance. By focusing on what members really experience, Scan Health Plan created a rallying cry that drew attention, trust, and excitement from both consumers and employees.
2. Mission-Driven Messaging Builds Lasting Trust: SCAN’s activist heritage—from its founding by “12 Angry Seniors” seeking better healthcare—remains the guiding force behind the brand’s messaging. Nishant advises marketers to ensure campaigns are connected to organizational mission, which enables them to speak candidly about what’s broken and what needs to change. This deep alignment fosters pride, trust, and a strong connection between the organization and its members.
3. Listening and Insight Drive Campaign Success: The campaign’s success was grounded in thorough consumer and market insight—listening to member experiences, analyzing service calls, and gathering direct feedback. Nishant shares how SCAN’s continuous feedback mechanisms (including direct emails to the CEO and regular review of service interactions) allow them to understand real member pain points. This ongoing listening translates into creative that feels fresh, different, and honest to the target audience.
4. Positive Impact Internally and Externally: The effects of the campaign were felt throughout the organization. Members expressed pride, prospective members saw something new, and employees felt energized—motivated to improve every touchpoint of the member experience. Even competitors reacted, some defensively, which Sara points out is often a sign the campaign is truly breaking through. The “Health Insurance is Broken” narrative has united Scan’s staff and members around a shared mission of improvement.
5. Bold Campaigns as Calls to Industry Action: Nishant sees the campaign not just as marketing, but as a “clarion call” for the entire health insurance industry to acknowledge inefficiencies and strive for real change. By owning imperfections and committing publicly to fixing them, SCAN challenges the status quo—and invites other stakeholders to do the same. The campaign’s early success, including record enrollment numbers and strong engagement metrics, demonstrates that honest, member-focused storytelling can lead to transformative business results and industry momentum.

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

On today’s episode, Sara Payne sits down with Misty Ladner, Senior Vice President of Consumer Marketing at Wondr Health, to explore the intersection of science, storytelling, and empathy in healthcare marketing. Together, they unpack what it truly takes to motivate people to engage with their health, translating awareness into lasting action. Misty brings decades of experience in designing digital programs that tackle obesity and chronic disease, always with a focus on building trust, changing behavior, and humanizing healthcare.

Our conversation covers everything from the fundamental differences between tech marketing and healthcare marketing, to balancing creativity and compliance, behavioral science-backed approaches to consumer engagement, and the evolving role of AI and data personalization in building meaningful and effective marketing strategies. We dive into real stories of impact—like Teddy’s transformation—and highlight how marketing leaders can anchor strategy in compassion and measurable consumer outcomes rather than just transactional metrics.

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. Trust Is the Cornerstone of Healthcare Marketing
2. Misty breaks down the fundamental difference between tech and healthcare marketing: while tech often leans on delight and convenience to drive adoption, healthcare is inherently personal and emotional. Building trust is non-negotiable—it’s the foundation that enables patients to take action, especially when dealing with vulnerable topics like weight loss and chronic disease. Wondr Health’s approach emphasizes empathy, thought leadership, and the creation of personal mirrors: “We have helped people like you—so we can help you.”
3. Personalization Drives Long-Term Consumer Engagement
4. Rather than treating marketing as a transaction, Misty and her team root engagement strategies in behavioral science and behavioral economics. By understanding each individual’s intrinsic and extrinsic motivators—the “my why”—Wondr Health personalizes not just their product, but every touchpoint, reward, and message a consumer encounters. Moving toward one-to-one personalization, operationalized across the entire lifecycle, is key to helping people stick to their health goals and achieve lasting change.
5. Data and AI: The Path to Scalable Customization
6. Success in personalized engagement relies on scalable technology. Misty shares how Wondr Health is investing in AI-driven platforms and unified datasets to power true one-to-one communication—from email to SMS to live coaching. AI allows marketers to move beyond broad population segments to individualized experiences, orchestrating communication across channels and continuously optimizing based on real-world data.
7. Consumer Outcomes Must Anchor Metrics and Strategy
8. Healthcare marketers often fall into the trap of treating engagement as a set of transactional metrics—open rates, clicks, retention. Misty urges leaders to keep consumer health outcomes at the center: sleep, energy, joy, and confidence are as important as clinical results. Wondr Health’s culture and business reviews start with participant stories and testimonials, tying business objectives directly to consumer impact and clinical outcomes.
9. Humanizing Strategy: Keep the Individual Front and Center
10. Above all, Misty advocates for approaching every campaign as if you’re speaking to a loved one—your mother, aunt, sister, or child. Marketers must remember that behind every data point is a person with a story and a motivation. Relevance, empathy, and connection build trust and drive the real, lasting change healthcare brands aspire to create.

Don’t miss Misty Ladner’s hard-won, “OG marketing” wisdom: avoid falling in love with your own ideas, stay open to learning (and being wrong), and fight assumptions about your audience—for instance, the best outcomes in weight loss may come from surprising cohorts. In healthcare marketing, the human element isn’t just a differentiator—it’s the engine of success.

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and thank you for joining the Health Marketing Collective, where strong leadership meets marketing excellence. The future of healthcare depends on it.

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

On today’s episode, host Sara Payne sits down with Kala Weeks, Vice President of Marketing and Communications for Reperio Health, for a compelling conversation at Health 2025. Reperio Health is transforming preventive care with at-home screening kits and instant results—delivering accessibility, convenience, and speed straight to consumers’ doorsteps. Together, they explore how bold, human-centered approaches in health marketing are breaking through industry noise and shaping the future of care.

Kala Weeks shares her philosophy that all buyers are humans first—offering unique insights from her psychology background on why healthcare marketing so often misses the personal touch and how trend-driven campaigns can connect with real people, even in a B2B environment. They delve into Reperio's innovative “trend jacking” strategies, the critical role of leadership support and team nimbleness, the delicate balance between clinical credibility and creative relevance, and the importance of listening deeply to audiences. Plus, learn why Kala Weeks believes we’re at the cusp of a preventive care revolution, and how Reperio is helping consumers overcome fear to embrace their health.

