Hospital brand reputation: What you can learn from Chipotle’s communication crisis

Why your organization should face issues head-on

Chipotle Mexican Grill has been on a rollercoaster ride since last August. Between food safety violations and drug scandals, Chipotle’s once squeaky-clean image is now kind of a mess. Frequent consumers are dwindling, and new customers are almost completely out of reach. Their big solution? A new marketing initiative and heartfelt creative, but with the same old brand messaging. 

Chipotle’s comeback stunt made me think about how hospitals react when their reputations are in jeopardy. The Mexican food chain responded by creating an emotional video that represents what the company stands for today. Although, I admire their new brand video, “A Love Story,” I think there is something fundamentally wrong with the way they handled the crisis. The video doesn’t address their past problems, rather focuses on their current brand promise (to deliver fresh, responsible food). A promise that they have failed to live up to over and over again.

In the past, we’ve worked with clients that have poor clinical reputations as a result of inefficient medical care or negative patient experiences. You can always fix what’s broken, but it’s a challenge to change the mindset of your target audience when you’ve let them down. If your image is damaged, it’s important to do more than reinforce marketing messages. You should leverage your rebound and create an inspiring brand story instead. A story that delivers a new brand promise and holds your organization accountable for its actions.

For example

When Portneuf Health Partners first approached us, they had an image problem. Although the health system offers high-quality care and top-notch facilities, the community had a negative perception of the medical center. So, we did our research.

We discovered that when Portneuf teamed up with a Texas-based hospital group to build a brand-new hospital and update its services, the community felt neglected. Pocatello natives believed their money was being funneled into the Texas-based hospital group, and not back into their community.

Smith & Jones’ repositioning strategy was to align Portneuf’s core values with those of the community. 

Our campaign concept was “ All together better,” reflecting the idea that the health system is working collectively with the community to create a healthier environment and a better place to live. This directly addresses the challenges that Portneuf was facing: a disconnection between the community and the hospital.

I think hospital marketers can learn a lot from Chipotle’s situation. Its new video only reaffirms a promise they delivered a long time ago. In my opinion, they needed to tackle the issue head-on to reassure their customers that an E.coli breakout will not happen again. That’s how you make a comeback.