A friend recently asked me over dinner, “With so many world-renowned healthcare brands worldwide, what makes a Saudi brand stand out?”
It’s a valid question. But throughout my career in the communications industry here in Saudi Arabia, I’ve seen healthcare capture global attention alongside other transformative industries in the Kingdom.
Saudi Arabia is making significant strides in artificial intelligence and state-of-the-art healthcare technology, earning recognition on regional and global platforms.
This presents a compelling opportunity for Saudi healthcare communicators to embrace branding to extend their innovation and influence across the global industry.
As Saudi Arabia progresses towards Saudi Vision 2030, the healthcare sector is quickly adopting a more global approach, especially when you add medical tourism to the conversation.
This involves rethinking healthcare branding to reflect the nation’s commitment to integrated patient care, innovation, and excellence.
Saudi healthcare institutions are strategically aligning with leading global benchmarks and positioning themselves as pivotal contributors on the world stage by reinforcing transparency, support, and reliability in their brand voice.
Communicate success stories
In navigating the competitive landscape of global healthcare branding, Saudi brands have done well to focus on their community and patients.
Now, more of them are striving for authenticity and human connection to build trust beyond the borders of the Kingdom and the wider region.
One powerful way they achieve this is by telling real-life patient success stories, like KFSHRC’s successful Xanthoma treatment. We believe in the power of real stories to connect with our audience.
For instance, the heartwarming story of a young patient whose life was transformed by our advanced cardiac care resonated deeply, reinforcing our commitment to human-centered healthcare.
These narratives go beyond simple testimonials, delving into the complexities of the patient’s experience and humanising hospital brands. This paves the way for building trust with current and prospective patients, their families, and the broader community.
Communicate trust
Beyond fostering connections with patients and the community, maintaining our core values is crucial for cultivating trust through integrity and transparency in healthcare communication.
The marketing team at KFSHRC has taken on the role of communicating our strategic priorities to global audiences through a systematic approach driven by values and a commitment to the people and the lives we touch.
Through a 360-degree communication approach, our branding message has been effectively communicated through a multi-channel approach, utilising social media, television advertisements, and community outreach programs, all tailored to reach diverse audiences, including patients, healthcare professionals, and the broader community.
Don’t ignore the data
More healthcare brands are embracing data-driven decision-making and driving personalisation across their communication.
KFSHRC has launched a command center that leverages AI and predictive analytics to enhance operational efficiency, patient experience, safety, and the movement of patients in real-time.
The hospital also implemented Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) to enhance our patient-centered approach and enhance one-on-one communication with our patients and their families. Through PROMs, healthcare organisations can empower patients and improve engagement and satisfaction.
Meanwhile, by focusing on patient experiences and gathering their feedback through regular surveys, hospitals are able to better understand patients’ needs and address their concerns and fears.
Be visible on social media
Taking a holistic approach to communications demonstrates how strategic messaging through the proper channels can drive healthcare communication to new levels of engagement.
Research suggests that 80 per cent of social media users look up healthcare providers on social media.
Healthcare brands see an excellent opportunity to harness the power of social platforms (with 5.17 billion users worldwide in 2024) to strengthen their positioning internationally.
A key strategy a Saudi hospital brand can use is customising social media channels to engage with communities near and far and share real-life patient experiences and essential health information.
Be a part of the community
Additionally, commemorating global events and organising awareness campaigns encourages more community interaction across these platforms.
We participate in awareness campaigns, such as our Clinical Trials Awareness Campaign, promote organ donation, and celebrate Nurse Day, making sure to utilise social platforms for community engagement opportunities.
These initiatives not only foster a nationwide culture of health consciousness and highlight the invaluable role of healthcare professionals but also enhance KFSHRC’s global recognition and ability to attract and retain top talent from all around the world.
This is also done by highlighting how the hospital collaborates and diversifies the workplace and the career growth and training opportunities it offers.
Healthcare communicators across Saudi Arabia are re-evaluating their marketing and branding strategies to proactively engage a growing global audience of discerning health enthusiasts.
By championing patient-centricity, transparency, and compassion in our brands, we are turning local triumphs into global legends and enhancing the Saudi healthcare sector’s position as a paragon of innovation and excellence on the world stage.
By Muhannad Kadi, Chief Corporate Communications and Marketing Officer, KFSHRC.