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. Human-First Marketing in Healthcare: Kala Weeks underscores the importance of treating buyers as multidimensional humans, not just personas or ICPs. By infusing a psychology-based understanding of what motivates real people—both in their professional and personal lives—Reperio Health creates campaigns that are relatable and resonant, helping the industry move beyond flat, transactional interactions.
2. Trend Jacking for Disproportionate Attention: Reperio Health leverages pop culture moments to make preventive care feel accessible and fun, a strategy Kala Weeks calls “trend jacking.” By connecting universal healthcare needs to widely recognized events (such as clever plays on the American Eagle jeans campaign or Taylor Swift’s candid discussions about family health), marketing efforts gain significant traction and relevance, driving brand recall and engagement even in a competitive B2B landscape.
3. Agility Backed by Leadership and Technology: Nimbleness—both in team structure and campaign approval processes—is essential for capturing fleeting cultural moments. Kala Weeks shares how actionable leadership buy-in and creative liberty empower Reperio's small team to move fast. Technology plays a vital supporting role, with custom AI tools scanning news and pop culture daily to identify opportunities, highlighting the critical intersection of innovation and strategic operations.
4. Balancing Creativity and Clinical Credibility: Staying fresh and relevant doesn’t mean sacrificing trust. Reperio Health maintains clinical credibility by anchoring its messaging in data, published case studies, and well-defined content pillars. This approach allows them to be playful and bold with campaigns while consistently reinforcing medical expertise and reliability—building brand authority among clinical and consumer audiences alike.
5. Listening as a Path to Trust and Adoption: Shifting consumer mindsets from fear of preventive care to embracing proactive health starts with active listening. Kala Weeks emphasizes the necessity of audience research and adapting voice and tone to build authenticity and trust. By prioritizing genuine dialogue over broadcasting, Reperio can address barriers, foster engagement, and truly put the healthcare consumer at the center—essential for thriving in today’s preventive care revolution.

Join us at the Health Marketing Collective, where we spotlight the bold voices shaping healthcare, and discover new strategies for leading conversations that move your market forward.

[embed]https://youtu.be/3YMJOwQc-10[/embed]

About Kala Weeks

Kala Weeks is the Vice President of Marketing & Communications at Reperio Health, where she’s redefining what B2B health-tech marketing can look like—bold, human, and impossible to ignore. Known for building brands that balance creativity with measurable impact, Kala leads with the belief that fun and effectiveness aren’t opposites—they’re the formula for momentum.

1. A New Model for the Annual Physical: Andrew Lacy describes Prenuvo as the “annual physical of the future,” integrating whole-body imaging and blood biomarkers to proactively identify disease. By offering a more comprehensive view than traditional checkups, Prenuvo aims to close the gaps left by current approaches which often produce false negatives and leave individuals in the dark about their health status.
2. Uncomfortable Truths Behind Early Detection: The episode highlights a critical mindset shift required in healthcare: current cancer screenings cover only about 14% of diagnosed cancers, leaving vast blind spots across organs like the liver, kidneys, and brain—areas rarely screened. Andrew emphasizes that true reform lies in challenging incremental fixes and pushing for large-scale preventive health solutions, even as system inertia resists radical change.
3. Mindset, Messaging & Patient Experience: Fear and anxiety are common reactions to the idea of deep health screening, not just for patients but also physicians. Andrew discusses how Prenuvo addresses this by offering warm, inviting clinic environments and reframing preventive health as a form of empowerment rather than dread. Breaking down these psychological barriers through thoughtful marketing and messaging is essential for shifting public and professional attitudes.
4. Driving Adoption Through Education & Evidence: Change doesn’t happen overnight. Prenuvo’s strategy involves educating physicians—often skeptics themselves—by turning them into advocates after experiencing screenings personally or through their patients. The company is investing in prospective clinical trials to gather the long-term data necessary for convincing payers, employers, and insurance providers to support and cover preventive diagnostics.
5. Navigating Economic Challenges for Preventive Health: One of the episode’s key marketing challenges is proving the ROI for preventive interventions in a system where patients often change jobs (and insurance plans). Andrew shares how partnering with blue-collar employers, who see long-term employee loyalty and higher occupational risks, provides an ideal proving ground for demonstrating impact. This targeted approach lays the groundwork for broader adoption, beginning with high-risk populations and expanding coverage incrementally as evidence builds.

1. Patient-Centricity Must Be Actionable, Not Just Aspirational:
2. Kelly underscores that real patient-centricity requires actively seeking out patient perspectives through research and acting on what is learned. It’s not about relying solely on AI or superficial data; it’s about integrating genuine patient voices, frequently revisiting those insights, and ensuring they shape every aspect of marketing and brand strategy.
3. Enterprise Buy-In Drives Change, While Siloes Stall Progress:
4. One of the main reasons patient insights aren’t implemented is the lack of enterprise-level buy-in. Kelly points out that meaningful change rarely happens in fragmented organizations. Successful brands foster cross-functional alignment and maintain internal champions who advocate for patients throughout all stages of research, development, and commercialization.
5. Early and Iterative Engagement Avoids Costly Missteps:
6. Kelly shares powerful examples of campaigns and trial materials that dramatically changed direction thanks to patient feedback. For instance, using “the wrong shade of pink” for triple negative breast cancer materials nearly became an expensive mistake. Bringing patient input in early—and returning for further feedback during iteration—saves resources and enhances resonance.
7. Empathy and Authenticity Build Trust:
8. Marketers often underestimate how small gestures—like mentioning that support materials were created with real patients and caregivers—can foster trust. Empathy is the foundation of truly patient-centric marketing. It's not enough to assume clinical expertise translates into understanding; language and context must be shaped by authentic patient experience.
9. Patient Insights Can Be Quick, Cost-Effective, and Highly Influential:
10. Kelly dispels myths that rigorous patient research is always expensive or slow. Reviewing existing data, leveraging small rapid studies, and continually refreshing patient advisory boards are accessible ways to keep messaging and services aligned with evolving patient needs. The key is to act, even if incrementally, and recognize that integrating the patient perspective is a journey—not a one-time project.

