As the baby boomers continue to age – the Australian health industry must keep pace. In the last several years it has grown by a whopping 7.6% annually. Of the $87.3 billion that is spent every year on health, $37 billion comes from the Federal Government alone. Private health insurance and out-of-pocket payments by patients also contribute.

The rise in both health employment numbers and government health spending gives suppliers added incentive to reach out to this booming industry. For more targeted opportunities within the health sector suppliers should pay special attention to mental health, disability, rural e-health and aged care.

Marketing to Health

When marketing to health it’s important to follow the money trail. This means being aware of the government policy “hot-spots”. Policy changes are an essential tool for suppliers looking to access the health industry.

The programs/initiatives and campaigns run by the Federal Government and various state government health departments which publish their health policies and guidelines such as this one for NSW and this for Victoria will help focus your attention to areas of greatest opportunity.

Importantly, innovative marketing to health campaigns must focus on ‘value, information, and customer support.’ This includes targeting the full care cycle of patients and demonstrating the long-term value your organisation can provide to a health agency or facility.

2014 Budget

As the Federal budget to be announced in May this year approaches there has been speculation on what the government plans to cut. It seems clear that education and health will be spared, for as Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said in a recent interview with the ABC “Health care in this country should depend on your health needs, not what you can afford to pay”.

Summary

Look for the hot spot areas in health. Suppliers selling disability-targeted products, technology related solutions for rural e-health or equipment and service suppliers for aged care should be rolling out their health marketing programs now. For best results implement a direct marketing program delivered direct to the desk of the health buyer (by name) using a combination of email, snail mail and voice.

Health Contacts

Enhance your next marketing campaign by directly contacting key health decision-makers. Launch your next health marketing campaign with the help of A-ZGovBIZ Health by emailing  sales@azgovbiz.com.au or visit the A-ZGovBIZ Health lists below:

Aged Care x 2,563

Hospitals & Health Facilities x 1,694

Health Sector Management x 2,683

A-ZGovBIZ is a leading supplier of direct marketing solutions to health. They can be contacted at sales@azgovbiz.com.au or phone 02 95164703 for free advise and a quote.

Michael Bleakley

Michael Bleakley is a journalist, communicator and marketing professional of 25 years. His career began in his early 20’s publishing tech magazines for education. Michael’s career then moved into online and book publishing for a global business publisher, then finally into database publishing and marketing at A-ZGovBIZ.