The Win
With growing competition from a wide array of physicians vying for the lucrative cosmetic surgery market, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) decided to launch an
aggressive logo campaign that promotes the association as the gold standard for cosmetic procedures. Last March, it selected Sturm Rosenberg King in Chicago to develop a national
consumer campaign that will educate the public about the benefits of going to a board-certified plastic surgeon for cosmetic and reconstructive surgery.
The $2 million campaign is scheduled to break in April and will use national print and cable. The campaign also will be customized to meet the marketing needs of local ASPS
members.
Main Competition
ASPS initially sent the RFP (request for proposal) to 20 agencies and then narrowed the selection to three agencies, which made presentations last March.
Pitch Team
Phil Adams, VP, creative director; Sy Chaba, media director; Rob Rosenberg, principal.
Assignment
ASPS was interested in finding an agency that could help the association aggressively promote its membership credentials. The advertising campaign it was using was generic and
didn't create a public insistence on board-certified plastic surgeons for cosmetic and reconstructive procedures.
When ASPS issued its RFP it was looking for a mid-size, Chicago-based agency that could create a national brand campaign which focused on the board- certified credentials of
ASPS' membership of 5,000 physicians. In addition, the campaign strategies had to be compelling enough to convince ASPS members to vote for an increase in membership dues to
expand the society's national advertising budget.
The new campaign represents a 100% budget increase from the last three years, says John O'Brien, ASPS' director of communications.
Presentation
SRK had four weeks to develop a pitching strategy. To gauge consumer attitudes about plastic surgery, SRK conducted man-on-the-street interviews.
These interviews served as the backdrop for the campaign recommendations that shaped the pitch.
SRK found that:
- there is minimal awareness of ASPS and how its members are uniquely qualified to perform plastic and reconstructive surgery;
- there is strong demand for plastic surgery procedures; and
- those interested in cosmetic surgery seek the services to make themselves feel better and not necessarily to impress others.
SRK highlighted excerpts from these interviews and presented three creative recommendations.
The presentation also suggested marketing strategies for ASPS members to customize the national campaign on the local level through the ASPS Web site at http://www.plasticsurgery.com.
Pitch Tips
To earn the confidence of physician-led associations, agencies must develop an understanding of the corporate culture. In the case of ASPS, plastic surgeons tend to be
extremely image-conscious.
To target that mindset, SRK's pitch focused on the range of creative opportunities ASPS should consider. The creative options ranged from progressive and contemporary
approaches to subtle, artistic executions.
SRK also avoided weighing down the presentation with technical marketing terms and complex market research data. The SRK team, instead, zeroed in on the campaign messages and
value-added benefits like the customized marketing materials. "We assumed they knew their own market; it was important to demonstrate our capabilities to learn more about their
market," says Rob Rosenberg.
O'Brien also underscores the importance of agencies responding to the specific requirements of the RFP. Several of the 30 agencies that responded to ASPS' RFP submitted
proposals for regional campaigns when it was clearly stated that a national campaign was needed.
There's also something to be said for keeping presentations short and sweet. The same day SRK made its 45-minute presentation to ASPS, the pitch team learned they won the
business.
Sturm Rosenberg King & Co.
Founded: 1981
Location:Chicago
Billings: $20 million
Focus: DTC advertising, consumer and professional marketing
Healthcare Clients:Care Alliance Health Services, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center
Phone: 312/943-1881
Web site: http://www.sturmads.com