Strategic brand management differentiates brand image benefits into functional, experiential, and symbolic dimensions, yet how these benefits are prioritized within universal healthcare coverage (UHC) remain underexplored. This qualitative study examines a private hospital in Jember, Indonesia, that served an unusually high proportion of BPJS patients. Private hospitals are required to allocate a minimum services of 40% to BPJS beneficiaries under Indonesia’s national health insurance system. However, 80% of this hospital’s patients were covered by BPJS over the past five years, doubling the mandated minimum threshold. Such high proportion may constrain positioning. The study asks why and which dimension of brand benefit is strategically prioritized by institutional actors operating under high UHC dependence. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with five internal stakeholders including CEO, department heads, and media members responsible for strategic communication, and analyzed using thematic analysis. The focus on internal actors reflects their institutional knowledge and role in shaping brand positioning based on accumulated patient feedback. Participants described functional benefits (effective treatment, procedural clarity), experiential benefits (comfort, simplicity), and symbolic benefits (trust, security, religious alignment). While functional and experiential benefits largely treated as expected standards under UHC, symbolic benefits emerged more influential in shaping institutional identity and public legitimacy. The study suggests when private hospitals exceed BPJS participation requirements, symbolic meaning becomes central to maintaining credibility. The novelty of this research lies in conceptualizing symbolic brand benefits as strategic form of institutional decision-making that sustains private healthcare organizations operating under UHC system in Indonesia to comparable Asian contexts.

Authors:
Annisa Camalia Anjani, Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology, Indonesia
Bambang Iskandriawan, Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology, Indonesia

About the Presenter(s)
Annisa Camalia Anjani is a postgraduate scholar, illustrator, and social media manager interested in strategic branding and human-centered research. Was a visual communication design student and currently pursuing Innovation Design Management.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/camaliannisa/

See this presentation on the full schedule – Sunday Schedule

Bookmark