touch point podcast

Latest Episodes:

TP436: The Patient Doesn’t Know They’re in a Funnel May 21, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith examine why the classic funnel framework may not reflect the complex, emotional, and often anonymous nature of how people engage with care decisions today.

Rethinking intent and awareness in healthcare journeys
Why decision-making is fragmented and reactive
How privacy regulations are eliminating visibility across the funnel
Why traditional conversion metrics miss the moments that matter
How progressive profiling and experience design create better results

Healthcare strategist Aaron Mauck joins the show to discuss how marketing leaders can navigate the demands of privacy, performance, and profitability. The conversation explores how to personalize ethically, demonstrate ROI without overtracking, and prepare for the next wave of AI and regulation.

Why it matters: Healthcare consumers are not leads to be pushed through a funnel. They are people seeking clarity, trust, and access. Today’s marketing must meet them on their terms.

Mentions from the Show:

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TP435: The Website Is Now a Platform May 14, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith challenge the outdated mindset of the hospital website and explore how health systems can architect unified platforms that drive growth, deliver care, and personalize experiences.

The platform shift – Drawing from other industries, we explore how websites are becoming engines for acquisition, service delivery, and retention.
From brochure to business tool – What defines a true healthcare platform, and what signals that a system is still stuck in the past?
Progressive profiling in action – How health systems can collect data over time to build trust and power personalized journeys.
Operational impact – Why this matters now for CRM, downstream campaigns, and measurable ROI.

Shawn Gross, VP of Growth at Phase2 Technology, joins to share how progressive profiling helps health systems transform anonymous website visitors into engaged patients—without sacrificing trust or overwhelming users.

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TP434: The Evolving CMO: From Brand Steward to Strategic Leader May 07, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith unpack how the role of the Chief Marketing Officer has evolved—both across industries and within health systems.

The expanding CMO playbook – CMOs are now expected to drive growth, lead digital transformation, and influence business-wide decision-making.
The impact of AI and analytics – Today’s marketing leaders must be data-fluent and tech-savvy to keep pace.
Healthcare’s unique pressures – From navigating tight budgets to partnering with clinical and operational leaders, health system CMOs face distinct challenges.
Brand trust in the spotlight – The demand for transparency and ethical communication has never been higher.

Also, in a special panel recorded live at #HMPS25, we hear from three leaders at the forefront of this transformation:

Tanya Andreadis, VP, Chief Marketing and Experience Officer
Andy Chang, Chief Marketing Officer, UChicago Medicine

Chris Bevolo, Chief Transformation Officer, BPD

Mentions from the Show:

Tanya Andreadis, VP Chief Marketing and Experience Officer
Andy Chang, Chief Marketing Officer, UChicago Medicine
Chris Bevolo, Chief Transformation Officer, BPD
Reed Smith on LinkedIn
Chris Boyer on LinkedIn
Chris Boyer website
Chris Boyer on BlueSky
Reed Smith on BlueSky

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TP433: Reputation Drift: How Algorithms and AI Are Rewriting Healthcare Brands Apr 30, 2025

Show notes

Our digital world is ruled by AI algorithms who are now able to summarize your brand and influence search results. Chris Boyer and Reed Smith explore how these digital forces are reshaping public perception of healthcare organizations—and what can be done to defend and strengthen online reputation before it drifts away into the ocean of algorithms. They discuss

How third-party platforms like Google, Yelp, and Facebook Groups are now setting the first impression for hospitals and health systems
Why AI-generated summaries and reviews are redefining what consumers see—and why not managing online profiles leaves your brand vulnerable
The rise of fake, AI-generated reviews and why healthcare organizations are especially exposed
How "reputation forecasting" is becoming a necessary strategy to predict and prevent reputational risks before they escalate.
The growing gap between consumer expectations and healthcare reality when it comes to digital trust, and why maintaining accurate, up-to-date information is the new frontline in brand management.

Aaron Clifford from Press Ganey joins to share new research on how online reputation shapes consumer choice today, and what healthcare organizations must do to keep trust strong in the age of AI-driven consumer behavior.

