Artificial intelligence and personalizing the patient experience via digital are top of mind for health system marketing chiefs in 2025.
Here are the trends that chief marketing officers say they'll be paying the closest attention to this year, as told to Becker's:
Mark Bohen. Chief Marketing and Communications Officer of Mass General Brigham (Somerville, Mass.): The healthcare marketing trend I'll be paying closest attention to is the transformation from learning about and experimenting with artificial intelligence to it becoming an everyday part of marcom activities. This will drive many changes, including talent acquisition (hiring people with different skill sets), data analytics and predictive capabilities, neuromarketing research, content and search, and media mix optimization.
Enhanced data analytics and predictive capabilities to segment, target and understand consumer behavior are particularly critical as the media landscape continues to fragment and marketing leaders and practitioners need to deliver higher ROI.
Jennifer Bollinger. Chief Consumer and Brand Officer of Sutter Health (Sacramento, Calif.): Hyperpersonalization at scale is a trend that continues to advance and evolve, providing us in healthcare unique opportunities to build stronger connections with people across all channels and engage in ways that fit into their lives. AI-driven insights, content and platforms will only continue to supercharge those efforts, which presents immeasurable potential.
Our focus remains on empowering patients and changing the narrative around what is possible in healthcare. We know that health systems must successfully bridge the gap between physical and digital care, creating seamless experiences that advance our offering today and prepare us to care for the next generation. Whether it's in a clinical setting or through the convenience of their devices, we have to move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach and think differently about delivering access, empathy and connection at every touchpoint. That is the promise we aim to make and deliver on in 2025 and beyond.
Digital will continue to play a role in both our personalized marketing approach and in the modern consumer experience. We've demonstrated significant momentum in delivering a more personalized experience throughout our brand launch, acquisition efforts and consumer-focused design work in 2024. In 2025, we will build on this strong foundation and advance our work through new engagement platforms and new capabilities across evolving channels while remaining nimble and able to align to our patients' unique needs based on rich data and insights.
Roselle Charlier. Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer of Universal Health Services (King of Prussia, Pa.): In 2025, healthcare marketing will continue to leverage patient experience — through the power of branding as a promise of an experience, as well as patient feedback as shared publicly through Google reviews and testimonial features. UHS will also continue to invest in digital strategies that effectively reach our audiences, utilizing SEO, search generative experience, and experimenting responsibly with AI for content generation.
Heather Geisler. Executive Vice President and Chief Brand and Experience Officer of Henry Ford Health (Detroit): Admittedly, I'm not one to follow trends — but I think there's something to be said for making sure we're anticipating the "next best action" our patients and consumers are going to take. What I mean by that is — it's crucial to think about our patients' future needs, and how we can best meet them through the intersectionality of marketing and experience. So, instead of simply telling someone where they can receive their diabetes care, we also need to anticipate the other resources or services they might need on their personal health journey and meet them there through action-focused marketing.
Elizabeth Golden. Executive Vice President for Communications, Marketing and Government and Community Affairs at NYU Langone Health (New York City): More and more patients have become better informed and educated consumers. They want to know — and we should help them understand — the most meaningful and consequential factors to weigh in choosing the right health system — a decision that can truly change the course of your life. That's precisely why we have launched a campaign that does just that, meeting people where they are and using meaningful indicators — like mortality rates and length of stay — to differentiate what NYU Langone, as an integrated health system, is uniquely positioned to provide.
Megan Mahncke. Chief Marketing and Communications Officer of Intermountain Health (Salt Lake City): At Intermountain Health, there will be a continued focus in 2025 on taking the latest innovations in tech and AI to meet consumer expectations. Our challenge is to make the process of navigating healthcare simplified for those who are seeking care. Too often, we hear that patients cannot easily make an appointment or navigate to the next step in their health journey. We continue to break down and rebuild the process to create fewer clicks, more personalized navigation and greater access to care.
Devika Mathrani. Chief Marketing and Communications Officer of NewYork-Presbyterian (New York City): The standard for consumer experience in healthcare is rising, driven by influences from industries beyond healthcare and the entry of digital-first offerings that are convenient, proactive, data-driven and accessible.
