In the world of healthcare marketing, as brands brace for intensifying competitive activity and the pending tsunami of change that the Affordable Care Act promises, some lessons from outside the medical world have particular relevance.

At the recent National Pediatric Innovation Summit in Boston, doctors, scientists, VC firms and hospital executives discussed earth shattering developments in the treatment of cystic fibrosis and autism, as well as the latest findings in genomics and DNA sequencing. After taking in the passion and brilliance of the participants, it was the closing keynote speaker, Dr. Atul Gawande, a surgeon, writer and public health researcher, who finally connected the dots between healthcare and marketing for me.

Today marks the first day of open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act's marketplace, an online platform where consumers can digitally shop, compare and purchase health insurance based on their needs and budget. For insurance providers nationwide, it represents an opportunity to market to these prospective buyers and grow their business. It's a big change for an industry accustomed to traditional B-to-B marketing. Suddenly, insurance organizations find themselves as direct-to-consumer marketers. And that market opportunity is poised to grow as the industry continues to undergo changes.

Research shows new label is opportunity for healthcare marketers .

Over the past several years, I've participated in a few conversations with health marketers who are confused and bewildered by the rapid changes sweeping the industry. They've struggled to be taken seriously by physicians, hospital leaders, pharmaceutical executives and others grappling with major challenges caused by mobile, social and other technologies. They're viewed as order takers, delivering a highly commoditized product that's difficult to measure, much less prove its impact on the bottom line.

If you work on behalf of a pharmaceutical product, chances are your company has a relationship with a patient advocacy group (PAG) dedicated to the disease that product treats. Beyond your company's financial commitment, what does that relationship look like? How much do you know about the PAG, their members, and their mission? How much do they know about your company's goals? Do they trust you or are you perceived as another pharmaceutical company that is just 'in it for the money?'

Sure, since the beginning of time, our mothers have told us how special we are. However, in today's era of customization ability for everything from our vacation, our shoes, our homes, and our broadcast programming, today we think we are more special than ever. As consumers, we don't just expect tailored experiences, we demand it.

We've all had our moments when we thought we had a bout of appendicitis or a heart attack or some other terrible medical issue in the middle of the night (which may have turned out to be heartburn...or nothing) and instead of rationally calling our doctor, we Google our symptoms.

The focus of most marketing executives across the globe is on the digitalization of society--everything going digital, mobile and social. This is no different for healthcare and wellness marketers. We live in a world where consumers are connected, engaged, mobile and constantly moving between their offline and online worlds. Digital, of course, is an essential part of the marketing puzzle. But an interesting thing is happening on our journey to all-things-digital: innovation, particularly as mobile frees us to roam, is allowing consumers to experience retail in a new and engaging manner. Retail still matters. Digital hasn't stopped retail; it's enhancing …

An August 2013 Gallup Work and Education Survey shows that Americans, despite the sometimes-questionable facial expressions after 5 pm, are passionate about work. In fact, this passion is so strong that ~70% of American workers say they would continue working even if they won $10 million in the lottery. (Nope, April Fool's Day is the joking holiday.)