Public health services suffer an image problem. Most people think of public health as "cheap healthcare" or services for low-income people.
But a new identity campaign in Seattle is looking to replace those perceptions with a more comprehensive - and accurate - image of the city's health department. First, a new, more memorable name: Public Health-Seattle & King County (the department used to be called the Seattle-King County Department of Public Health.). With this more consumer-friendly identity, the outdoor/transit campaign is laying the groundwork to educate Seattle residents about the breadth of services offered by the department, particularly for clinical and environmental services.
Phinney/Bischoff Design House in Seattle is the agency responsible for the health department's image overhaul. The campaign, which ran from April through the end of May, puts a different spin on public health offerings with general messages that highlight how the department keeps people healthy. Four major taglines were promoted on 280 buses and 50 billboards throughout Seattle:
- "Things that protect you: Seat Belts. Sunscreen. Public Health."
- "Things that are good for you: Clean Air. Leafy Greens. Public Health."
- "Things that you need: Toothbrush. Medic One. Public Health."
- "Things that make you feel better: High Fiber. Working Out. Public Health.
The cost for outdoor advertising was at least $45,000, according to Ben Leifer, the health de-partment's south region administrative coordinator, who says the initiative represents the department's most aggressive branding effort.
Despite the image as inexpensive healthcare, patients of the various preventive clinics and health facilities gave those services high marks for customer service, says Leanne Mumm Pardo, Phinney Bischoff's director of brand strategy. The major image problem? They were often unaware those services were part of the public health department. This perceptual schism is exactly what the campaign seeks to address with brand-building strategies - from raising general awareness about public health via the billboard campaign - to more specific marketing efforts in support of key services (the focus of the second phase of the campaign).
Although the health department's new name is easier for people to remember and grasp, its 1,500 employees gave the new name mixed reviews, says Leifer. To allay employee fears and concerns about the new name, Leifer says the department held several town meetings prior to the campaign launch that focused on how the effort will better promote access to public health and the importance of investing in sound marketing strategies. While these meetings didn't achieve total buy-in, they went a long way toward attracting key employee input and support.
(Phinney/Bischoff, Leanne Mumm Pardo, 206/322-3484, ext. 204; Public Health-Seattle & King County, Ben Leifer, 206/ 296-4678)