Hand Washing Campaign Gets a ’Thumbs Up’

To boost hand washing awareness among physicians, staff, patients, families, and visitors at Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, IL, dispensed additional Prevecare lotion, monitored physician and staff hand washing techniques, and dispensed gift baskets to those doing it right. They also launched a branded internal marketing campaign during hand washing week.

"The goals of this campaign were to educate patients, caretakers, and visitors on the importance of hand washing best practices and to direct caretakers and visitors to use Prevecare dispensers for continuing use," marketers wrote on their entry fee for the 2009 HealthLeaders Media Marketing Awards, where the campaign scored a platinum award.

The campaign, which was advertised on the hospital website and on posters, banners, and stickers inside the hospital, featured hand-related puns and was designed to blend with the hospital brand.

"All of the marketing materials had to fit within the CDH brand, which features a 'blue haze' background and floating images," marketers wrote. "The language and images used had to be straightforward, easy to read and to understand, yet be attention-grabbing."

Marketing Awards judges thought the campaign met all of its objectives.

"This is a very nice on-brand execution," one said. "The thumbs up theme was a great concept for this important topic."

The campaign was extended past hand washing week and is planned to last indefinitely. Marketers handed out more than 100 gift baskets to people complying to hand washing standards and distributed 10,000 bottles of hand sanitizer.