Digital Branding for Health Equity: Exploring Low-Cost IMC Strategies in Resource-Constrained Public Hospitals in the Global South

Abstract

Health equity remains a pressing challenge in the Global South, where public hospitals serve as the primary providers for marginalized populations under conditions of chronic resource constraints. Digital branding, long associated with private-sector marketing, has recently emerged as a strategy to enhance institutional visibility, patient trust, and communication in healthcare. Yet, little is known about how low-cost Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) approaches can be adapted in public hospitals to advance equity outcomes. This study addresses that gap by examining IMC practices in three public hospitals in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, through a mixed-methods design combining interviews, surveys, focus groups, and document analysis. Results demonstrate that hospitals effectively utilized affordable tools—such as WhatsApp, social media, community radio, and printed flyers—to engage diverse patient groups. Patients reported improved trust, greater clarity of communication, and reduced stigma, while multi-channel strategies ensured inclusion of rural and older populations with lower digital literacy. However, challenges persisted in financial capacity, staff training, and infrastructural limitations, constraining scalability. The study contributes theoretically by extending IMC into health equity frameworks, and practically by offering affordable communication strategies for resource-constrained health systems. Findings underscore the transformative potential of digital branding as an equity-oriented tool for strengthening healthcare communication.