Know-How Exchange : Strategy

Let's start with the target audience for this decision. Is it the patient, the surgeon/physician, the employers, or the insurers, or someone else?

Depending on your answer, the action you take will be very different. If the decision is heavily influenced by the physician, for example, you might want an outreach program to/through physicians. You can effectively give the physicians the information to give their patients, so they will look like they are adding value to the process and implicitly recommending your facility.

If it's really a consumer-driven decision, then you have to find a way to get your message out directly to consumers. The medium, in this case, is not nearly as important as your message/value proposition. You need to articulate your positioning -- the unique benefit you offer that the new kid on the block can't match. Spend your time and energy on the message. The medium will probably become obvious once you know what you're going to say.

If you need help on this, let me know. I've done quite a bit of work with for-profit hospital marketing.