1. Emotional Storytelling Demands Courage and Commitment: True emotional storytelling requires brands to move beyond lip service and commit to revealing the messy, uncomfortable truths that define real human experience. Lindsey stresses that while many marketers talk about going deep, few are willing to break from professional norms and workplace safety to actually do so. Emotional realism doesn’t mean being dark or depressing—but it does mean daring to ask, witness, and reflect the truths that make audiences feel truly seen.
2. Immersive Research Uncovers Diary-Level Insights: Traditional market research often falls short because it relies on contrived environments—focus groups, phone interviews, scripted questions—where people rarely reveal their authentic selves. Nonfiction’s immersive research, by contrast, seeks out “diary-level” insights by engaging with people directly in their environments, observing real experiences, and listening for confessions and contradictions. This approach provides unmatched depth, surfacing the complex emotions and idiosyncrasies that make people human.
3. Specificity Drives Universal Resonance: A common marketing pitfall is trying to appeal to everyone with generic, “universal” messages. Lindsey argues that the opposite is true: It’s only through deeply specific, nuanced stories that audiences can find themselves and connect on a meaningful level. Great advertising, like great literature, makes the universal accessible by starting with the particular—making even uncommon stories relatable.
4. Mixing Quantitative and Qualitative for Maximum Impact: While immersive qualitative research delivers powerful, intimate insights, quantitative data is essential for validating those experiences at scale. Lindsey shares how Nonfiction’s research for Axogen on post-mastectomy sensation loss combined real-world qualitative insights with large-scale quantitative surveys—resulting in compelling, statistically grounded storytelling that changed the conversation and enabled new marketing approaches.
5. Emotional Realism in Action: From Fathers to Motherhood: The episode highlights multiple brand examples where emotional realism transforms campaigns. From research that revealed shame, not ignorance, kept fathers from engaging with their children, to candid ads by brands like Frida and Nike that moved beyond clichés to confront real, often unspoken experiences faced by women—these stories demonstrate that audiences crave, and reward, brands that are brave enough to reflect their true struggles and victories.

1. Aligning Personal and Brand Purpose Unlocks Engagement and Performance: Melissa emphasizes that the most effective marketing and the most fulfillment for marketers happens when personal purpose aligns with brand values. Marketers who understand both their own “why” and their organization’s mission are more resilient, creative, and motivated, producing authentic campaigns that resonate internally and externally.
2. Purpose-Driven Companies Outperform Competitors: The episode isn’t just about feel-good motivation Melissa cites research (from the likes of HBR and Deloitte) that shows 85% of businesses with a clear purpose see sales increase, while 42% without purpose see stagnation or decline. Purpose-driven organizations attract like-minded employees and customers, resulting in higher engagement, loyalty, and performance.
3. Authenticity and Consistency Are Essential to Building Trust: Saying the right things isn’t enough; posting values on lanyards or walls without truly living them can actively erode employee and consumer trust. Melissa and Sara discuss why it’s critical for leadership to model values and use them as a filter for decisions from hiring to service delivery, especially in high-stakes sectors like healthcare.
4. Purpose as a Decision-Making Filter Empowers Employees: The ultimate goal is for every employee to use company purpose and values as a guide in daily and “in the moment” decisions, especially when leaders aren’t around. This means purpose isn’t just strategy, it's culture, empowering staff with clarity and confidence, and fueling both psychological safety and creative risk-taking.
5. Marketing Can and Should Be a Force for Good: Melissa challenges marketing’s manipulative stereotype by sharing real healthcare examples where marketing ethics and mission-driven approaches protect vulnerable populations and foster positive change. She encourages all marketers to use their role for good, highlighting the growing importance of authenticity in both B2C and B2B environments.

1. People Are the Greatest Brand Asset: Melissa emphasizes that in B2B healthcare, buyers don’t just evaluate products and platforms—they evaluate the people behind them. Employees, partners, and advocates are a company’s most valuable assets. Their actions, professionalism, and alignment across the buyer journey directly shape trust, credibility, and differentiation in a crowded market.
2. Marketing’s Role in Ensuring Alignment and Continuity: As organizations grow and service offerings expand, maintaining alignment between marketing, sales, and delivery becomes more complex—but also more crucial. Marketing must act as both gatekeeper and advocate, ensuring consistent messaging, customer experience, and values are reflected at every touchpoint, from pre-sale promises to post-sale execution and storytelling.
3. Building Brand Credibility with Evidence and Advocacy: Healthcare buyers—especially clinicians and IT leaders—rely on evidence and peer validation over flashy claims. Brands must back up their promises with concrete examples and case studies that demonstrate outcomes. Melissa highlights the importance of forming a “community of advocacy”—actively partnering with customers and industry voices to tell authentic shared stories via media, webinars, bylines, and conferences.
4. Activating Employee Advocacy at Scale: Brands can no longer rely solely on executive spokespeople or polished corporate channels. Melissa recommends empowering employees to share brand stories, successes, and experiences on social media and professional platforms to extend reach and build trust through relatable, authentic voices. She outlines practical frameworks for doing this—establishing guidelines, structured programs, and easy-to-share content, plus embracing both formal and informal advocacy to harness the “power of your network’s network.”
5. Measuring the Soft Power of Trust and Community: Though brand trust and advocacy don’t always translate neatly into immediate business metrics, they drive critical outcomes—like improved recruitment, greater media interest, and increased customer loyalty. Melissa suggests looking at utilization rates, talent pipeline improvements, engagement growth, and anecdotal feedback alongside hard KPIs. Over time, these “soft” investments in people and stories deliver tangible business results, fueling the virtuous circle of brand advocacy and growth.

1. Saying “No” Is Essential to Strategic Marketing Success: Gino champions the philosophy of essentialism, urging marketers to do fewer things—but with much more intention and excellence. Rather than reflexively saying “yes” to every opportunity or channel, success often comes from confidently (and respectfully) saying “no” to good ideas so you have room to say an enthusiastic “hell yes” to the right ones. This discipline frees up resources and attention for what truly drives the business forward.
2. Let Business Goals Lead Channel Selection: Marketers often feel pressured to appear everywhere—SEO, SEM, email, social, display, content—but Gino explains why most organizations lack the resources (and sometimes the skills) to execute across all six major digital channels effectively. Instead, he recommends letting business objectives—in particular, whether your greatest need is acquisition or retention—determine which channels you prioritize. For example, a startup should invest in acquisition-focused channels, while an established retention-focused business can double down on email and social.
3. Break Out of Habit—Strategy Is About What You Should Do, Not Just What You Could Do: Much of what marketing teams do daily is based on habit rather than strategic necessity. Gino suggests taking a periodic step back to audit activities, questioning which ones genuinely serve current business priorities. Developing a digital marketing strategy means making tough choices—prioritizing high-impact, low-burden opportunities, and relentlessly cutting busywork and legacy activities that offer little value. As Gino puts it, “the difference between could do and should do is simply ‘no’.”
4. Apply a Proven Framework for Channel Prioritization: Gino shares his five-step methodology used in both his consulting and university teaching. This framework transforms overwhelming possibilities into a sharp, actionable plan—ensuring resources are channeled where they have the most leverage.
5. Evolve With the Changing Digital Landscape—And Use Advanced Tools Wisely: The digital ecosystem is increasingly blurry and interconnected; channels now blend and overlap, making it harder to determine what’s driving results. Gino advises marketers to remain agile, avoid falling in love with legacy “hero channels,” and continually seek out fresh tactics—such as custom and lookalike audiences on social platforms or leveraging over-the-top (OTT) streaming TV for hyper-targeted reach. Staying current, experimenting hands-on, and adapting quickly is key to long-term relevance.

