Healthcare marketing is increasingly moving toward measurable, data-driven engagement, but many organizations still operate with separate brand, creative, CRM, and analytics functions. TILT Story is attempting to close that gap through a merger with healthcare CRM and marketing automation company LionShare.

Announced September 21, 2026, the combination brings LionShare’s proprietary CRM platform, healthcare-focused data capabilities and marketing automation expertise into TILT Story’s broader brand strategy, creative and content operation. LionShare will retain its name and existing team, with President Sara Dykes continuing to oversee day-to-day operations.

The merger gives TILT Story a technology layer designed to connect healthcare marketing activity with customer data and measurable business outcomes. LionShare has spent decades focused exclusively on healthcare CRM and data-driven marketing, while TILT Story has built its offering around healthcare branding, creative services and content.

For enterprise healthcare marketers, the significance is less about adding another marketing services capability and more about bringing traditionally separate functions into a single operating model.

LionShare’s CRM platform is intended to provide the underlying data and automation infrastructure, while TILT Story can use that information to inform messaging, brand strategy and content. The companies said they plan to continue investing in the CRM platform and develop additional capabilities for clients.

That approach addresses a persistent problem in healthcare marketing: determining which marketing activities actually influence engagement, acquisition and revenue. McKinsey has identified fragmented consumer data, disconnected systems and limited personalization as significant barriers to more sophisticated healthcare marketing.

The timing also reflects changing healthcare consumer expectations. McKinsey reported in 2024 that 75% of surveyed consumers engaged with health and wellness content at least weekly, while 42% said relevant healthcare content could make them more likely to schedule an appointment with a provider.

For LionShare, the transaction creates access to additional creative and strategic resources without changing its operational leadership. Founder Laura Lee Jones will move into a Founder and Executive Advisor role and join the board, while Sara Dykes will continue leading the LionShare organization.

The combined model also places TILT Story in a competitive space that includes enterprise CRM and marketing automation ecosystems from Salesforce, Adobe and other technology vendors. Those platforms provide broad infrastructure, but healthcare organizations often require industry-specific data practices, workflows and customer engagement strategies. The TILT Story-LionShare model is therefore positioned more as a specialized healthcare marketing operation than as a direct replacement for general-purpose enterprise CRM software.

The bigger question will be whether the combined business can translate proprietary healthcare data into repeatable, measurable marketing outcomes while maintaining appropriate privacy and governance standards.

Market Landscape

Healthcare marketers are under pressure to move beyond campaign-level metrics toward connected consumer journeys. Digital engagement, personalization and first-party data are becoming increasingly important as patients and members interact with providers through websites, email, mobile experiences and other channels.

McKinsey found that 61% of consumers in its 2022 research preferred digital tools for healthcare interactions, while healthcare organizations continue to face challenges integrating consumer data across channels.

That environment creates an opening for specialized platforms combining CRM, analytics, automation and creative services. TILT Story and LionShare are betting that healthcare organizations will increasingly want those capabilities connected rather than managed through separate agencies and technology vendors.

Strategic Outlook

The merger could give TILT Story a stronger position in healthcare marketing technology by combining creative execution with proprietary CRM and marketing automation. Its longer-term differentiation will depend on the depth of the platform, the quality of its data capabilities and its ability to demonstrate measurable outcomes across client campaigns.

For enterprise marketing teams, the development highlights a broader shift: CRM infrastructure is increasingly becoming part of the marketing strategy itself rather than simply a database supporting campaigns.

Top Insights

• TILT Story gains healthcare CRM and marketing automation capabilities, expanding its ability to connect creative work with measurable customer engagement outcomes.
• LionShare’s proprietary CRM platform provides data infrastructure that could help healthcare marketers connect audience insights, campaign execution and ROI measurement.
• The merger reflects growing demand for healthcare personalization as consumers increasingly expect digital, relevant and convenient engagement throughout their journeys.
• LionShare retains its brand and leadership structure, allowing existing healthcare clients to maintain continuity while gaining access to TILT Story’s broader capabilities.
• The combined model competes indirectly with broad enterprise platforms by emphasizing healthcare-specific CRM expertise, data practices, marketing automation and creative strategy.

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