Ethical marketing and brand networking are the keys to developing a strong brand presence says Shannon Spencer, marketing director for the Well Brooke of Kokomo. Spencer visited IU Kokomo on Nov. 1 to present the Student Marketing Organization (SMO) and other students with a workshop about how to ethically market long-term care facilities to the public.
Spencer, an IU Kokomo alum, is the marketing director with Trilogy Health Services. From her 20 years of experience, she shared with the audience the ins and outs of marketing in the healthcare field.
Topics ranged from bringing in new patients to satisfying patients already in a facility. She was most passionate about breaking the stigma around long-term care facilities.
Spencer aims to create good first impressions in the facilities she works in. Intentional choices such as creating a pleasant-smelling entryway and a clutter-free environment help make lasting impressions on the public’s mind.
“We try to make sure that you get that five-star feeling,” Spencer said.
Spencer also highlighted the meals created by the chefs at both Well Brooke and its sister facility, Waterford Place. She said the culinary team works tirelessly to craft delicious works of art that are enjoyed by the residents. Each chef even goes as far as making purees look as normal as possible.
Spencer said when thinking about ethics, she always keeps one principle in mind; put the residents first. To her, this means advocating for resident dignity, enriching their minds with play and exercise, and always taking steps toward rebranding what nursing homes are thought to be.
“Without them, there is no us,” she said.
Sarah Napier, president of SMO, knew she had to choose a topic and speaker that would catch the attention of students. She said she wanted to connect with someone in healthcare marketing because she “wanted a unique topic that doesn’t get brought up in classes.”
Napier was inspired by the presentation and is already making plans for future events of similar value.
Another student who was enlightened by the presentation was Paxtyn Hicks. Though she only turned up to the event because she was required to for a class, Hicks said she learned a lot more about marketing and about long-term care facilities.
She said the marketing aspect is not what comes to mind when she hears about long-term care facilities but is happy to have learned about the career.