1. National Sales Meetings Are the Biggest Internal Stage—Don’t Just “Check the Box”: Too often, NSMs are rushed and treated as another deliverable. Mark emphasizes that these meetings are high-stakes, high-impact events where marketing should play a leading role alongside sales—using the moment to bring the year’s strategic plan to life, inspire the team, and create shared direction across the commercial organization.
2. True Sales–Marketing Alignment Starts Early and Runs Deep: Great alignment is built long before the meeting begins—it’s relational, not transactional. Mark urges marketing leaders to reach out to sales leadership months in advance, co-own the agenda, and approach the event as collaborative leaders, not just content providers. This means proactively making the case to participate in or co-lead planning, especially in organizations where marketing hasn’t historically had a seat at the table.
3. Discovery and Theming: Ground the Meeting in Real-World Challenges: The most resonant meeting themes and story arcs emerge from structured “discovery”—deeply understanding the sales force’s realities, obstacles, and customer dynamics. Mark warns against themes that sound good but lack relevance, and advises marketers to anchor the agenda in what truly matters to the team—whether it’s competitive threats, market shifts, or upcoming launches.
4. Focus Is Critical—Less Is More When It Comes to Agenda and Content: Information overload is the enemy of inspiration and alignment. Rather than covering every update or initiative, Sara and Mark advise marketing leaders to make tough choices, focusing on the few most critical levers that will drive results in the coming year. Other topics can be addressed through targeted follow-ups—ensuring the NSM delivers clarity, not confusion.
5. Lasting Impact Depends on Celebration, Positivity, and Follow-Through: The best NSMs inspire not just by informing, but by celebrating performance, building positivity, and leaving the sales force feeling seen, equipped, and confident in leadership. Mark also calls out the growing shift toward event-based (rather than strictly annual) meetings, where celebration and strategic work may be separated for greater impact. Finally, post-event follow-up is key: the themes, deliverables, and promises made in the meeting must be sustained through quarterly check-ins and the consistent delivery of new tools and resources.

1. Simplified Messaging Can Trigger Shame J.C. explains that well-intentioned, oversimplified health messages (like “eat less, move more” or “just do it”) can inadvertently make people believe that if they struggle or fail, they themselves are the problem—not the system, their circumstances, or the messaging. This leads to a cycle where people feel isolated and desperate, perpetually seeking the next “fix,” which is both emotionally harmful and unsustainable for long-term health.
2. The “Cycle of Shame” is Universal and Persistent The research revealed the breadth and permanence of shame’s reach: one in three have experienced food, body, or fitness shaming at some point, and 89% of those report carrying its effects for life. Marketers, clinicians, and communicators are nearly always intersecting with someone’s shame journey—making respectful, nuanced messaging critical.
3. Positive Phrasing Isn’t Always Empowering Even messages meant to uplift can perpetuate shame if they minimize individual reality. Examples like “we all have the same 24 hours” or “just do it” ignore unique circumstances, making those who struggle feel “less than.” Language that minimizes (“just,” “only”) or moralizes behaviors (good vs. bad food) isolates the very individuals marketers aim to help.
4. Effective Health Marketing is Both Inclusive and Pluralistic Marketers must recognize the diversity of human experiences, backgrounds, and challenges. J.C. urges personalizing messages where possible and avoiding one-size-fits-all assumptions. Acknowledging complexity—such as socioeconomic limitations, family obligations, or trauma—allows messages to meet people where they are, rather than setting up unrealistic expectations or reinforcing harmful norms. A key framework: marketers should decide when to act as a “candle” (providing guidance) versus a “mirror” (validating and reflecting consumers’ worth).
5. Focus on Humanity and Process, Not Perfection The most successful marketing acknowledges that health is not a binary of “good” or “bad,” and that everyone’s journey is unique. Consistently affirming self-worth, celebrating small wins, and using less punitive, more compassionate language fosters engagement and motivation. Marketers should recognize their power to either perpetuate cycles of shame or empower lasting, positive change—“do little things often,” and reflect people’s inherent value in both word and strategy.

JC likes to think he follows in his mother's footsteps as a professional homemaker holding space for others as a nationally renowned teacher of movement and mindset, community engager and social movement trailblazer, storyteller and musical theatre director. Born and raised in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, JC entered the world as a highly emotional, unathletic child with little interest in competition. Through trials and tribulations, mile runs and middle school gym classes, JC started to question the rationale behind our culture's use of physical experiences that leave most feeling less than enough.

JC earned a BA in Theology and Master's Degree in Leadership, is a 1 Giant Mind Certified Meditation facilitator and holds credentials across many modalities of movement. The founder of 5K Everyday Conversations, a social movement designed to create access for all to daily conversation with strangers & TCO Local, monthly all are needed, all are capable connection events, JC is passionate about redesigning the fitness landscape in the United States to where the target audience is: everyone.

As a brand ambassador and consistent positive friction voice, JC has worked alongside brands like lululemon, CorePower Yoga, [solidcore], Orangetheory Fitness, allbirds and Fitbit to ensure they continuously explore ways they can shift the exclusionary and shame-inducing realities of the wellness industry to a more sustainable, happiness and health-giving part of our culture and economy. Over the past 3 years, JC has been a part of an inspiring team of people conducting, presenting and publishing the first comprehensive research on Food, Body & Fitness Shaming.

Alongside his work in fitness, JC is a full time Leadership and Change consultant working alongside Fortune 500 companies, non-profits, civic and educational communities. JC serves as the Chair of the Advisory Board of Cadre, the all-in-one mental health and wellness platform that brings content and community together. Lastly, JC is the Artistic Director of Alive & Kickin, the Premier Senior Rock Ensemble, a non-profit that uses rock music to bust down the misperceptions on getting old and the power of creativity in the aging journey. You can often find JC on the Twin Cities' ABC syndicate, KSTP-TV as their wellness expert. JC leads workshops and is writing the seminal text on his concept of Enoughness, the empowering practice of affirming that you are already, indeed enough.

www.jclippold.com

• Keep it under 200 words and send early in the week and day.
• Make it about the journalist’s audience—not your milestone or product.
• One follow-up is plenty; building authentic relationships outside of pitching cycles is the real differentiator.
• Engage with trade and niche publications, not just national outlets, to drive meaningful impact.

