The benefits of aligning with the consumer viewpoint  The COVID-19 crisis has accelerated the imperative for consumerism in healthcare. More than ever, patients and members are concerned for their safety, their care and their financial well-being.

HHS canceled a $250 million public service COVID-19 advertising campaign that would have offered early access to vaccines for Santa Claus performers in exchange for promoting the benefits of the vaccination, according to an Oct. 25 Wall Street Journal report.

The Maryland Department of Health extended its flu vaccination campaign by introducing #FightFlu Fridays, the department announced Oct. 25.

Marketing teams for some of the world's biggest brands are leading the charge to use COVID-19-specific data analytics platforms for determining how to use their budgets most effectively during the pandemic, according to an Oct. 25 The Wall Street Journal report.

Seven hospitals, health systems or other healthcare organizations that recently posted job listings seeking marketing executives are listed below.

Healthcare marketers should keep a pulse on trends emerging in the industry if they want to deliver patients the most up-to-date and engaging information, according to Ajay Prasad, the founder and CEO of healthcare digital marketing agency GMR Web Team.

A former senior development and marketing specialist at McLaren Northern Michigan in Petoskey pleaded guilty to embezzling thousands of dollars from the hospital and was sentenced to a year in jail, according to a report in the Petoskey News-Review.

Healthcare's top marketing executives ascended to their positions by continually reflecting on their own experience in their field — examining what patients respond well to, what they don't and why.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning improve processes though data-driven insights and automation. These tools are becoming increasingly integrated into healthcare, but their adoption on the clinical front line remains slow.

Rite Aid is pivoting toward a new brand strategy that showcases its pharmacists as advocates for patients' overall wellness and healthcare journey, the retail pharma giant announced Oct. 14 during the HLTH VRTL 2020 conference.

Oklahoma City-based OU Health rebranded itself and launched a new comprehensive website, the health system announced Oct. 15.

YouTube is introducing new policy updates to combat the spread of COVID-19 vaccine misinformation shared on its platform, according to CNBC.

Many Americans check their email multiple times a day, so email campaigns are a common tactic healthcare marketers employ to disseminate messages about their organizations.

Facebook launched a new global policy Oct. 13 that prohibits ads that discourage people from getting vaccinated for the seasonal flu, COVID-19 and other diseases.

Celebrity spokespeople have been used by retail marketers for ages, but they also could be helpful tools healthcare marketers can employ to better connect with targeted patient populations.

The CDC and the American Medical Association partnered with the Ad Council Oct. 6 to roll out the new "No One Has Time for Flu" campaign, which urges Americans to get their flu shots.

Nick Ragone, executive vice president and chief marketing and communications officer at St. Louis-based Ascension Health, was the only healthcare marketer to make Forbes' 2020 list of most influential chief marketing officers.

When the COVID-19 pandemic became widespread across the U.S. in March, MaineHealth had to quickly rethink its marketing strategy ahead of its new campaign launch then scheduled for April, according to the Portland Press Herald. 

Below is a roundup of marketing campaigns launched by hospitals, health systems and other healthcare organizations during September.

As system director of digital marketing and consumer strategy at Adventist Health, Lauren Davis has helped spearhead the Roseville, Calif.-based health system's patient engagement initiatives in wake of the acceleration brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.