University Hospital, in the midst of a sleepy advertising in Syracuse, N.Y. market, shook things up with an ad campaign that made them competitive with out-of-state hospitals. As the region's only Level I trauma center, the hospital was seeing their patient-base go to other nearby markets like Boston and Manhattan for specialty services like cancer treatment and complex pediatric care.
To combat this image, the healthcare agency launched a strategic image campaign in March 1996 that relied on broadcast primarily and collateral print. The $850,000 campaign made a huge splash in a market where hospitals don't really advertise, said Melanie Rich, University Hospital's director of marketing, communications and PR.
The two phases of the campaign started with ads that gave the hospital physicians a compassionate, attentive demeanor. The second phase (now running), focuses on satisfied patient testimonials. "The underlying theme of all the media is choosing University Hospital is the right thing to do for emergency purposes and everyday situations," said Mary Zokan, account manager at Western Springs, Ill.-based Storandt, Pann, Margolis, the hospital's advertising agency.
Rich says activity on their consumer hotline number has increased steadily since the campaign's inception. Total ad awareness doubled after the initial phase of the campaign, according to a study conducted by the agency. (Storandt, Pann, Margolis, 708/246-7700; University Hosp., 315/464-6545)