1. Relevance + Differentiation Are the North Stars of Marketing: Larry Zarin emphasizes that impactful marketing always sits at the intersection of relevance (to the client’s needs) and differentiation (what sets you apart uniquely). Many organizations mistakenly chase innovation without ensuring it truly matters to their audience (what Larry calls “fool’s gold”), or provide only the baseline (“table stakes”). True marketing power lies in mapping offerings honestly on this spectrum and seeking alignment.
2. Field Force Empowerment Demands More Than Air Cover: Drawing from his “beans and bullets” analogy, Larry advocates for marketing to go beyond big-picture branding or generic materials. The field force—sales and account teams—needs substance, practical tools, and inspiration to feel genuinely equipped and proud to represent the company. A strong sense of alignment and support shifts their role from reluctant messengers to enthusiastic ambassadors.
3. Business Theater and Edutainment Drive Engagement: Larry’s background in entertainment shines as he discusses the need for “business theater” in healthcare sales—incorporating storytelling, emotional resonance, and creative presentation techniques to earn the attention of skeptical, often disengaged decision-makers. Edutainment isn’t about gimmicks; it’s about making serious topics deeply engaging, memorable, and even “braggable.”
4. Optimal Sales-Marketing Alignment Builds High Performance: Cultural and organizational alignment between marketing and sales is non-negotiable for success. High-performing organizations have sales teams that “can’t get enough of marketing.” Marketing isn’t a sideline act, but the very source of inspiration and direction that fuels front-line performance. For leaders, bridging any gap is a core responsibility.
5. Thought Leadership Requires Consistency, Creativity—and Courage: When done well, a unique thought leadership platform can set organizations apart and deeply empower the field team. Larry cautions against flavor-of-the-month approaches or relying on formulaic white papers. Instead, focus on uncovering and championing inarticulated needs—problems clients haven’t yet voiced—using authentic storytelling and bold perspective, just as Express Scripts did with their industry-shifting focus on research and outcomes.

1. Designing for the Whole Person Is Essential—Not Optional: Mark illustrates that personalization isn’t just a marketing buzzword; it’s about asking deep and sometimes uncomfortable questions to truly understand a patient’s or family’s daily challenges. By addressing everything—from mobility and sensory needs to dignity and community—Joy Collaborative’s work embodies the importance of designing solutions that honor and support the whole human experience.
2. Spaces Profoundly Shape Health Outcomes and Trust: The concept of “patient experience” must go beyond digital touchpoints or bedside manner. Mark shares stories of how transforming physical environments—like youth homeless shelters or mental health clinics—creates trust, reduces stress, and accelerates healing for both clients and staff. As Sara notes, empathy, research, and true understanding of the audience’s reality are key.
3. Collaboration and Grassroots Energy Drive Real Change: From builders and designers to donors, volunteers, and families, Joy Collaborative succeeds by rallying diverse stakeholders around a shared purpose. Mark discusses the importance of alignment and how mutual respect, gratitude, and a clear mission can turn volunteers into brand advocates and partners into champions—proving that authentic, community-powered campaigns resonate and sustain.
4. Caregivers and Communities Are Critical to Healing Journeys: Healing isn’t individual—it’s collective. Mark explains that addressing only the patient’s needs is never enough; caregivers, staff, neighbors, and even volunteers are all part of the “ripple effect” of authentic care and support. This is an important reminder for healthcare marketers to always include and respect these broader influence networks in any campaign or experience.
5. Purpose in Action Starts With Listening, Not Telling: True purpose-driven brands don’t just broadcast top-down stories— they listen, research, ask, and co-create. Mark describes the intensive, iterative process Joy Collaborative uses to dig into families’ real needs and avoid cookie-cutter solutions. For healthcare marketers, this highlights the value of humility, empathy, and the courage to be purpose-led even when the answers are complex.

1. The Bar for Speaking at HLTH is Rising—Be Bold, Be Authentic: HLTH is looking for speakers who embody the “Heroes and Legends” spirit—big thinkers, risk takers, and change-makers willing to share bold ideas and speak candidly about challenges and opportunities. Submissions that highlight a unique, authentic perspective—rather than a polished corporate narrative—are far more likely to catch the selection team’s attention.
2. Emerging Topics: Cardiometabolic Disease, Aging, and Women’s Health: This year’s Sunday kickoff features deep dives into cardiometabolic disease (with a special focus on GLP-1s), the societal and technological challenges of caring for our rapidly aging population, and a holistic look at women’s health that goes far beyond maternal and reproductive care. These areas are ripe for transformative ideas and debate.
3. New Session Formats Drive Real Conversation & Problem Solving: HLTH is shaking up the agenda with engaging new formats like the Challenge Arena—bringing experts together to solve real attendee-submitted challenges on stage, live—and Power Panels that begin with strong, diverse perspectives before moving into open discussion. These innovations are designed to move past traditional panels and foster genuine, actionable insights.
4. Standout Submissions Focus on Perspective, Not Promotion: Successful applicants answer questions about their personal, unique perspectives—not just their company’s offerings. Honest, concise answers, willingness to express strong (even controversial) opinions, and a well-developed digital presence signal readiness for the HLTH stage—even for newer voices.
5. Community & Consistency Matter—Engage Beyond the Stage: Demonstrated commitment to the HLTH community—through previous attendance, participation, or year-round engagement—can make a difference for equally qualified applicants. Even if you don’t land a spot this year, attending the conference, participating in roundtables, or contributing to HLTH’s digital platforms will set you up for success in future years.

1. Creativity Thrives Within Constraints: Mike challenges the conventional wisdom of “thinking outside the box.” He argues that true creativity is often unlocked not by limitless freedom, but by well-defined strategic constraints. It’s within the confines of a focused brief—what Mike calls “the freedom of a tight brief”—that intelligent, emotionally resonant ideas emerge. Rather than aiming for “crazy” or “flashy,” the best creative is smart, intentional, and purpose-driven.
2. Emotion and Human Truth are Universal, Even in B2B: B2B often gravitates toward rational benefits: cost savings, efficiency, or productivity. But, as Mike notes, even financial administrators and clinicians are humans first—they respond to messages that tap into universal emotions and experiences: hope, fear, dignity, and relief from frustration. Brands that connect on this human level, rather than just touting features and benefits, become memorable and meaningful.
3. Strategic Alignment is the Key to Unlocking Great Creative: Teams that produce truly breakthrough work consistently prioritize strategy. When everyone is aligned on the core insight and brief, creativity can flow freely within those parameters. Conversely, weak or vague direction leads to “safe,” generic campaigns. Mike’s experience shows that great creative always starts with a shared, sharp strategic foundation.
4. Boldness is Essential for Breaking Through the Noise: Healthcare, especially B2B, often defaults to playing it safe (“everything’s blue”)—but in a crowded marketplace, standing out is non-negotiable. Mike advocates for boldness that is grounded in the brand’s truth and strategically anchored. The result: unforgettable, not just noisy, marketing.
5. Leadership’s Role: Foster Honesty, Empathy, and Trust: Leadership sets the tone for creativity and trust. Mike urges CMOs and marketing leaders to lead with clarity and honesty—eschewing “BS” and toxic positivity for real, truthful dialogue about challenges and opportunities. Teams (and audiences) respond to authenticity; when leaders call things as they are and create space for truth, better work results.

