Think back to five years ago. Would the words "probiotics" or kale have been at the tip of your tongue? Chances are, the answer is no. But both offer good illustrations of how our dietary-focused culture is increasingly adopting new types of specialty nutritional foods and supplements for their perceived health benefits. The typical consumer is no longer confined to "granola eaters" - and dietary supplements are now clearly mainstream ... and big business.

With high mobile health usage across channels, similar usage patterns to patients in health care settings, and a large stake in care decisions themselves, you need to make sure that the caregiver is considered appropriately when developing your mobile brand approach.

The Affordable Care Act's centerpiece-the Healthcare Marketplace-has officially rolled out. Perhaps you've heard it hasn't gone over with rave reviews. From IT woes to administration "miscommunication," the end-users-consumers-have been vocal about their disappointment. Although I fully believe the marketplace technology will be fixed, unfortunately the damage has been done. But as with every misstep, there are valuable lessons to be learned. See below four marketing "T"enets-emphasis on the T-that were violated and how marketers need to uphold them at all costs.

Like politics, healthcare marketing is often a local affair. In most areas, the battle for health system market share and brand strength is waged among competitors with high levels of familiarity regarding each other's strategies, approaches and tactics. With such an intimate, up-close perspective on brands and their communications, it's surprising to see similar battles playing out across markets. Health system brand archetypes that have withstood the test of time and are present in many markets include "the Caregiver" (focusing on compassionate care), "the Sage" (the leader in medical expertise) and "the Everyman" (leveraging scale and access).

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) train has left the station - leaving health plans racing to overcome challenges ranging from B2C outreach to mandates and penalties.

Once upon a time, the doctor/patient story centered on two stock characters: the venerated, trusted doctor, and the more or less passive patient. The doctor could be friendly and comforting, or aloof and clinical, but he or she called the shots; a patient might be a "good patient" or a "bad patient," indicating how well he or she followed doctors' orders. As a patient, you went to your doctor (or specialist), he or she arrived at a diagnosis, you left the office with a prescription and/or a treatment plan, and you went on your way. It was a one-way conversation, …

For those in the healthcare industry, the anticipation of what the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will bring has been much like the anticipation of unwrapping presents at Christmas. The open enrollment period began, but we won't know how many people have signed up until November. It's like waking up Christmas morning and having to wait until your grandparents arrive to actually tear open the presents under the tree.

My last post introduced the concept of Responsive Relationship Marketing: the practice of listening first and communicating subsequently, allowing segmentation and tailoring to emerge dynamically. Just as responsive design is about creating engaging content for a proliferating number of devices, Responsive RM is about creating engaging content for proliferating patient and caregiver needs. At the core, a CMS (Content Management System) is being called upon to serve and respond to user interactions, while organic segmentation is borne out of the "dialogue."

All of us are well aware that healthcare is rapidly changing. We're entering an era where consumers will truly be at the center of how health is delivered in the United States and other parts of the world.

These days, it seems every headline decrees the power of Big Data. It's everywhere, from smart electrical grids to dead-on election predictions. Healthcare is no exception. Just consider the Human Genome Project. Another Big Data technology with the power to change everything in the healthcare system (again). Networked electronic medical record (EMR) systems. Adoption is growing quickly across practices nationwide, due to both convenience and requirements. And they hold the promise of helping physicians make better prescribing decisions and, ultimately, hopefully, keeping people healthier.