NewYork-Presbyterian’s marketing chief talks changing dynamics of healthcare marketing

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This week’s Making Rounds spotlights Devika Mathrani, chief marketing and communications officer at NewYork-Presbyterian, the second-largest health system in New York City by annual net patient revenue. Mathrani, who leads a team of just over 100 people, spoke about the changing dynamics of healthcare marketing as the industry becomes more consumer-centric.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

What’s the purpose of your job?

In the traditional sense, one would say it’s about supporting and driving growth, and bringing in new customers to our enterprise. But it really is so much more than that. Healthcare is an industry that has historically been very institution-led—and probably very physician-led—in all of its decisions. We’re living in a time when the world has become much more consumer-led. So, it’s not about telling people what they want, but listening to them, understanding consumer insights, and figuring out how you help fulfill their needs. A big part of my job is helping the organization make that pivot.

What’s the biggest misconception people have about your job?

When people see “chief marketing officer,” they immediately think about advertising. There is so, so much more than just advertising…So much of it is about how you take the brilliant information and knowledge that our nurses and our physicians have and make it approachable and attainable for consumers in their daily lives…The marketing team is thinking about every patient communication. Like, when you arrive at your appointment, what does the greeting feel like?...You’re almost a chief customer officer in many, many ways.

What would you say is the most challenging part of marketing in the healthcare industry?

Many years ago, healthcare wasn’t necessarily as competitive. Consumers have always had the choice to say, “I’m gonna go to this doctor [or] that doctor.” But a lot of that decision was based on referral…there wasn’t a lot of information at consumers’ fingertips to challenge that referral…Today, there is. Consumers can go online and self-educate about symptoms and diseases…You have a chance to research your providers, read ratings and reviews, educate yourself, and make an informed decision…That changes the dynamic of healthcare greatly, and in many ways, makes it more similar to financial services or even travel, where you’re comparison shopping…That’s challenging…[For clinical talent], there’s an element of needing to market and sell yourself in a way that’s so different than it was 10, 20 years ago.

What would you consider your biggest accomplishment during your time at NewYork-Presbyterian?

One of the things I’m most proud of is the reinvention of the brand…The old brand was “Amazing Things are Happening Here,” which felt a little bit more insular. It was talking a little bit more about us, and it wasn’t bringing the customer into the story. I felt that for all of the innovative things that we wanted to do—whether it was launching a new podcast or redoing our content programs, or relaunching our social channels—it needed to be done with the customer at the center of everything…When we launched the “Stay Amazing” campaign and platform and a new brand promise, which is “As you grow, a whole world of wellness grows around you,” I would say that was something I’m incredibly proud of…We did what many others take the better part of a year, sometimes more, to do between Labor Day and Nov. 3.