Meeting these heightened expectations requires an elevated focus on key areas: leveraging data and analytics responsibly and within regulatory boundaries; delivering personalized experiences that enhance relevance, seamlessly integrating social, digital and physical touchpoints; collaborating with others outside the industry to reach consumers where they are; and utilizing voice and video to educate, engage and convert.
Marketing will go well beyond messaging — it's about designing, shaping and delivering a standout experience that sets a brand apart, then communicating it in earned and paid spaces in a clear, compelling and simple way.
Paul Matsen. Chief Marketing and Communications Officer of Cleveland Clinic: It's impossible not to come back to AI and specifically generative AI and the impact it will have on marketing.
During 2024 we actually conducted a series of pilots in AI to begin to assess what impact they could have for us in terms of improving the effectiveness of marketing, and also what impact we could see for efficiency as well. We did pilots with social media, with podcasting, with writing, also some with search engine optimization and analytics.
It's been a journey. We've learned a lot in the first year. And now our goal going into '25 is to take that learning and begin to apply it and bring it to more scale within the organization, always with an eye on what else might be coming in terms of additional applications. By far and away, that's probably the No. 1 most innovative thing that we're focused on and I know everyone else is trying to go down the same path.
Shweta Ponnappa. Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing and Digital Experience Officer of Providence (Renton, Wash.): I don't think I'm going to be paying any close attention to any particular trends. In fact, with everything going on, for us as an organization, for the healthcare industry and for the world at large, I feel like it's time for healthcare to go back to first principles.
When we talk about first principles thinking for healthcare marketing in particular, I'm thinking about: What are the fundamental bedrock concepts that need to be guiding all of our marketing decisions and strategies? And it's particularly important for us because unlike other industries, we have such unique ethical, regulatory and emotional considerations that we've got to keep in mind.
Nick Ragone. Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer of Jefferson Health (Philadelphia): Digital transformation and multichannel marketing trends persist this year. Patients today expect a seamless, integrated experience across platforms — whether they're researching symptoms, booking appointments, or following up with clinicians on care plans. Increasingly, healthcare decisions begin online, driven by search engines, social media and patient reviews.
As marketers, our challenge is to ensure we're not only visible but also delivering valuable, trustworthy content across all platforms and using timely data to drive decision-making and resourcing. From Instagram and our website to patient portals and community partners, we need to meet patients where they are. By blending innovative digital strategies with traditional tactics, we can create a consistent and compelling brand presence that fosters trust, drives patient engagement, and builds long-term loyalty.
Ramon Soto. Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer of Northwell Health (New Hyde Park, N.Y.): Two significant trends are capturing my attention in healthcare marketing for 2025: the evolving role of purpose and the continuing transformative potential of AI.
First, regarding how purpose will manifest itself in healthcare: Consumers will increasingly demand that healthcare, like all brands, stand for something more than just business. They'll want to see tangible action on issues they care about, like what we continue to do at Northwell by addressing health disparities, promoting mental wellness, or advocating for gun safety. As marketers, we have the unique opportunity to speak to larger issues and spark movements. The brands that authentically differentiate can succeed in 2025, and purpose is a powerful way to weave into the fabric of important social conversations.
Second, we need to better unlock the power of AI to build personalized, deeper relationships with consumers. We can leverage AI to deliver tailored content and communication, provide proactive support and even anticipate individual health needs. We must ensure that AI enhances, not replaces, the human touch. At Northwell, we're looking to use AI not just for efficiency, but to inform creative storytelling and personalize the patient journey, ultimately building deeper, more meaningful relationships with the people we serve so we can deliver more relevant and engaging content.
Julie Spencer Washington. Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing, Communications and Customer Experience Officer at Trinity Health (Livonia, Mich.): As a trusted partner in healthcare, Trinity Health will continue to focus on how consumers' utilization of digital tools impact communication, connections and growth. Our ability to quickly and more completely engage with patients about their health, promote online scheduling for timely access to care and reshape their experience for convenience and flexibility are our focus areas in 2025. AI will accelerate our content development and provide for a more personalized and relevant delivery for our members.