Stakeholders’ participation in hospitals’ branding initiatives on social media: a proposal model for building collective brands

Abstract

Introduction: All health organizations face many managerial and economic challenges such as the consolidation of private and international hospitals, the increasingly interest of society for health education issues or the development of telemedicine. In this framework, many organizations prioritize social media as the main corporate communication tool for building a reputed brand in a collective way along with stakeholders. Objectives: This paper aims to identify a communication model allowing hospitals to efficiently apply branding initiatives on social media in order to build a brand in a collective way with stakeholders. Methodology: We carried out a literature review about corporate communication, health communication, branding and social media; and, then, we proposed the PET Model for Branding Hospitals on Social Media. Results and Conclusion: We conclude that hospitals should create a multidisciplinar corporate communication department, implement management initiatives for allowing health professionals have more time for using social media and integrate health education and patient’s empowerment in every communication initiative.