2007 Best Integrated Marketing Campaign
When Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital (AGSH) became the first hospital in the northwest suburbs of Chicago to open a comprehensive cardiac facility in 2004, it brought much needed tertiary heart care to the residents of Lake and McHenry counties. Initially, the program enjoyed strong market share and growth, the hospital reports. But then, in 2006, a competitor in one of the hospital’s strategic growth markets announced plans to establish an open heart program.
The hospital’s leadership team knew it was about to face some serious competition for heart care services. Research indicated consumers were looking for a hospital with significant experience related to heart disease, the latest technological advances, and the best outcomes for major cardiac procedures. The key goal of the campaign was to send the message to members of McHenry County that AGSH is the best option for cardiac care in the northwest suburbs.
The campaign aimed to aggressively position the center as the first choice for local cardiac care and raise awareness of the center to block the competition’s efforts. The strategy was to build on the hospital’s greatest strengths–the experience of its physicians and the volume of procedures performed each year-and emphasize its advantages over the competition: more comprehensive capabilities overall and more advanced cardiac services offerings.
Market research showed positive response from the community and an increase in overall hospital preference both in its core and peripheral markets. In addition, consumer opinions about AGSH for heart treatment showed a significant jump in preference for emergency heart treatment and preplanned heart treatment, and the perception that it has the most modern equipment and technology and is best at treating heart disease.
The judges praised the campaign’s “memorable” red T-shirts, but were impressed with other aspects of the effort, as well. “It was an excellent concept that was effectively delivered. The entire campaign had a great sense of continuity, a clear message delivered well, and good execution of multiple elements,” said one.
What really clinched the judges’ decision to call this the best integrated campaign wasn’t just the great creative–which included TV, print, outdoor, radio, online, events, and viral components- but the fact that the effort was research- and strategy-driven. Members of the team saw a problem, researched the market, developed a solution, and then tested their results to show that it worked
-Gienna Shaw, excerpted from Hospital Campaigns That Work, 2007 ed.