Co-founder & Chief Strategist at Verve

Mike has made a career out of crafting strategies that tap into universal human truths to move hearts and minds. Having honed his skills as a writer and creative director, he knows what it takes to ensure strategies don’t just inform but truly inspire creative work. His experience includes campaigns for national healthcare clients like UnitedHealthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Optum as well as consumer and B2B work on brands such as Harley-Davidson, Polaris, 3M, Cargill, Samuel Adams Beer, and Transamerica.

1. Understanding Bias in Advertising: Kelsey Lindell stresses the pervasive nature of ableism in advertising. Even campaigns designed to be inclusive often fall into language and visual traps that reinforce stereotypes. The discussion centers around recognizing and eliminating these biases to create genuinely inclusive messages.
2. The Economic Argument for Inclusivity: Disability-inclusive advertising isn't just an ethical imperative—it’s a business opportunity. Kelsey highlights the significant spending power of disabled individuals, stating their representation in advertising is starkly underdeveloped. Brands stand to gain by authentically engaging with this vast audience.
3. Effective Workshops and Training for Change: Kelsey's workshops, like "Shaping Perception," offer foundational insights into effective disability representation. These sessions are essential for creatives across all levels, providing interactive experiences through real ad evaluations and strategic discussions on avoiding ableist narratives.
4. Reframing Disability in Health Messages: In health care, empowering language often backfires with disabled and chronically ill communities. Kelsey advises replacing clichés with narratives that respect the lived experiences of individuals, focusing on allyship rather than unwarranted optimism, thus enhancing authenticity and connection.
5. Frameworks for Inclusive Marketing: Kelsey introduces various models—medical, charity, and social—that shape how disability is represented. She advocates for the social model, which pushes for societal adjustments rather than "fixing" individuals, underlining the importance of building a society that accommodates all abilities.

1. Defining Activation in Marketing: Laura Cave clarifies that true activation means making a business impact rather than performing marketing activities that lack measurable impact. It's about prioritizing actions that align with business goals and foster significant value creation.
2. Learning from Past Roles: At The Knot, Laura learned the importance of community building and innovation without hefty advertising budgets. These skills have translated into her ability to drive growth and engagement in subsequent roles.
3. Bridging Gaps with Innovative Solutions: Laura's experience at Oscar Health showcases the power of innovative solutions in healthcare marketing. By adopting a unique approach to incentivizing flu shots, Laura was able to influence behavior and generate positive health outcomes through charitable contributions.
4. Building a Conversion Mechanism: Paytient's work with the m3p program illustrates the importance of creating direct conversion opportunities to measure marketing effectiveness. By simplifying the enrollment process for Medicare users, they not only helped consumers but also unlocked partnership and revenue opportunities.
5. Embracing Change and Collaboration: To foster an activation-driven culture, Laura emphasizes the significance of embracing change, asking questions, collaborating across teams, and keeping a steadfast focus on solving real business problems. This mindset encourages innovation and efficiency, paving the way for growth and impact.

Laura Cave is an experienced early-stage health tech marketer who excels at bringing healthcare products to market and healthcare stories to life. She is passionate about making healthcare more affordable and accessible for all. After 15 years as a proud New Yorker, she lives with her family in Columbia, Missouri.

1. Strategically Anchored Messaging: Hilary Mayer highlights the importance of anchoring thought leadership efforts to a compelling and cohesive strategic message. Without this anchor, brands might end up spending resources on activities that don't yield meaningful opportunities or results.
2. Audience-Centric Narrative: Successful thought leadership isn't about boasting company achievements or products. Instead, it's about addressing audience pain points and providing solutions within the larger industry context. This audience-focused approach helps in resonating with the market and building trust.
3. Visibility and Value: A strong thought leadership narrative not only enhances brand visibility but also adds significant value by speaking directly to the audience's needs. This approach can lead to increased media opportunities and influence decision-makers considering your product offerings.
4. Internal Alignment for Consistency: Building a thought leadership narrative fosters internal alignment, ensuring that all customer-facing teams communicate a unified message. This consistency across all touchpoints helps in establishing and maintaining trust with audiences.
5. Adapting to Industry Dynamics: Thought leadership is not a static field. Brands need to continuously evolve their narratives to stay relevant, ensuring they adapt their messaging to resonate with current industry trends and conversations while staying true to their core problem-solution proposition.

Hilary is a seasoned B2B marketing leader with deep expertise in messaging, brand strategy, and product marketing for healthcare, manufacturing, and technology industries. She currently leads sales and marketing for Inprela Communications, a storyshaping and PR firm, helping brands create, own, and spread ideas that reshape industries.

1. Personalization as a Necessity in Health Care: David Edelman emphasizes that health care's inherently personal nature makes personalization more crucial than ever. Patients' experiences are deeply personal, involving complex health and social factors, and brands must tailor interactions to their unique needs to be effective.
2. AI's Role in Personalization: AI offers unprecedented opportunities for personalizing healthcare experiences. By using AI to manage, analyze, and learn from vast quantities of data, healthcare brands can deliver more relevant and timely engagements, enhancing patient satisfaction and loyalty.
3. Balancing Personalization and Privacy: David discusses the importance of respecting privacy while implementing personalization strategies. Through secure data handling, clear consent processes, and thoughtful communication strategies, health care organizations can effectively balance personalization with privacy concerns.
4. Company-Wide Customer Experience Initiatives: Personalization and customer experience strategies must be company-wide. David illustrates that a comprehensive approach involving all departments—from marketing to compliance—is necessary to ensure success in delivering personalized customer experiences.
5. Education through Personalization: One practical application of personalization is educational—David shares how Aetna utilized personalized video experiences to educate consumers about their health plans, significantly reducing misunderstandings, improving customer satisfaction, and cutting down on support calls.

