Cleveland Clinic Takes New Tack to Build the Brand

by Mark S. Gothberg

Health and Wellness Content in Special Hub and Across Multiple Digital Channels
Everyone in the country knows the Cleveland Clinic, right? Well, not everyone – in fact, most people do not. Among the “big three” national healthcare organizations, the Mayo Clinic is tops with just under 30 percent un­aided national awareness, followed by Johns Hopkins Medicine at some 22 percent. Cleveland Clinic’s awareness is about 7 percent, a truly surprising number given the organi­zation’s strong reputation among healthcare professionals. The issue is an important one because the first step in consumer adoption of a brand is awareness, followed by understanding and appreciation of the brand’s product or services.

In Cleveland Clinic’s research, the two most important sources of awareness among its target audience are news stories in the media, fol­lowed by recommendations of family and friends. But close behind these sources is information gathered on digital channels. With this insight, Cleveland Clinic launched Health Hub (http://health.clevelandclinic.org), a site very different from the health informa­tion found on its website at www.clevelandclinic.org, and closely integrated its content with the or­ganization’s other digital channels.

Health Hub seeks to reach people well before they are seriously ill, the time when most people seek out the Cleveland Clinic. “What we want to be is a part of their lives when they are not necessarily ill. When they are looking for everyday healthcare ad­vice from a trusted, reliable source,” says Scott Linabarger, director of digital marketing.

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