At the bottom of a print ad promoting breast cancer awareness and the Clarian West Breast Care and Research Center—a Best in Show 2008 HealthLeaders Media Marketing Awards winner among small hospitals—there is a clue.
It reads: "If you want to get in shape, this is the place to go. Recognize the state bird and you're in the know. Stop by the desk in Avon. Let the hunt begin. The game is now on."
The marketing campaign, called "The Hunt for Pink October," featured a scavenger hunt. The Indianapolis hospital's marketers integrated the game into the advertising in an attempt to have its Breast Care and Research Center marketing stand out in October, a competitive month for breast centers.
"We knew we didn't want to be lost in the sea of pink messaging around Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so it just got our wheels turning on how could we be out there, how could we reinforce some of the messages that we've started to build, how could we participate in educating women and stand out and have a little fun," says Cathy Stoll, director of marketing, communications, and public relations. "We wanted to find a way to engage the community in a different way."
Stoll says the three-year-old hospital worked with local businesses to be the secret locations hinted at in the ads. The first person to the correct spot collected a pink medallion and was eligible to win a prize. Runner-up medallions were also available so that the less speedy participants could still participate in the next round. Based on the number of runner-up medallions given out, Stoll estimates that at least 500 people participated.
"It's been a nice way to make relationships with women in a unique way and make relationships with other businesses in the community in a unique way and generate a little bit of buzz," she says. "I haven't seen people get engaged in a marketing campaign like this in a while."
And after local women participated in the hunt, many of them scheduled mammograms at Clarian West. Before the campaign launched, the breast center performed 290 to 320 mammograms per month. In October 2007, the month the campaign launched, 390 mammograms were performed.
Stoll says the breast center has sustained that number and recently saw an increase in mammograms this fall—even before new marketing was released—when women who participated last year came in for a second screening. In fact, Stoll says Clarian West plans to buy an additional mammography machine and open a second screening suite this spring.
Marianne Aiello is an editor with HealthLeaders Media. Send her Campaign Spotlight ideas at maiello@healthleadersmedia.com If you are a marketer submitting a campaign on behalf of your facility or client, please ensure you have permission before doing so.