Baby Shower Event Celebrates Unique Parenting Service
When Helix Health Women's Services in Baltimore learned last summer that a major competitor would soon be launching a doula program, its marketing team and agency raced into fifth gear to be the first in the market to offer this unique parent-advocacy service. "Doula" is an ancient Greek term for someone who is professionally trained to provide labor support and postpartum care to new parents, including newborn care, breast-feeding and cooking.
Helix's agency, Eisner, Petrou & Associates (EP&A), had three weeks to plan and execute a major kickoff event for its "Free Labor Doula for a Year" program. While it's not always ideal to work under such tight deadline pressures, the campaign demonstrates that when time is of the essence, a well-thought out action plan alleviates obstacles and achieves objectives.
EP&A, known for developing creative event-driven campaigns, quickly brainstormed and executed a "baby shower" event that attracted more than 2,000 people and resulted in 200 moms requesting more information about the program.
Its action plan involved developing a hit list of time-sensitive opportunities and using agency resources to negotiate competitive venue and production pricing, corporate partnerships and community outreach, says MaryBeth Morsberger, EP&A's VP account supervisor.
In April, this campaign earned an honorable mention for Best Campaign from Healthcare PR & Marketing News, a sister publication of PR NEWS.
Corporate Buy-in
For the baby shower theme to work, it had to be well-promoted and held in a family-friendly venue that could be secured under short notice, says Morsberger. The obvious choice was White Marsh Mall, an upscale mall with several family-oriented stores and a huge merry-go-round.
EP&A's team negotiated a promotional partnership with the mall's management that included placing invitations in family-pack coupon booklets and putting posters up throughout the mall.
Although there wasn't much time to line up a long list of corporate sponsors, the agency landed strategic partnerships with top radio station WMIX and Babies "R" Us. Helix tagged a previously purchased radio campaign with baby shower announcements, and a radio station personality pre-promoted and emceed the event. Although Babies "R" Us couldn't donate the $1,000 in raffle items needed, it agreed to sponsor two popular games at the shower - the "Diaper Changing Challenge" and the "Build the Baby Crib Contest."
These promotional partnerships, coupled with an aggressive direct mail campaign of 40,000 pieces, blanketed the women's market and helped to achieve attendance figures that far exceeded expectations. (EP&A anticipated 500 parents would attend, instead 2,000 came.)
Fun & Games
Part of what makes baby showers so appealing are the games. EP&A initially developed 10 games but had to narrow the list to three popular games (because of space issues) and a raffle drawing for a trip to Walt Disney World. The games and raffle motivated people to stay for the duration of the event, says Morsberger. Husbands, wives, expectant moms and grandmothers all competed against each other to powder and change dolls and guess nursery rhymes. This fun-and-games environment was an ideal way to educate attendees about Helix's doula program.
A Helix Health doula spoke to the audience about the importance of parent advocacy and the "birthing team" approach that Helix patients can receive. Attendees who wanted more information about the doula program could indicate their interest on registration forms required to participate in the raffle and games.
It was important to explain the doula concept at the venue instead of in the marketing materials because the parenting service was so new and required a presentation-style definition by an actual doula, says Morseberger.
The shower theme also played well with the media. EP&A compiled a hit list of nine top reporters and sent them media teaser packets a week prior to the event.
The teaser was a small diaper bag filled with important items a new mother needs, like diapers, a bottle and pacifier. The accompanying card read "Dear Friend: This bag contains everything an expectant parent needs.except for one very important element that wouldn't fit."
The card did not include a phone number, which added to the intrigue. A few days before the event, these reporters were called and invited to the event.
Then on the day of the shower, each targeted reporter received a press packet attached to a baby shower cookie bouquet.
This creative media invitation yielded primarily broadcast coverage from the top TV stations on the day of the event.
(EP&A, MaryBeth Morsberger, 410/843-3091; Helix Health, Michelle Oseroff,410/847-1557)
Helix Campaign Results
At a budget of $140,000, the well-coordinated baby shower effort for Helix accomplished two key goals:
- The event attracted a diverse group of people to learn about the new parenting service that Helix was the first in the market to offer (soon after, the Greater Baltimore Medical Center launched a similar program.)
- The promotion also helped to position Helix as a major player in the women's services market. Prior to this event, Helix was not considered a top women's health contender.