AI Cohort Research - State of AI in Healthtech Marketing

In this episode, I'm joined by three exceptional members of our Healthtech Marketing Network - Mariana Small, Elena Putilina, and Amy Swanson - who spearheaded our first-ever AI Cohort project. 

Together, they surveyed over 100 healthtech marketing leaders to understand how our community is actually using AI in their day-to-day work, moving beyond the hype to examine practical applications and real challenges.

The research revealed some fascinating insights about where we stand as an industry. While 93% of respondents are using AI in some capacity, very few organizations have successfully integrated AI into their core workflows or developed strategic roadmaps for implementation. Perhaps most telling, almost no one is measuring AI's impact beyond basic productivity metrics, creating a significant gap between leadership's enthusiasm and actual business value demonstration.

While leadership teams are generally supportive and see potential value, they're looking for AI to drive demand generation and performance improvements - not just cost savings. However, marketers are struggling with workflow integration, tool selection overwhelm, and demonstrating clear ROI. The community has identified four key areas where they need help: AI-based search optimization, future skills development, creating repeatable workflows, and establishing governance frameworks.

This research confirms we're still in the early stages of AI adoption in healthtech marketing, but it also provides a clear roadmap for moving from experimentation to strategic implementation. The findings show that while the enthusiasm is there, we need to focus on building proper foundations.

Key Topics Covered

• "(00:00:00) Introduction"
• "(00:01:00) Meet the AI Cohort Team"
• "(00:05:00) State of AI Usage in Healthtech Marketing"
• "(00:07:00) Most Popular AI Tools and Applications"
• "(00:09:00) The Measurement Challenge"
• "(00:12:00) Management Expectations vs. Reality"
• "(00:16:00) Organizational Bottlenecks and Barriers"
• "(00:18:00) The Need for AI Champions"
• "(00:19:00) What the Community Wants Next"
• "(00:22:00) Governance and Ethics Considerations"
• "(00:23:00) Personas, Sales Enablement, and Search"
• "(00:26:00) Strategic vs. Tactical AI Implementation"
• "(00:30:00) Closing Advice from the Research Team"
• "(00:33:00) Key Takeaways and Webinar Announcement"

Join us for an in depth webinar covering the AI Cohort Research on October 8th at 1 pm ET.

If you are interested in discussing this or any other topic, let's have a chat.  Reach out to me directly to schedule a no-obligation discussion. This isn't a sales call, but rather an opportunity to talk through your questions and challenges.

Follow me on LinkedIn.

Subscribe to The HealthTech Marketing Show on Spotify or watch us on YouTube for more insights into marketing, AI, ABM, buyer journeys, and beyond!

Thank you to our presenting sponsors, HIMSS, a leader in advancing health equity, digital innovation, and data-driven care through technology, policy, and community collaboration. And also HealthcareNOW, 24/7 expert shows, interviews, and podcasts, powering healthcare leaders with innovation, policy, and strategy insights.