#176 - Why Healthcare Marketing is Stuck in the Past (And How to Catch Up)

When patient acquisition feels unpredictable, it is usually an operations problem hiding inside a marketing problem. On this episode of Ignite, Cardinal's VP of Brand Marketing Ashley Petrochenko is joined by Stephen Harrell, Director of Marketing at StrideCare, to break down why real healthcare growth depends on tight alignment between marketing, access teams, and clinical operations. You will hear how one of Texas's largest lower extremity healthcare providers is reshaping its patient journey by connecting marketing metrics to on-the-ground operational performance. This conversation shows what today's marketers must prioritize to drive reliable, scalable growth. You will learn: How marketing and operations partnerships unlock higher converting patient journeys Why call intelligence and CRM data reveal the real blockers to growth Ways to tighten workflows so patient demand actually turns into scheduled visits How to shift your team toward EOS style accountability that supports long term performance If you want marketing that consistently converts instead of guesswork, this is the episode for you. RELATED RESOURCES Connect with Steven - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-harrell-tx/ 2026 Healthcare Marketing Trends: The New Rules Redefining Growth - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/healthcare-marketing-trends-2026/ Marketing + Operations: Why Total Alignment is Vital to Growth - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/healthcare-marketing-operations-alignment/ What is a Patient Journey? Examples to Grow Your Practice - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/what-is-a-patient-journey-grow-your-practice/ Why Capacity-Driven Marketing Is Non-Negotiable - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/capacity-driven-marketing-media-investment-strategy/

Healthcare marketers write off Meta for one reason: lead quality. High volume or cheap leads don't matter when leads are unqualified, uninsured, or never convert to patients. Cardinal's paid social team cracked the code. Through systematic testing of Meta lead forms—adding SMS verification, progressive insurance qualification, and strategic engagement tactics—they transformed Meta from a brand channel into a legitimate performance driver. The result? A 78% reduction in cost per qualified lead compared to Google Ads, with quality that actually converts. In this episode, Lisa Fisher and Caro Costa walk through the exact testing framework and optimization strategies that made it work. You'll leave with a replicable playbook for your own Meta campaigns. RELATED RESOURCES 10 Ways to Succeed on Meta in 2025 - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/10-ways-to-succeed-on-meta-in-2025/ How Meta's Data Restrictions Impact Healthcare Advertising Strategies - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/meta-announces-major-changes-healthcare-advertising/ Performance Creative: The Key to Paid Media Success - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/performance-creative-the-key-to-paid-media-success/ 5-Step Paid Media Strategy to Attract Your Ideal Patients - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/paid-media-patient-acquisition-guide/

In this episode of Ignite, Cardinal CEO Alex Membrillo sits down with Heather Lang, Chief Marketing & Experience Officer at Twin Cities Orthopedics, for a deep dive into how TCO is innovating in patient acquisition, brand differentiation, and digital strategy. You'll gain actionable insights on aligning marketing with business outcomes, leveraging data to secure budget increases, and using consumer research and bold creative to stand out in a crowded market. If you're looking for practical ways to drive new patient growth, improve attribution, and take calculated risks in your campaigns, this conversation is packed with valuable takeaways just for you. RELATED RESOURCES Connect with Heather - https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-lang-4126517/ How to Build a Full-Funnel Healthcare Marketing Strategy - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/healthcare-full-funnel-marketing-strategy/ 5-Step Paid Media Strategy to Attract Your Ideal Patients - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/paid-media-patient-acquisition-guide/ Performance Creative: The Key to Paid Media Success - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/performance-creative-the-key-to-paid-media-success/ When & How to Expand Your Healthcare Media Mix - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/expanding-channel-media-mix-strategy/

In this episode of Ignite, Cardinal CEO Alex Membrillo talks with Diana Ochoa, Sr. Director of Multicultural Marketing at Sage Dental, exploring what it takes to authentically connect with multicultural audiences and drive real business growth. You'll learn why understanding data, cultural intelligence, and acculturation levels is essential for effective segmentation and communication, and how to move beyond simple translation to create meaningful, trust-based relationships. You'll gain actionable strategies to ensure your marketing, from ads to landing pages to community engagement, truly resonates with diverse populations—helping you stand out and succeed in today's rapidly changing healthcare landscape. RELATED RESOURCES Connect with Diana - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianaochoa1/ How to Reach Niche Audiences with 3P Data - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/reach-niche-audiences-3p-data/ 5-Step Paid Media Strategy to Attract Your Ideal Patients - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/paid-media-patient-acquisition-guide/ How to Build a Full-Funnel Healthcare Marketing Strategy - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/healthcare-full-funnel-marketing-strategy/ Performance Creative: The Key to Paid Media Success - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/performance-creative-the-key-to-paid-media-success/

How do you scale marketing while hitting aggressive growth goals? Matt Stringer, CMO of Action Behavior Centers, joins Cardinal's Chief Strategy Officer, Rich Briddock, to share how ABC quadrupled qualified lead volume by building measurement infrastructure while moving fast—not waiting for perfection before launching. Learn how they expanded into new channels, navigate the quality vs. quantity dance, and communicate strategic risk to executives. From incrementality testing to revenue-proxied metrics, discover the practical framework ABC used to test new channels like Meta, while maintaining guardrails that allow fast failure without burning budget or trust. RELATED RESOURCES 5-Step Paid Media Strategy to Attract Your Ideal Patients - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/paid-media-patient-acquisition-guide/ When & How to Expand Your Healthcare Media Mix - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/expanding-channel-media-mix-strategy/ RevRx™: Unlocking the Power of Media Mix Modeling - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/media-mix-modeling-revrx/ Marketing + Operations: Why Total Alignment is Vital to Growth - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/healthcare-marketing-operations-alignment/

