7 Strategic Moments for Fresh Insight
When Are The Right Moments to Stop and Listen?
In healthcare, we are under pressure to launch initiatives and move forward with confidence. However, sometimes the pressure outpaces clarity, and we don’t fully understand what patients think, feel, or need.
That’s where research—good research—comes in. However, research requires time and investment, and you may be working at such a fast pace that it can be challenging to determine exactly when it’s worth pausing, listening deeply, and gathering insights.
We believe the best time to listen is before you act—or before you act again. Especially at moments of strategic change or when the stakes are highest, insight isn’t a luxury. It’s a practice that can propel your project forward successfully and advance your career as a strategic leader.
Here are seven common inflection points when our marketing clients have found value in investing in a structured listening effort—qualitative, quantitative, or both—to guide strategy, align internal stakeholders, and create more effective consumer engagement.
1. Post-Acquisition Integration or Rebranding
When your healthcare system acquires or integrates a new entity, everything changes—name, culture, expectations, and perceptions.
Even years after a rebrand or integration, your new patients and communities may still be adjusting. Legacy loyalties persist. New brand promises may not have taken root. Internal alignment can also lag behind the launch.
We’ve found that this is a smart moment to assess how the brand is resonating with consumers and to surface lingering perceptions. Whether the goal is brand alignment or deeper acceptance, fresh insight ensures your messaging and market presence reflect how people feel.
Consider: Brand Audits, NPS Research, MarketVoice Research, or Consumer Experience Research.
2. Service Line Expansion or New Site Opening
Launching a new location, opening a surgery center, or introducing a new specialty? These are high-risk, high-reward moments.
Success depends on understanding your market: unmet needs, perceptions of your competitors, decision drivers, and brand expectations.
We’ve worked with clients who engaged users in the building design process. Great! However, the organization didn’t conduct the market research that could have shaped everything else, from naming and messaging to referral patterns and physician alignment. The research can also uncover barriers—emotional or logistical—that could slow down adoption.
Consider: MarketVoice Research, Brand Audits, Market Share Research, Consumer Experience Research, or Creative Audits.
3. Declining or Stagnant Volume
Sometimes a program’s growth flattens. Or worse—it slides.
Before jumping to tactics, the most strategic leaders ask: “Do we understand what’s changed?”
Consumer insight can uncover whether demand has shifted, competitors have gained ground, or internal friction is impacting access or experience. Understanding the root cause of volume decline allows your team to target the right lever. As I recently shared with a client, not all problems are solved by marketing. Operations may need to improve for your organization to capture the desired volume.
Consider: Market Share Analysis, Patient Journey Mapping, Consumer Experience Research, Creative Audits, or NPS Research.
4. Early Planning for the Fiscal Year
Well before budget planning begins in earnest, finance teams begin setting growth targets. That’s when marketing and strategy teams need clear market insight to prioritize where and how to invest.
At this stage, research isn’t just about learning—it’s about planning. Understanding patient expectations, barriers to engagement, and competitive positioning can help you set smarter goals and allocate your budget with confidence. This is a perfect moment to optimize your partnership with service line leaders who share the pressure to meet volume goals.
Consider: MarketVoice Research, Brand Audits, or Marketing Strategy Review.
5. Internal Misalignment on Direction or Priorities
When executive teams aren’t aligned, it shows up in strategy, operations, employee engagement, and marketing.
I have personally experienced the power of the human story to transcend internal obstacles and realign teams around a common foundation for strategy. You can be the marketing leader who brings this clarity to strategy and helps resolve conflicting assumptions. Do this and you will cement your value to the team.
Consider: Marketing Strategy Review, Brand Audits, or MarketVoice Research.
6. Leadership Transition or Turnaround
A new CMO, CEO, or service line leader often brings a fresh vision—and a fresh appetite for results.
These are natural moments to re-evaluate what you know about your market and how well your current efforts are aligned. Listening at this stage can build credibility, identify early wins, and set the tone for change grounded in understanding, not assumption. It’s also a critical moment to understand the expectations of your new internal customer and optimize your internal value stream.
Consider: NPS Research, Brand Audits, or Consumer Experience Research.
7. Major Brand Refresh or Campaign Development
Before launching new creative or refreshing your identity, it’s critical to understand where you stand today—and what matters most to your audience.
Are your current messages breaking through? Is your visual identity relevant and distinctive? What are the emotional drivers that shape trust and choice?
Creative campaigns are high-stakes investments. The right insight helps ensure your new message lands with clarity and impact.
Consider: Brand Audits, Creative Audits, or MarketVoice Research.
Final Thought:
Sometimes, the best first move isn’t action. It’s attention.
A great strategy starts with deeply understanding the context and ensuring you’re solving the right problem. Especially when the stakes are high and the environment is complex.
If you’re facing a major decision, change, or challenge, now might be the time to listen—with discipline, rigor, and heart. Let us know if we can help.
Alex Sydnor, FACHE, VP of Marketing and Comm.
As a senior health system executive, Alex has led healthcare strategy, marketing, patient experience, and community health programs for 17 years. Alex works with healthcare marketing teams to develop strategies that deliver measurable results powered by LIFT’s deep expertise in human understanding.