1. The Rise of Thought Leadership: Haley Deming emphasizes the growing influence of thought leadership in driving change within the healthcare sector. Through LinkedIn, healthcare professionals foster dialogue on critical issues, establishing themselves as credible voices and influencing industry advancements.
2. Engaging with Authenticity: Success on LinkedIn hinges on authenticity. Haley advises health professionals to leverage their expertise and authentic voices to contribute meaningfully to conversations. Authentic engagement fosters trust and cultivates a dedicated audience seeking reliable expertise.
3. Strategic Community Building: LinkedIn facilitates a broad community of healthcare professionals, offering a holistic platform for innovation and collaboration. The diversity in roles, from clinicians to health administrators, enriches discourse and accelerates industry-wide advancements.
4. The Role of LinkedIn in Career Advancement: LinkedIn is not only a hub for discussion but also a powerful tool for career growth. Haley shares inspiring anecdotes of healthcare leaders who have expanded their influence, secured career opportunities, and launched initiatives thanks to their LinkedIn engagement.
5. Embracing Video Content: Haley highlights the significant impact of video content in engaging audiences on LinkedIn. She encourages healthcare professionals and brands to explore vertical videos as a means to humanize interactions and build authentic connections with their audience.

Healthcare Execs to Follow:

Albert Bourla (CEO, Pfizer), Vas Narasimhan (CEO, Novartis), Atul Gupta (CMO, Philips) & Roy Jakobs (CEO, Philips), Joanne Armstrong, CMO, Women’s Health, CVS), Vanessa Broadhurst, (EVP, Johnson & Johnson) John Whyte (CMO, Web MD), Cristal Downing (Chief Communications Officer, Merck), Christina Zorn, (CAO, Mayo Clinic)

Active Healthcare Professionals to Follow:

Dr. Zhen Chan, MD

Dr. Aditi Nerurkar, MD,

Casey Green, MSM, RN

Rebecca Love, RN

Dr. Aditi U Joshi

Dr. Amna Shabbir, MD

Dr. Anwar Jebran,

Dr. Jonathan Fisher

Dr. Robert Pearl, MD

Dr. Michael Bass, MD

Nassib Chamoun

Dr. Nisha Mehta, MD

Dr. Mario Amaro, MD

Dr. Erkeda De Rouen

Dr. Rahul Garg, MD

1. Defining KOLs: Julia emphasizes the necessity of having a clear, shared definition of a KOL within an organization. Aligning on this definition ensures that everyone understands that KOLs are influential figures who can impact healthcare professionals and patients beyond their own organization.
2. Identifying the Right KOLs: Strategies include researching publications, conferences, and professional societies to find those who are influential in their field. Julia stresses the importance of considering both objective data and subjective elements like personality and organizational fit.
3. Fostering Long-Term Relationships: For KOL partnerships to be successful, they must be mutually beneficial. This involves understanding the KOLs’ interests and ensuring they find value in the partnership, be it career development or influencing market innovations.
4. Challenges in KOL Programs: Successful KOL partnerships require seamless internal processes, such as contracting and communication, as well as clear expectation setting and regular updates to maintain engagement and trust.
5. Impact of KOLs on Marketing Strategy: Effective KOL partnerships can significantly influence healthcare marketing strategies, as evidenced by Hologic's success in advancing three-dimensional mammography as the standard of care. KOLs can powerfully advocate for policies, enhancing both market presence and healthcare access.

• The philosophy of enhancing work quality through AI rather than replacement,
• Cautionary tales of AI over-automation,
• Creative versus erroneous utilization of AI hallucinations,
• Trust factors and skepticism in AI adoption,
• Strategic prioritization of marketing channels and budgets in light of evolving AI capabilities.

1. Quality Over Efficiency: Dale emphasizes the importance of leveraging AI for enhancing the quality of work instead of merely automating tasks to save time. By spending equal time but improving output, marketers can achieve more comprehensive, attuned, and impactful results. This approach defies the conventional productivity-efficiency narrative around AI, highlighting the essence of producing superior work.
2. The Danger of Over-Automation: AI can make significant errors, often referred to as hallucinations. While these can be creatively beneficial in brainstorming scenarios, Dale warns against relying on AI for fact-based tasks, such as generating factual content, due to the risk of misinformation. This distinction between creativity and factual accuracy is crucial for effective AI utilization.
3. Trust in AI Adoption: Skepticism around AI often stems from concerns about data misuse by vendors, unauthorized employee usage, and exaggerated promises from AI solutions. Dale advises marketing leaders to navigate this skepticism by carefully evaluating technologies, fostering the right skill sets, and ensuring responsible deployment of these tools to harness their full potential without falling prey to unrealistic claims.
4. Future of Consumer Search Behavior: Dale predicts a bifurcation in search platforms—traditional searches like Google for decision-making and purchase decisions, and generative AI platforms like ChatGPT for information inquiries. As consumers increasingly use these generative engines for detailed, conversational queries, marketers need to start paying attention to this shift and prepare to adapt their visibility strategies accordingly.
5. Strategic Budget Allocation in 2025: With budgets tightening, Dale recommends that marketing leaders focus on maximizing tangible impacts on business metrics. This involves not only optimizing for measurable channels but also starting to gauge the shift towards generative AI search platforms. By asking relevant questions and preparing for visibility on these platforms, organizations can stay ahead as consumer behaviors evolve.

1. Erosion of Trust & Misinformation: The 2024 Edelman Healthcare Trust Barometer reveals a significant decline in trust due to the pervasive influence of misinformation and contradictory medical recommendations. Sara and Jon discuss how these elements challenge the integrity of healthcare communication and the imperative need for tackling these issues head-on.
2. Clear Communication: Jon Austin underscores the critical role of clear, transparent communication in rebuilding trust. He addresses how confusing, legally dense communications can frustrate patients, leading to further erosion of trust. The key is to balance legal precision with accessibility to ensure members are well-informed and empowered.
3. Positive Storytelling in Healthcare: Positive storytelling is highlighted as a powerful tool to rebuild trust in the healthcare sector. Sharing success stories not only uplifts industry morale but also educates the public about the positive impacts of healthcare services, reinforcing the significance of the industry's role in improving lives and outcomes.
4. Patient-Centric Approach & Transparency: Both Sara and Jon agree on the necessity of a patient-centric approach in communication and business decisions. Transparent, honest communication helps in nurturing trusted relationships, emphasizing what information is meaningful to patients and their understanding of healthcare processes.
5. Preparedness for Crisis Management: Jon stresses the importance of ongoing preparedness for crisis management. He highlights that up-to-date crisis plans and regular practice are essential for organizations to navigate initial shocks and ensure a coherent response during crises. This preparedness allows for transparent communication and the ability to address stakeholders effectively during critical moments.