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TP432 - Closing the Healthcare Engagement Gap Apr 23, 2025

Show notes

Today’s healthcare consumer is more empowered, more digital-savvy, and more skeptical than ever. Yet many health systems still engage them with outdated approaches and institutional thinking. In this episode, Chris Boyer and Reed Smith explore the growing disconnect between what consumers expect and what health systems deliver—and what it will take to close that gap. They explore:

The rise of the modern healthcare shopper who expects transparency, convenience, and digital ease in every interaction
Common breakdowns in engagement, from fragmented experiences to generic messaging and outdated tools
The importance of personalized communication that reflects where someone is in their health journey, not just their name in an email
How inconsistent messaging across digital, phone, and in-person touchpoints erodes trust and damages the brand

They also discuss why closing the gap requires more than marketing. It demands operational improvements that match the message, and small wins that collectively rebuild consumer confidence.

Later in the episode, Ryan Donohue of NRC Health joins to share insights from national research on patient behavior. He outlines the "Sinister Six" factors driving disengagement and explains how loyalty is shaped by experience, not advertising.

Healthcare organizations that succeed in 2025 will be those that align expectations with delivery and prove they understand what today’s consumers value most.

Mentions from the Show:

Engaging the evolving US healthcare consumer and improving business performance – McKinsey & Company
Consumer Healthcare Experience Trends to Watch in 2025 – Engagys
What’s Next in Healthcare Consumer Experience – Press Ganey
Meeting demand for personalized health care requires a system that can change – Stamford Advocate (Op-ed by Stamford Health CEO)
Ryan Donohue on LinkedIn
NRC Health
Reed Smith on LinkedIn
Chris Boyer on LinkedIn
Chris Boyer website
Chris Boyer on BlueSky
Reed Smith on BlueSky

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TP431 - AI, Are You Killing our Vibe? Apr 16, 2025

Show notes

Forget product pitches and click-through rates - today’s best marketing doesn’t just inform, it evokes. In this episode, Chris Boyer and Reed Smith explore the rising influence of vibe marketing in healthcare and how AI is both accelerating and reshaping this emotionally-driven strategy. They dive into:

What Is Vibe Marketing: How brands are shifting from storytelling to emotion-driven engagement, powered by AI-generated content and mood-matching media.
Why It’s Working Now: The collapse of institutional trust, the rise of TikTok-era behavior, and the tech that allows campaigns to adapt in real time to audience feelings.
AI’s Role in Vibe: From automated content distribution to hyper-personalized interactions, AI is becoming the engine behind emotionally intelligent marketing.
What This Means for Healthcare: In a field built on trust and empathy, vibe marketing may be healthcare’s strongest brand strategy…if done right.

Later in the episode, they’re joined by Matt Cyr of Loop Agency, who shares how health system marketers can use AI as a creative partner, not a job-stealer. He discusses how his work with Roper St. Francis Healthcare is helping lean teams use AI to free up time for storytelling and strategy, while still getting it all done. In 2025, marketing isn’t about messaging; it’s about vibe. And AI might be the key to capturing it.

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TP430 - The Power of Peers: Patient Mentoring in a Digital Age Apr 09, 2025

Show notes

Long before hashtags and apps, patient mentoring thrived quietly in community rooms and support circles—offering emotional validation and practical guidance where clinical care left off. In this episode, Chris Boyer and Reed Smith trace the evolution of peer-to-peer support in healthcare, and how digital platforms have transformed it from local to limitless. They dive into:

The History of Peer Mentoring – From 1970s cancer groups to HIV/AIDS buddy programs, peer support has long filled the gaps in clinical care through empathy, shared experience, and trust.
The Digital Shift – How platforms like PatientsLikeMe, Reddit, Inspire, and even TikTok created scalable, searchable communities for patients—especially those navigating chronic or stigmatized conditions.
Why Health Systems Lag Behind – Compliance fears, cultural resistance, and underinvestment have limited provider involvement, even as patients build robust peer networks on their own.
Opportunities for Integration – Peer support could enhance onboarding, post-discharge care, chronic condition engagement, and even brand trust—if health systems partner, not compete.

