Children's Hospital Boosts Awareness with Humor

Sobering marketing statistics prompt marketers at a New York hospital to choose an attention-grabbing tactic to help boost awareness of its relatively new brand and distinctive market position.

"Where am I?"
"Stony Brook Children's Hospital."
"Where are the adults?"
"It's just for kids."
"What are you doing?"
"Wrapping your cast."
"Are you qualified?"
"Six extra years of specialized training."
"How much do you make?"
"More than you."
"How come I don't feel any pain?"
"Because I'm good."

While the above script could easily fit in with an episode of the TV sitcom Modern Family, the rapid fire Q&A is actually an excerpt from one of Stony Brook (NY) Children's Hospital's latest TV spots, which uses curious and sassy children to highlight the hospital's services and expertise.

Stony Brook marketers chose the attention-grabbing tactic to break through the clutter and help boost awareness of its relatively new brand.

"Consumer research indicated in 2013 that awareness of Stony Brook Children's Hospital was low. The brand was launched in 2010, so it is still in its infancy, so to speak," says Clinton Weaver, senior director of public affairs and marketing for Stony Brook Medicine in Stony Brook, NY. "So our goal was increased awareness of the brand and the remarkable growth we have undergone in our children's health service line."

According to 2013 market research, only 42% of survey respondents in Stony Brook's primary market was aware that there was a dedicated children's hospital on Long Island. And, of those, nearly 60% identified Stony Brook's competitor as that children's hospital. More than six in ten respondents said they were not aware that Stony Brook even had a children's hospital.

Those sobering statistics prompted marketers to team with Lewis Communications of Birmingham, AL, to create a campaign that would attract the attention of both parents and children alike, using humor.

Humorous Content
The agency presented several creative TV concepts to Stony Brook Medicine's marketing and clinical leadership team, and the questions concept quickly emerged as a favorite. The campaign's radio, online, print, and out-of-home ads were designed around that theme.

"Our goal was also to position ourselves as the experts for pediatric medicine in our market, with the phrase, 'They have questions. We have answers,'" Weaver says. "As Suffolk County's only academic medical center for a population of 1.5 million, it's a distinctive market position we occupy, and we wanted to capitalize upon it."

In order to maximize its limited media budget and stand out in the crowded New York media market, Stony Brook used actors from major Broadway productions and movies to create polished and professional ads. The TV spots, along with radio, online, print, and mall ads, ran from March to June and September to August.

Strategic Media Buys
Media buys were made strategically in order to reach the campaign's target demographic: women ages 25-54. Marketers placed backlit advertising panels in a local retail mall where foot traffic was high. They also bought TV spots on local cable stations to maximize the efficiency of ad dollars, and purchased spots on local radio stations that reached the target demographic with the greatest efficiency and audience size.

Online components were placed through a digital display inventory agency to reach the local market.

"The digital component of our campaigns is increasingly important to reach mobile users—especially among the younger healthcare female demographic, who still represent the primary decision makers in the family for pediatric services," Weaver says.

While Stony Brook took a risk with an unconventional campaign style, marketers anticipate that the effort will pay off when they finish conducting its 2014 community perception study.

Results
Service line preference for pediatrics has steadily climbed from 21.1% of consumers in 2008 to 29.9% in 2013. They have also seen a 3% increase in Stony Brook Children's Hospital's inpatient pediatric market share from 2008 to 2011.

"The campaign has been very well received both internally and externally," Weaver says. "It has definitely fulfilled its purpose in drawing attention to a brand that is not well known in the marketplace."