"Marketing and advertising is increasingly getting more difficult for all businesses today," says Mary Zokan, director of marketing for Rush-Copley Medical Center. "Consumers are controlling their information, music, movies, and media in ways we've never seen before; they want to interact with it. That level of sophistication has given rise to a 'You' movement that hospitals, we believe, must embrace."
Being patient-focused was important for Rush-Copley, but that hadn't been reflected in their marketing. To change that, the organization thought about healthcare from the patient perspective and devised a campaign strategy and message that asked, 'What Kind of Patient Would You Be?'
The various campaign elements, which focused on three different service lines using a multi-integrated approach, asked that question of consumers while pinpointing various emotions. One campaign piece starts with the question, "If you had a heart problem, what kind of patient would you be?" Copy accompanying an image of an older woman reads: "Surprised? Some people are surprised to learn of a heart problem." The ad goes on to describe what Rush-Copley can provide to educate patients and help them through their conditions.
What's distinctive about this strategy is that Rush-Copley is not only providing the consumer with a thought-provoking question to draw them in, they're also giving them a persona (with the imagery) and an emotional state within the campaign message that they can easily identify with.
"We worked to get into people's heads, because after all, choosing healthcare can be a very emotional decision," says Emily Calvo, a co-creative director on the campaign. "We used emotional states to acknowledge real feelings that the audience can relate to. Then we [showed] how Rush-Copley's services benefit each type of consumer."
Though the campaign is still running, current results show that the campaign has been well received leading to increased call volume, referrals, and Web traffic. The campaign message, as Zokan says, "embraces the very essence of consumerism in a simple, relatable, and effective way."
Kandace McLaughlin is an editor with HealthLeaders magazine. Send her Campaign Spotlight ideas at kmclaughlin@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.