To reach the insured gay and lesbian community in Los Angeles with preventive healthcare services, the Lambda Medical Group developed a compelling campaign integrating managed care marketing, advertising, direct mail and public relations. With a marketing budget of $219,200, the campaign depended heavily on market research, targeted messages to managed care organizations and employers, and discretion.
LMG sought to position itself as a place for gays and lesbians to seek routine preventive care - not just HIV services. It also furthers the mission of the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center as a wellness-oriented advocacy organization.
As the first of its kind in the market, the clinic had to promote its services with discretion and sensitivity. To that end, the clinic hired Berbay Corp. to conduct extensive market research into healthcare attitudes of this demographic. The research shaped LMG's brand development, managed care marketing and advertising/PR efforts.
The name Lambda, for instance, is a well-known term in the gay and lesbian communities, but not easily identifiable outside of this community. It was important for those who use the center to avoid writing "gay or lesbian" on insurance forms.
To target managed care organizations, LMG positioned itself through open houses and joint marketing events as a necessary health plan addition. Local employers were also made aware of the clinic through wellness lectures, onsite screenings and sponsorships.
Targeted print advertising schedules reached the gay and lesbian community throughout the campaign in newspapers and magazines like LA Weekly, Lesbian News, Frontiers Magazine and the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center Newsletter. Gray Advertising developed the advertising materials.
The clinic's concept generated extensive media coverage in the national and local gay and lesbian press as well as with national and local TV news outlets, major dailies and weeklies.
So far, the clinic has carved out a strong niche for its services. It has secured 20 HMO contracts and taken on 734 patients, 70 percent of whom are insured, according to Keith Waterbrook, LMG's director of health services. At the current growth rate, LMG expects 1,800 new patient by the end of the year, 300 more than expected, and anticipates that its insured ratio will increase to 80 percent.
The Lambda Team
Keith Waterbrook, director of health services (Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center); Jim Key, former director of communications (Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center); Sharon Berman, principal (Berbay Corp.); Cindy Crici, marketing consultant (Berbay Corp.); Reagan Gray, executive VP (Johnson Gray Advertising); Daniella Gasaway, account supervisor (Johnson Gray Advertising)