In an extremely competitive healthcare market, organizations are seeking to connect with their consumers in engaging and relevant ways. That drove Northwell Health to draw inspiration from Disney.
Ramon Soto, chief marketing and communications officer of New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell, told Becker's that when crafting a marketing strategy, the organization was looking to speak to consumers on their terms and in the context of how they define health.
According to Mr. Soto, by approaching marketing this way, Northwell could open up opportunities to build new platforms that showcase what the organization is while revealing behind-the-scenes efforts that make it a special place.
To develop these engaging platforms, Northwell's marketing team delved into the art of storytelling, drawing inspiration from Disney's Marvel Universe.
"We studied entertainment. Specifically, we were studying the Marvel Cinematic Universe," Mr. Soto said. "They are masterful storytellers and their shows and movies take you on this fascinating journey. So we embarked on this process to say, 'How can we build something very similar from a Northwell standpoint?'"
In 2016, Northwell was approached by two showrunners who wanted to bring a docuseries to the U.S. that explored a consumer's journey in a health system. After consideration, Northwell agreed to its first project, "Lenox Hill." Debuting in 2020 on Netflix, "Lenox Hill" highlighted the lives of four physicians at Northwell's flagship Lenox Hill Hospital.
"Lenox Hill" increased Northwell's brand exposure beyond its local market, reaching a national and even international audience, Mr. Soto said. For example, after featuring neurologists in "Lenox Hill," physician referrals and consumer-driven inquiries surged, with patients from countries such as Italy, Israel and Argentina seeking their expertise. Consequently, 50% of those neurologists' business now comes from consumer referrals.
"One interesting question I always get is: How much did it cost? And it didn't cost anything," Mr. Soto said. "That is actually the secret sauce behind our model. We trade IP for access, so we get the brand rights and Netflix owns the properties. But we show up as a brand. We have edit rights in the content and that's all negotiated in the contract piece."
Following the success of "Lenox Hill," Northwell began its second Netflix project, "Emergency NYC."
"['Emergency NYC'] was like the higher velocity aspects of healthcare showcasing what happens in an emergency setting when every minute matters, and when people are in life-threatening situations," Mr. Soto said. "We filmed that throughout the entire system as opposed to one port of entry at Lenox Hill, and it was an amazing success. It was the fifth-most-popular streaming show of all streaming platforms for two months."
Northwell has done seven projects to date and is looking to continue its entertainment industry momentum.
"We have a collaboration with HBO right now which focuses on mental health. It's called 'One South: Portrait of a Psych Unit'" Mr. Soto said. "It's a two-hour docudrama that'll air on HBO sometime in June, and then it will go to Max on a streaming basis."
Mr. Soto said Northwell is also developing its next Netflix project and has four other projects it is looking to explore in the entertainment space.
"Instead of third parties coming to us with ideas, we want to develop some of our own content, almost like an internal studio, and start sharing some of the stories that are important to the health system to push it out into the market," Mr. Soto said.
Mr. Soto emphasized that it is important to adopt innovative approaches when it comes to healthcare marketing. He added that Northwell is continuously exploring new strategies, from content marketing to data-driven personalization, fostering a culture of innovation and freedom.
"I get to be the chief storyteller. And we at Northwell have the freedom to really explore these things because we have Michael Dowling, our CEO, who loves the unconventional," he said. "Michael is a pioneer and a visionary leader who tries to surround himself with very similar thinking. So culturally, it fits incredibly well with who we are and how we go to market."