Later in the episode, they’re joined by Paul Hoffman, founder of InTandem Health, who shares insights on launching digital peer mentoring platforms—from clinical impact and marketing value to the surprising role peer programs can play in fundraising and health system transformation. In 2025, the most powerful engagement may not be provider-to-patient—but patient-to-patient.

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TP429 - Are We Wasting our Digital Media Spend? Apr 02, 2025

Show notes

In 2024, U.S. healthcare and pharma ad spending will top $30 billion—but how much of it actually drives results? In this episode, Chris Boyer and Reed Smith dig into the hidden inefficiencies in health system media budgets and ask a bold question: Are we investing strategically, or just fueling the machine? They dive into:

Why Media Waste Persists – From inherited budget models to disconnected teams and shallow KPIs, the current approach to digital spend is full of cracks.
The Illusion of Strategy – Why having a media plan isn't the same as having a strategy—and how vague goals and channel-first thinking lead to missed ROI.
The Hidden Costs of Poor Alignment – From creative mismatches to lack of CRM integration, unmeasured waste is hiding beyond the dashboard.
Agency Transparency & Trust – What health systems need to know about principal media buying, opaque reporting, and misaligned incentives.

They’re joined by Jane Crosby of True North, who shares her performance marketing playbook: how strategic bid management, integrated media planning, AI tools, and smarter collaboration are turning wasteful spend into efficient, results-driven campaigns.

In 2025, it’s time to stop asking if media is being wasted—and start asking how to turn it into a high-yield investment.

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TP428 - Breaking the Healthcare Content Mold (Rethinking Risk, Embracing Prompt Power) Mar 26, 2025

Show notes

Is AI-generated content in healthcare reckless—or revolutionary? In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith challenge the fear around using AI in a regulated industry and explore how health systems can use generative AI safely, effectively, and strategically to create better content, faster. They dive into:

AI + Content in a Regulated World – Why risk-averse culture and compliance concerns have slowed adoption—and why those fears might be outdated.
The Reality of Today’s AI Use – How non-PHI content (like patient education, provider bios, and public health materials) is already being generated by AI.
AI as a Content Accelerator – From readability and ADA compliance to localization and SEO, AI is changing the content game in health systems.
Prompt Engineering as a Strategic Skill – Why healthcare marketers need to think like prompt architects, not just copywriters, and how prompt styles like chain-of-thought, self-refine, and role-based prompting are becoming foundational.

Later in the episode, they’re joined by Diane Hammons of WG Content, who shares how custom LLMs and advanced prompting are driving content efficiency and brand consistency across the healthcare landscape.

In 2025, the question isn’t whether AI belongs in healthcare content—it’s how well we’re guiding it.

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TP427 - The Case for Failing Faster to Address Disruption Mar 19, 2025

Show notes

Healthcare operates under the mindset that failure is not an option—but what if that’s actually slowing down innovation? While tech companies embrace rapid iteration, health systems often get stuck in pilot purgatory, unable to scale promising initiatives. In this episode, Chris Boyer and Reed Smith explore why failing faster—when done smartly—is key to keeping pace with disruption.

They dive into:

Why Healthcare Resists "Fail Fast" Thinking – How risk aversion, compliance hurdles, and leadership discomfort prevent innovation.
Lessons from Other Industries – How Google, Amazon, and pharma companies use structured experimentation to accelerate growth.
How Tech Enables Smart Experimentation – Using AI, predictive modeling, and digital sandboxes to minimize risk while maximizing learning.
Making the Case for Leadership Buy-In – How framing failing fast as an ROI strategy can help organizations embrace iterative improvements.

Later in the episode, they are joined by Alan Shoebridge, who shares his insights on industry disruption, external threats, and why health systems must rethink their approach to change.

In 2025, standing still isn’t safe—healthcare must learn to fail fast, fail smart, and fail forward.

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