Those of us who work in or with higher ed institutions know that it’s a unique industry, with dynamics and challenges unlike any other. So we tend to look to other higher ed institutions as a source for innovative ideas. And that can result in great new approaches. But it’s equally important to think laterally and identify ways to bring best practices from other industries.
Health care is the industry that’s often mentioned as being closest to higher ed. So what makes the two industries similar? And more importantly, what can higher ed learn from health care?
If I’m a prospective student thinking about colleges, I think it’s great that your mission statement says that you’re committed to providing educational access to first-generation students. But if I’m not a first-generation student, I want to know that I’m going to get a great education that’s going to help me land a great job.
Same with health care. If you’re a hospital that was founded to serve the underserved of society, I think that’s terrific. But if I’m sick, I want to know that you have the best doctors.
In higher ed, we talk about the many audiences that the brand must appeal to. Prospective students want to know they’ll get a great education that will lead to a job. Prospective parents want to know that they’re making a good investment (it’s all about the job!) and also that their kids will be safe. Alumni want to know that the value of their degrees will continue to increase. Donors want to know that their money will be well-spent.
In health care, patients want to know that they’ll get the best care available. Donors want to know that the hospital will be a good steward of their money. Health care professionals and other staff want to know that it will be a good working environment, and that they’ll have opportunities to grow and develop their profession.
In both higher ed and health care, the brand manager must weave a complex story that appeals to the attitudes and needs of each audience, while laddering up to a consistent story.
Higher ed is a whole lot of different businesses wrapped up into one. To students, it’s in the education business, but also the food service business, the housing business, and the career services business, to name a few. To employers, it’s in the prospective employee-creating business. To the public at large, it’s in the research business. And the list goes on and on.
Same with health care. Hospitals are in the healing business, the food service business, the hospitality business, and the finding-a-cure-for-disease business. Etc., etc. etc.
So rather than try to create a simple story from all of these different businesses, we often tell no story at all. We talk about the number of tenured faculty/doctors. Or how recently the new building was built. Or the square footage of the labs/hospital rooms. Which is nice, but it doesn’t tell me what’s in it for me.
I worked in a higher ed institution for almost seven years. And even near the end of my time there, I had days when I felt like I didn’t fully understand the business. It takes a lot of experience to really understand not only what will work, but how it will work best.
I’ve never worked in health care, but I’m guessing it’s a similar environment.
When you work in a unique industry, it’s easy to look to other institutions within that industry for inspiration. But looking outward provides a fresh perspective.
So what can higher ed learn from health care? Here’s one example:
Business Insider recently published an interview with John Noseworthy, the CEO of the Mayo Clinic. Here’s why he thinks Mayo is so successful:
“I think it all comes down to our core value, which is that the needs of the patient come first. I know that might sound kind of trite in today’s world, but our staff is extraordinarily committed. If you spend a day here, and you grab anybody at the Mayo Clinic and ask them what’s the purpose of your work, they would say ‘to meet the needs of our patients.’
I’ve been working here 22 years and I’ve never had a physician say they’re too busy to help me with a patient, day or night. That’s probably why Mayo has been the leading brand in medicine for the last 100 years.”
The needs of the customer come first? That’s something we all can learn from.
Want to learn more? We recently published a white paper that explores the specific challenges of higher education branding and gives you strategies for clearing the most common hurdles.