1. Marketing and Executive Alignment: Sara Lohse highlights the critical disconnect between marketing departments and C-suite executives. She stresses the importance of marketers focusing on value and long-term strategies instead of immediate sales returns. This alignment can foster better understanding and more effective communication, ultimately benefiting the organization.
2. Authenticity Over Polished Delivery: The emphasis is on being genuine and relatable. Sara Lohse explains that podcast formats thrive on authenticity and a natural conversation flow, which helps build trust and a deeper connection with the audience. This contrasts sharply with the often overly scripted and formal nature of other marketing channels.
3. Effective Use of Podcasts: Not every company needs its own podcast; being a guest on established podcasts can be just as beneficial. Sara Lohse shares how leveraging appearances on other podcasts, with a clear goal and prepared talking points, can effectively promote one’s work and build thought leadership.
4. Investment in Technology: Sara highlights the necessity of investing in quality technology and potentially professional producers to manage podcast production. High-quality audio and smooth production can significantly enhance the listener experience and the credibility of the podcast.
5. Goal Clarity and Audience Understanding: Successful podcasting requires well-defined goals and a clear understanding of the audience. Preparing topics that align with both audience needs and brand goals is vital. This targeted approach ensures the content is valuable and relevant, ultimately enhancing engagement and impact.

1. Outsourcing for Efficiency and Discipline: Yvonne Leonard emphasizes that unless an organization is very well-structured, it is more beneficial to avoid internal creative departments. Outsourcing can introduce a disciplined approach and enhance efficiency by minimizing the complexities that arise from multiple internal opinions and the often cumbersome approval processes.
2. Leadership and Motivation Dynamics: On managing change and motivating oneself, Yvonne shares her strategy of setting tasks as competitions and identifying the "first domino" to create project momentum. She believes in the power of transparency, working closely with her team, and consistently tying efforts back to the company’s core values to maintain direction and enthusiasm.
3. Enhancing User Engagement on Websites: To keep users engaging longer with more content, Yvonne suggests evaluating web design and layout for better navigation. She highlights the importance of understanding cause and effect in web interactions and conducting A/B tests to fine-tune aspects such as calls to action and color schemes, thereby improving the overall user experience.
4. The Critical Link Between Marketing and Finance: Yvonne underscores the necessity of developing robust, transparent relationships with the finance department. By demonstrating measurable outcomes and the effectiveness of marketing strategies, marketers can justify budget needs and gain financial support for their efforts. Sara Payne reinforces that showcasing results is vital to securing increased marketing budgets.
5. Defining and Measuring Marketing Success: The episode discusses the significance of operating with a clear purpose and ensuring stakeholder alignment on marketing objectives. By asking critical questions to clarify project goals, examining the alignment of tactics with intended outcomes, and maintaining flexibility in strategy evaluation, organizations can develop a measurable framework to drive growth and improvement.

1. Role Clarity and Alignment: Unclear roles and misaligned objectives are common issues in both startups and large enterprises. Yvonne Leonard advises that gaining clarity and setting proper expectations are paramount for an effective marketing team.
2. Systematic Diagnosis: Within her first 90 days, Yvonne emphasizes listening, questioning, and observing organizational dynamics to diagnose issues and set a strategic plan. This method ensures that real problems are identified and addressed systematically.
3. Avoiding Scope Creep: Marketing teams often get distracted by trivial tasks. Yvonne notes that clear objectives and a focus on measurable outcomes prevent teams from falling into the trap of chasing "bright shiny objects" that do not contribute to strategic growth.
4. Effective Leadership Approach: Leaders should adopt a listening approach similar to a therapist, focusing on understanding their team's frustrations and achievements without jumping to solutions prematurely. Empathy and patience are key to fostering a productive team environment.
5. Investing in Marketing: Adequate funding and resources are vital. Yvonne highlights the need for organizations to commit to investment in marketing capabilities, ensuring that there is sufficient support to implement strategic changes and achieve long-term goals.

1. Involving Frontline Healthcare Workers in Product Development: Paul Ratzky emphasizes the necessity of involving nurses and other frontline healthcare workers in the early stages of product development. Their firsthand experience and insights can significantly enhance the practicality and effectiveness of healthcare products, beyond just marketing them. This inclusion results in solutions that are more attuned to the actual needs of patients and providers.
2. Building Trust through Transparency and Empathy: The episode underscores a common mistake in healthcare marketing: the lack of empathy and true understanding of the audience’s perspective. Paul points out that healthcare brands should not shy away from expressing vulnerability or acknowledging challenges. Such transparency can be a powerful tool in rebuilding trust, countering the perception that being open is high-risk when, in fact, it might be riskier not to adopt these strategies.
3. The Impact of AI and Technological Innovations: Paul discusses the surprising findings where AI, like chatbots, outperformed live physicians in quality and empathy. This points to the immense potential of AI in healthcare communications. However, he stresses the importance of transparency regarding AI's implementation, oversight, and data usage to mitigate any skepticism and ensure responsible deployment. He also highlights ongoing pilot projects aimed at integrating AI responsibly in healthcare.
4. Trust in Healthcare Providers: Despite the precarious state of trust in healthcare at large, individual trust in personal healthcare providers remains high. This trust extends to both personal and public health issues, presenting a unique opportunity for healthcare marketers. Engaging physicians with data-driven content and involving them in the development of new tools and services can amplify trust and create a more informed and empowered patient base.
5. Vision for Healthcare Marketing by 2025 - Focus on "Connected Care": Paul envisions a future where healthcare marketing is centered around "connected care." This involves the integration of disparate health technologies to create a seamless user experience, akin to other industries like airlines or banking. For healthcare to catch up, it must overcome regulatory and data silo challenges, focusing on reducing the burden on healthcare professionals to improve both patient and provider experiences.

• Processed Foods & Public Health: Calls for food companies to take responsibility for their products’ health impacts at future conferences.
• Healthy Food Options: Applauding the conference for providing healthy food choices, mirroring a commitment to health promotion.
• Food Deserts & Corporate Responsibility: The necessity for corporations and schools to enable access to nutritious food to combat social determinants of health.
• AI’s Role in Humanizing Healthcare: Shift from skepticism to embracing AI’s potential in enhancing care by offloading routine tasks from healthcare providers.
• Reproductive Rights & Healthcare Access: Exploring how restrictions in reproductive rights affect overall healthcare access and the economic implications.