Marketing Campaigns
Contact Lens Manufacturer "Focus" Targets Consumers
CIBA Vision Corp. (Duluth, Ga.) is taking to the airwaves to promote its "Bring Your Life Into Focus" campaign with a beefed up consumer advertising budget of $10 million to $15 million.
Using cable networks such as MTV, E!, Lifetime and other TV networks, CIBA Vision joins a host of healthcare companies that are stepping outside professional journal advertising to educate consumers directly.
"Consumer advertising dollars pay off when health product companies succeed in driving potential patients into health professionals' offices," said Dave Sanderson, CIBA's VP of marketing, North American optics.
The campaign, which was recently launched, aims to heighten consumer awareness of CIBA's "Focus" family of soft contact lenses and drive traffic to eye care practices nationwide. During the first two months of the campaign, the hotline has been jammed with thousands of callers, according to Sanderson.
In addition to the TV ads, the Focus campaign will target the 18-34 demo through radio, direct mail and magazines like Cosmopolitan, Essence and Glamour. (CIBA Vision, 404/476-3937)
Insurer Covers More Than 200,000 Through Government Marketing Programs
Targeting seniors, lower-income people and medical assistance recipients, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (BCBSM-St. Paul) reached a marketing milestone of signing up 200,000 members by July 1. BCBSM's government programs include Medicare supplement and risk products for seniors, Prepaid Medical Assistance Program (PMAP) for welfare recipients and MinnesotaCare products, the state-subsidized healthcare program for low-income adults.
MinnesotaCare saw the largest enrollment boost of 962%, from 5,563 members in July 1, 1996, to 53,534 members July 1, 1997.
These programs are receiving heightened attention because they have given numerous people access to a primary care physician for the first time, as opposed to relying on hospital-based emergency facilities for routine healthcare services. (BCBSM, 612/456-1502)
Community Outreach
Spelling Productions Donates Sets for "Out of the Closet" AIDS Benefit
Aaron Spelling Productions, (Hollywood, Calif.) producer of popular shows like "Melrose Place," "Beverly Hills 90210," "Dynasty" and "Charlie's Angels," has donated more than $100,000 worth of set dressings and furniture from its recent "Pacific Palisades" drama to the AIDS Healthcare Foundation's (AHF) "Out of the Closet" thrift store chains in Los Angeles.
Since Fox TV Network was not renewing the drama for its fall lineup, Spelling Productions decided to cease production and donate to the Foundation the set pieces that included merchandise from contemporary retailers like IKEA and Baldwin Brass.
Previous entertainment industry donations to "Out of the Closet" have been made by the Max Factor estate and Ellen DeGeneres.
More than 5,000 Greater Los Angeles patients are served by AHF, regardless of ability to pay, through: four out-of-patient healthcare centers, two residential facilities, the WomensCare Center; Positive Healthcare, the nation's first AIDS-specific managed care program, and AHF's Research and Pharmacy Divisions. (AHF, 213/462-2273)
'Web Fishing' Game to Benefit Children's Hospital
Internet surfers can go "Web fishing" in an innovative charity game to benefit Children's Hospital of Boston. The game is developed by ObjectSoft (Hackensack, N.J.), C-Systems (Concord, Mass.) and Microsoft Corp. in cooperation with Hewlett Packard to benefit Children's Hospital of Boston as a public service to the hospital.
At the Web fishing hole (http://www.childshope.org) surfers can use their credit card to make a $50 to $4,750 contribution to the hospital. Then to reel in the big one, they can use their mouse to cast their fishing lines.
The Web anglers who catch the largest fish will receive software from Microsoft and jewelry gift certificates from Boston's Seider's Jewelers. In total, 40 prizes will be awarded worth more than $3,500.
Believed to be the first online game of its kind, developers are looking to the promotion to measure the Internet's potential for hospital fundraising. ObjectSoft, C-Systems and Microsoft developed Web pages for the Children's Hospital of Boston last Christmas and see the Web fishing component as a compelling way to attract more hits to the page.
(Pat Smith of Rubenstein & Assoc., Inc. for ObjectSoft, 212/843-8026)
Custom Publishing
New Magazine Will Target Breast Cancer Sufferers
This September, POZ Publishing (New York) will launch MAMM, a bimonthly magazine that will target women impacted by breast, ovarian and other women's cancers.
Expected to have a circulation of 70,000, MAMM will be sold on newsstands ($2.95) nationwide and distributed free at clinics, physician's offices, community-based organizations, government and social service agencies.
The editorial will cover a broad spectrum of contemporary living issues for women and breast cancer, featuring survivor profiles, career topics, relationship advice and fashion spreads. MAMM's editorial and advisory contributors include: respected medical writer Eilleen Stukane; author of "My Breast" Joyce Wadler; Vanity Fair contributor Amy Pagnozzi; InStyle's fashion editor-at-large Hal Rubenstein and Pulitzer Prize winner Anne Quindlen.
POZ Publishing also publishes a magazine for men and women with HIV (POZ) and a Spanish magazine for a similar audience (POA en Espanol).
(POZ Publishing, 212/554-4107)