In this episode of NRC Health’s Patient No Longer podcast, Jim Nuckols, Chief Marketing Officer for Sharp HealthCare, discusses integrating consumer, patient, and employee experiences into a cohesive brand identity.

Beyond the surface: A dive into consumer experiences, hosted by Ryan Donohue, thought-leader, author, and strategic advisor with NRC Health

Jim Nuckols, Chief Marketing Officer, Sharp Healthcare

With a rich background spanning from General Mills to healthcare technology, Jim brings a diverse and unique perspective to the conversation.

The importance of Human Understanding in healthcare. Jim emphasizes the importance of truly grasping what patients, caregivers, and physicians experience. Drawing from his time at Hill-Rom, where meticulous attention to nurses’ interactions with hospital beds led to a 90% market share, Nuckols illustrates the value of deeply understanding your customers’ needs.

“All these little, little details actually created a hospital bed that was designed for nurses, so it made their job easier and it didn’t hurt them,” says Nuckols. “So we just understood nurses better than anyone else. That has influenced me for the rest of my career—the value of really viscerally understanding what your customer is experiencing.”

Nuckols introduces us to the Sharp Experience, a holistic approach that aims to make Sharp the best place to work, practice medicine, and receive care. This philosophy, summarized as “best, best, best,” highlights the interdependence of employee satisfaction, caregiver excellence, and patient care.

A notable cultural practice at Sharp is the organization’s “prohibition against pointing.” Instead of simply pointing the way to destinations, employees personally lead patients there, exemplifying their commitment to patient guidance and care.

“Those little details illustrate and indicate that you really do care about people, and show your understanding of what their needs are,” Nuckols says. “So many people are lost all the time in a hospital—they don’t know what to do, they don’t know what’s next. So instead of pointing, you’re leading.”

The power of brand experience. Nuckols candidly discusses Sharp’s strategy in integrating consumer, patient, and employee experiences into a cohesive brand identity. He stresses the importance of starting the Sharp Experience at the moment when a consumer searches for care online.

By streamlining access via a “digital front door,” Sharp ensures that potential patients can easily find and schedule care, reinforcing the organization’s commitment to consumer ease and satisfaction.

The future of healthcare marketing. Looking ahead, Nuckols predicts that personalization will be a pivotal aspect of healthcare marketing. With advancements in AI and genomics, marketing efforts will become increasingly tailored to individual needs.

And despite challenges like the shift to a cookie-less digital world, Nuckols says the potential to target and communicate effectively with specific audiences remains strong.

“I imagine that’s going to get more and more personalized in terms of how we market and how we outreach to patients or potential patients,” he says.

Listen to the full episode with Jim Nuckols, or catch it on YouTube.