Beyond DEI: Redefining Cultural Communications - with Aleisia Gibson Wright

If you're thinking "cultural communications" is another way to say "DEI," you may want to broaden your perspective. Culture comms might just be the key to building trust when the stakes are high - especially in healthcare. In this episode of The Trending Communicator, host Dan Nestle connects with award-winning healthcare communicator Alicia Gibson Wright, founder of GW Health Public Relations, to challenge conventional wisdom about cultural communications in healthcare. They examine how the COVID-19 pandemic exposed deep-rooted trust issues and health disparities, pushing communicators to rethink their approach. Alicia shares insights from her extensive career, highlighting the importance of tailoring messages to diverse audiences while maintaining factual consistency. The conversation extends beyond traditional DEI frameworks, examining how authentic storytelling and cultural understanding can enhance health outcomes and drive business success. This episode presents a fresh perspective on the future of healthcare communications, where flexibility and cultural fluency are not just nice-to-haves but essential tools for reaching and resonating with increasingly diverse and fractured audiences. Listen in and hear about... Cultural communications in healthcare PR and marketing Navigating trust issues in the post-COVID healthcare landscape AI's potential and limitations in addressing healthcare disparities Storytelling as a powerful tool for inclusive healthcare messaging Evolving patient expectations and their impact on healthcare communications Challenges of broad-brush communication in a diverse society   Notable Quotes On the Complexity of Healthcare Communications: "There's so many layers in between those two things from the hospital and the pharmaceutical company. There's the providers, there's the policymakers, there's the patient, there are the loved ones. That whole kaleidoscope of different audiences that are connected to healthcare." - Aleisia Gibson Wright [13:00 → 13:21] On the Importance of Trust in Healthcare: "I think the most important thing now with healthcare is the aspects of trust and understanding how important it is to not just understand what the medicine is, but to trust the source of the information of the actual product you're taking." - Aleisia Gibson Wright [17:38 → 17:55] On the Challenges of AI in Healthcare: "I think once we are able to scrape or infuse accurate medical information into these AI tools then perhaps. But there's so many medical inaccuracies out there that live on the web and that will perpetuate through AI platforms that we can't 100% trust." - Aleisia Gibson Wright [45:38 → 45:57] On the Power of Storytelling in Healthcare: "The more we can storytell, the more we can show real people, I think that too helps us sort of hurtle over the de and I aspect. If you're just storytelling, you're just showcasing a person's real life lived experience, that's just storytelling." - Aleisia Gibson Wright [53:31 → 53:48]   Resources and Links Dan Nestle Inquisitive Communications | Website The Trending Communicator | Website Communications Trends from Trending Communicators | Dan Nestle's Substack Dan Nestle | LinkedIn Dan Nestle | Twitter/X Aleisia Gibson Wright GW Health Public Relations | Website Aleisia Gibson Wright | LinkedIn Timestamps 0:00 Intro: Navigating the communications minefield 5:25 Serendipitous networking and unexpected connections 10:51 Evolution of healthcare communications landscape 16:10 Patient expectations and trust in healthcare 23:27 Mass communication challenges in healthcare 32:37 Cultural aspects in healthcare communications 38:23 AI's potential and limitations in healthcare 46:31 Balancing AI and human interaction in healthcare 52:59 The power of storytelling in healthcare communications 58:36 Flexible approach to evolving healthcare landscape (Notes co-created by Human Dan and Flowsend.