In this episode of Ignite, Cardinal CEO Alex Membrillo chats with Jessica Walker, Founder & CEO of Care Sherpa, about strategies for healthcare marketers who want to maximize the ROI of their patient acquisition efforts. You'll learn how to identify and fix the biggest gaps in lead management—like missed calls, lack of follow-up, and insufficient nurturing—that are costing your organization revenue. By tuning in, you'll gain actionable strategies to improve conversion rates, leverage both technology and human support, and ensure your marketing dollars translate into real patient growth. RELATED RESOURCES Connect with Jessica - https://www.linkedin.com/in/walkerjessica/ 5-Step Paid Media Strategy to Attract Your Ideal Patient - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/paid-media-patient-acquisition-guide/ How to Build a Full-Funnel Healthcare Marketing Strategy - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/healthcare-full-funnel-marketing-strategy/ What is a Patient Journey? Examples to Grow Your Practice - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/what-is-a-patient-journey-grow-your-practice/ Is Your Organization Actually Ready for Marketing? - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/marketing-readiness/

In this episode of Ignite, Cardinal CEO Alex Membrillo sits down with Dane Titsworth, Manager of SEO & Digital Content at Ardent Health Services, for a must-listen conversation for healthcare marketers navigating the rapidly changing landscape of SEO and AI. You'll learn why accuracy, trust, and brand reputation are more important than ever, and how connecting with local teams and providers ensures your content truly reflects your services. By tuning in, you'll gain practical strategies to build a cohesive, authoritative digital presence that stands out in both traditional search and AI-driven recommendations—helping you educate patients, earn their trust, and drive real results in your market. RELATED RESOURCES Connect with Dane - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dane-t-b021a0b8/ Optimizing for AI Search: A New Era in Healthcare Marketing - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/optimizing-for-ai-search-a-new-era-in-healthcare-marketing/ How a Primary Care Provider Futureproofed Their SEO in an AI-Driven Search World - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/search-content-strategy-ai-landscape/ Privacy First: Marketing Technologies That Prioritize HIPAA Compliance - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/hipaa-compliant-martech/ Marketing + Operations: Why Total Alignment is Vital to Growth - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/healthcare-marketing-operations-alignment/

In this episode of Ignite, Cardinal CEO Alex Membrillo sits down with Mindy Grantham, Director of Marketing at Mayo Clinic, to unpack the challenges and opportunities in oncology marketing—from demand generation and clinical trial accrual to leveraging AI, optimizing your website for both education and conversion, and building trust through community engagement and reputation management. You'll walk away with practical strategies for reaching patients at every stage of their journey, aligning marketing with operational capacity, and using digital tools to drive real results in a high-stakes, emotionally charged field. If you want to elevate your impact and stay ahead in the rapidly evolving world of healthcare marketing, this conversation is a must-listen. RELATED RESOURCES Connect with Mindy - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mindy-grantham/ Optimizing for AI Search: A New Era in Healthcare Marketing - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/optimizing-for-ai-search-a-new-era-in-healthcare-marketing/ What is a Patient Journey? Examples to Grow Your Practice - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/what-is-a-patient-journey-grow-your-practice/ Why Capacity-Driven Marketing Is Non-Negotiable - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/capacity-driven-marketing-media-investment-strategy/ 5-Step Paid Media Strategy to Attract Your Ideal Patients - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/paid-media-patient-acquisition-guide/

This episode of Ignite is your inside look at the upcoming Scaling Up Healthcare Performance Marketing Summit, designed specifically for healthcare marketers like you who want to drive real patient acquisition and stay ahead of industry trends. Hosted by Cardinal CEO Alex Membrillo and Cardinal CGO Lauren Leone, you'll hear about the event's top-tier speakers, actionable case studies, and focused tracks on AI, measurement, and performance marketing, all aimed at giving you practical strategies you can implement right away. Plus, you'll discover new networking opportunities, awards for marketing excellence, and ways to connect with peers facing the same challenges, ensuring you leave with both inspiration and tangible value for your organization. RELATED RESOURCES Optimizing for AI Search: A New Era in Healthcare Marketing - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/optimizing-for-ai-search-a-new-era-in-healthcare-marketing/ Why Capacity-Driven Marketing Is Non-Negotiable - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/capacity-driven-marketing-media-investment-strategy/ How to Build a Full-Funnel Healthcare Marketing Strategy - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/healthcare-full-funnel-marketing-strategy/ How to Set Smarter Healthcare Marketing Goals - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/marketing-goal-planning/   Get your free ticket to Scaling Up 2025: https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/scalingup-healthcare-performance-marketing-summit/

Healthcare marketers are under constant pressure to deliver immediate patient volume. But when performance campaigns take center stage at the expense of brand marketing, the long-term health of the organization suffers. In this episode of Ignite, Lauren Leone sits down with Cardinal's Katie Gray, Senior Account Director, to explore how performance and brand can work together—not against each other. They identify common mistakes healthcare organizations make when overemphasizing performance and outline strategies to build trust, drive volume, and support sustainable growth. Whether you're a CMO balancing pressure from the board or a marketer trying to prove ROI, this conversation will help you rethink how brand marketing fuels performance over time. RELATED RESOURCES How to Build a Full-Funnel Healthcare Marketing Strategy - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/healthcare-full-funnel-marketing-strategy/ Why Capacity-Driven Marketing Is Non-Negotiable - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/capacity-driven-marketing-media-investment-strategy/ Performance Creative: The Key to Paid Media Success - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/performance-creative-the-key-to-paid-media-success/ How to Set Smarter Healthcare Marketing Goals - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/marketing-goal-planning/