Why awards don’t belong in hospital ads

Winning awards is great for morale. When your hospital is named “Top 50” in this or “one of the 100 best” at that, it makes your physicians, staff and volunteers feel good about the place they work. And to show their pride, they want to plaster it everywhere. Put up a sign, take out an ad, put it on a billboard, launch a tv campaign.

They’re not alone. Honors and awards are among the most commonly used copy points in healthcare advertising. Do you want your hospital advertising to be common, or differentiate you from the competition?

Here are a few more good reasons to avoid using awards and honors in your advertising:

1. Research has shown them to have little influence over hospital preference
2. They are far less credible than recommendations from trusted sources
3. When the competition wins a better award, any advantage you may have had is gone

If your hospital is honored, or is newly or re-accredited by JCAHO, celebrate it internally. Congratulate your team. It’s evidence of a job well done. They’ve earned it.

But please resist putting awards and honors in your advertising. Its a waste of money and could very well work against you in the long run.