Writer/Producer Michael Johnson goes to concerts. While rocking out and having a good time, he pulls lessons from the artists and applies them to Health Care marketing and advertising.

The Hold Steady - July 6th, 2010

This Brooklyn-based quintet (though there were six guys on stage for this show) has a reputation for putting on great live shows, and their set in Omaha was no different. High-energy, sing-along crowd favorites with all the trappings of a rock and roll show. What struck me the most, however, was lead singer Craig Finn.

He's a storyteller, and you should be too.

Even as a guy who didn't know every lyric to every song, I found myself rocking right along with diehards, pulled in by the passion, emotion and showmanship of Finn. The Hold Steady's songs aren't simple verse-chorus-bridge arrangements with ear-worm hooks; they are tumbling, guitar-fueled tales of adolescence, coming-of-age, and the rock n' roll lifestyle. They are Finn's journal entries, set to music.

If your marketing and advertising isn't telling your story, you're missing an important piece of the communication puzzle. Your brand is the personality of your hospital, and personality is shaped by your experiences, history and environment. In other words, your story.

So while you're pushing your service lines, or announcing your awards, or gathering patient testimonials – make sure the audience is hearing your story. Told with emotion. Told with passion.