Osceola Regional Medical Center
OVERVIEW
The hospital was formerly part of a local group of nine hospitals that shared advertising, collateral designs, promotions and co-sponsorships. After many of the facilities were sold to competing healthcare systems, Osceola Regional needed an agency to develop a strategy to communicate with many different audiences for a variety of services.
MARKETING REQUIREMENTS
Osceola Regional asked Patterson/Bach to assist them in developing a comprehensive marketing communication plan including patient
information materials for the various departments within the hospital.
POSITIONING
The agency first recommended changing the hospital’s logo to communicate a fresh, new identity for a stand-alone facility. Next, a positioning statement for use on all the collateral materials was developed. The statement indicated the hospital’s commitment for customer service with the tag line, “How can we help you feel better?”
CREATIVE APPROACH
Patterson/Bach recommended a three-phase strategy to kick off the relationship.
Phase one consisted of a marketing audit: one-on-one interviews conducted by Patterson/Bach with the department heads to determine what was being used by each department to relay information to patients, the type of communication materials needed, and a basic content outline for each element. Upon completion of the interviewing process, Patterson/Bach developed an inventory of communication materials by department, a graphic theme for the communication elements, and the estimated financial requirements to develop and produce the recommended communication materials.
Phase three consisted of implementing the recommendations put forth
in the plan, including writing each department’s communications
elements, adapting the graphic treatment to each of the elements,
assuring uniform appearance within all the departments, producing
illustrations, planning and directing photography shoots, coordinating the
selection and purchase of the display equipment, managing the proofing of
the various elements by the department heads and Osceola Regional
management, acquiring final approvals, preparation of digital imagery for
printing, press proofing, and final delivery.
Print Ads
Phase two consisted of presenting these recommendations to each
department’s management team, as well as the hospital executive
committee, in the form of a marketing communication plan. The plan
included production requirements (illustrations and photography),
display/distribution recommendations, a suggested production schedule
and the financial resources required.
Phase three consisted of implementing the recommendations put forth
in the plan, including writing each department’s communications
elements, adapting the graphic treatment to each of the elements,
assuring uniform appearance within all the departments, producing
illustrations, planning and directing photography shoots, coordinating the
selection and purchase of the display equipment, managing the proofing of
the various elements by the department heads and Osceola Regional
management, acquiring final approvals, preparation of digital imagery for
printing, press proofing, and final delivery.
Since the completion of the plan in 2001, Patterson/Bach has developed
three distinct ad campaigns that have spotlighted the hospital’s major
departments, such as The Heart Institute, Osceola Imaging Center and The
Baby Place. Most recently, a campaign was created to promote the
hospital’s Consult-A-Nurse program, a free physician referral service
designed to help individuals find a primary care physician that will manage
their daily health and hopefully prevent emergency hospital visits.
EVALUATION
Since working with Patterson/Bach, Osceola Regional has established its
unique brand promise, as well as consistent graphics across all departments.
Since 2001, inpatient admissions have increased from 10,651 per year to
12,016 per year in 2005. Emergency room visits have skyrocketed from just
over 40,000 in 2001 to more than 61,000 in 2005 due in part to extensive
advertising. The hospital can now be considered a major player in South
Orange and Osceola Counties.
Billboards
