Four Effective Healthcare Marketing Campaigns That Worked

By Sara Collins

The article today is a guest post from Sara Collins a writer and contributor to Nerd Wallet. Please enjoy.

Regards

Geoff

Healthcare providers are tasked with creating marketing campaigns that reach a wide range of people. Whether they’re specifically trying to get patients to choose their hospital or doctor’s office, or more focused on encouraging them to take action on a specific health issue, they need to find a way to really relate to people so they’ll take action.

Although the following four healthcare campaigns were created to serve very different purposes, they are similar in that they all delivered a very strong, effective message to the audience they were trying to reach.

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, “A Nation in Motion”

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons created the, “A Nation in Motion,” campaign to inspire people suffering from orthopaedic conditions to regain control of their lives, by visiting a specialist to have their condition treated. The AAOS wanted people to discover that proper orthopaedic care can help them to regain mobility, decrease the pain they’re feeling, and get back to life as usual. Patients were asked to complete the sentence, “because of my orthopaedic care, I can _____,” to give others a real-life example of the impact orthpaedic care can have on their lives.

More than 600 patients participated in this campaign. All of their stories were placed on the AAOS website to inspire others. This really had an effect on people, because they were able to see first hand that people just like them, who had previously been suffering from pain, were able to be treated and resume life as normal.

Carolina’s Healthcare System, “The Power of One”

Carolina’s Healthcare System operates on the idea that one can change everything, which is the theory behind their “The Power of One” marketing campaign. They wanted a way to explain that they are one integrated health system. The four key points in the campaign are “one for all,” “one breakthrough after another,” “working as one,” and “one on one. The “o” in the ONE icon includes Carolina’s blue tree of life logo, and some of the marketing materials contain a dandelion with seeds blowing in the wind, which a hospital spokesperson explained means many seeds originating from one bloom. This works because it’s catchy and it drives the point home that patients are treated as individual people, not just a number in the waiting room.

AltaMed Health Services, Telenova “Sin Vergüenza (Without Shame)” – World AIDS Day Campaign 2012-2013

The AltaMed Health Services ten episode web series, telenova “Sin Vergüenza (Without Shame)” is an innovative and interesting way to encourage people to get tested for HIV. Serving as the center of their 2012-13 World AIDS Day campaign, viewers were introduced to the Salazar Family, each member representing a different age group, sexual orientation, and marital status. Each person in the family was at risk of contracting HIV, and the video highlights the tough subject matter and how the family faced it with unconditional love and support for one another.

This marketing campaign was effective, because it was interesting. AltaMed Health Services found a way to get their message across to their target audience in a way they can relate to and actually want to listen and learn more about.

University of Colorado Health, “March MAN-ness,” Men’s Health Month

The University of Colorado Health created the “March MAN-ness” campaign to promote Men’s Health Month in a way that would actually interest them. Drawing its name from the NCAA’s March Madness basketball tournament, the purpose of the campaign was to highlight the importance of disease prevention and early detection for men. March MAN-ness event attendees were drawn in by being encouraged to wear sports attire, and the promise of fun manly events like sports trivia and the opportunity to win Colorado Eagles season tickets and signed jerseys. Even the serious panel discussions on primary care, oncology, cardiology, and urology were presented in a manly way — in the style of a sports press conference.

This event really worked because the University of Colorado health found a way to make health, which is a topic men often shy away from, fun. Elements like sports trivia, and the possibility of winning football tickets and jerseys served as an anchor to draw them into the event. Even the panel discussions, conducted press conference style, were organized in a way that really appealed to men.

The secret to creating an effective healthcare campaign is knowing exactly who your target audience is. After this has been established, you can work to create a message in a way that they’ll understand and be able to relate to.

The number of effective marketing ideas is only limited by a marketer’s imagination. Do you have your own innovative idea for a campaign? Which other healthcare campaigns have made an impact on you?

 Sara Collins is a writer for NerdWallet, a site that helps consumers find the best savings accounts.