Healthcare professionals have the highest level of credibility in the country. They should be used in a hospital’s marketing efforts. 

In Gallup’s most recent poll (Nov. 2008), the results for professionals perceived to have the most honesty and ethics, healthcare professionals again ranked at the top of the list. Here are the results:

Please tell me how you would rate the honesty and ethical standards of people in these fields.

In a series of focus groups I observed within the past year, the resounding feedback was that consumers trusted the opinion of their friends and healthcare providers far above anybody else when it came to making healthcare choices. The results of the Gallup poll certainly support and affirm the focus group observations.

So the most trusted and respected endorsers of your hospital are those within the hospital.

In addition to patient testimonials, the use of nurses and doctors in our marketing efforts can be very effective. They are trusted and believed to be honest and ethical.

What better perception would you want for those who endorse your hospital?

Marketers are always searching for ways to make their message believable and credible. Based on what consumers repeatedly confirm, testimonials and endorsements from doctors and nurses can certainly be helpful.

True, such testimonials may not be the most creative, most edgy thing we could do. But if they deliver the message effectively, that far outweighs creativity.

And just so you know, advertising practitioners ranked at the bottom of Gallup’s list just ahead of car salesmen, telemarketers and lobbyists. All the more reason to let others tell our story.