This week we’ve been enjoying the SHSMD 2018 Annual Conference that’s organized by AHA. It’s been a great place to meet and learn from marketing and communication experts at some of the best hospitals, health systems, and medical practices. It’s really amazing some of the challenges these organizations face and how these marketing professionals use creativity to confront their challenges.
This made the opening keynote for the event extremely fitting since the keynote speaker is one of the most creative people I’ve ever seen. The keynote speaker was Johnny Cupcakes and was sponsored by Revive Health. While the name might be confusing, that was kind of his point. Johnny is his real name, but Cupcakes is not his last name and he doesn’t sell cupcakes. He sells t-shirts (and now a bunch of other apparel as well). Thus the beginning of his story of creativity.
I won’t share all of Johnny Cupcakes story here since I’m sure you can find it online. However, he did share a number of great insights that were extremely helpful for marketers to consider. Here’s a quick summary of some of the key insights he shared:
Do more of what makes you happy @JohnnyCupcakes #shsmd18 #hitmc #hitsm #hcldr
— John Lynn (@techguy) October 8, 2018
Such a fantastic message for all of us to consider. Work is so much better when you’re doing something that makes you happy.
“My superpower is that I don’t care about failing, so I try and try and try.” @JohnnyCupcakes #shsmd18
— Emily Stott (@EmilyStott) October 8, 2018
This is a great super power. Do you have that super power? Do you realize that it’s a super power that you can develop?
You should individually thank those who support you. #hitsm #hitmc #shsmd18
— John Lynn (@techguy) October 8, 2018
As Tom Mitchell replied to this tweet, this has never been more true than now. I think most people underestimate the power of gratitude.
Creativity can be applied to all parts of business. #SHSMD18 #hitmc #hitsm pic.twitter.com/lQDlyO1ogZ
— John Lynn (@techguy) October 8, 2018
This was one of my favorite slides, but I need some more quiet time to consider it. However, I love the idea that creativity can solve all sorts of challenges in your business.
Working on collaborations, the best ones is when cross pollination of communities happens. #shsmd18
— John Lynn (@techguy) October 8, 2018
This tweet needs the edit button (come on Twitter!), but it was a great insight. He learned this lesson from a Simpson campaign where they made money, but they didn’t get the chance to cross pollinate their communities. I love this concept.
Strange is good. Strange is important. #shsmd18 #hitmc
— John Lynn (@techguy) October 8, 2018
This reminded me of Pharrell Williams who likes to say “The Same is Lame.” There’s something about strange that attracts attention. I think this is a lesson that many healthcare organizations would have to think about for a while and be brave to try.
Events foster real relationships. #shsmd18 It goes back to creating an experience.
— John Lynn (@techguy) October 8, 2018
I’ve often said that content is good. Engagement is better. An experience is unforgettable.
Don’t have people who approach problems with problems. Have them approach problems with solutions. #shsmd18
— John Lynn (@techguy) October 8, 2018
You know this kind of person at work. They bring a problem and then talk about all the other problems that relate to it. Then there are the people that see a problem and think of solutions to deal with those problems. Totally different experience.
Experimenting is how we grow. #hitsm #hitmc #pinksocks #shsmd18
— John Lynn (@techguy) October 8, 2018
If you’re feeling a bit stagnant in your job, try some experiments. Possibly some experiments that scare you. That will create growth.
As you can see, he offered some great insights for those of us in healthcare marketing and communications. What do you think of the ideas above? Do some of them resonate for you? Do you disagree with any of them? Do you have experiences with some of them? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter using the #HITMC hashtag.
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