case study

Creighton University Medical Center: Repositioning a Health Care Icon

Situation
Founded in 1870, Omaha’s Saint Joseph Hospital has long been one of the most respected academic medical centers in the Midwest. This venerable institution, however, was beginning to lose market share, and market research studies confirmed what the new vice president of marketing, Chris Hyers, suspected––that a lack of marketing and public relations efforts over the years had eroded the public’s awareness of and preference for the organization. Meanwhile, other local hospitals had been advertising aggressively, and each had established a distinct position in the marketplace. Saint Joseph Hospital needed a fresh start.

Market research showed that Creighton University, with which Saint Joseph Hospital has long been affiliated, had a demonstrably positive image in the community. Additionally, the public was largely unaware of Saint Joseph’s position as the teaching hospital for Creighton University School of Medicine, as well as the historical connection between the hospital and the school.

Addressing the Situation
The strategic objective for the agency (Swanson Russell) and the client was to establish a new identity for Saint Joseph Hospital that communicated its high level of expertise in patient care, teaching and research, in addition to highlighting its relationship with Creighton University School of Medicine. The name had to (1) define the hospital as an academic medical center, (2) preserve its religious heritage, and (3) position it for the future. Many names were conceived and tested. Eventually, one was selected that met every criterion: Creighton University Medical Center.

With the new name in hand, work began on a re-branding campaign that had to communicate the new brand––and what it stood for––to a number of audiences effectively and economically. This would require a creative approach that was unique to the Omaha market, one that would break through the typical advertising clutter by stripping away the artificial gloss so prevalent in today’s health care marketing. Reel after reel of health care advertising from the Omaha and Lincoln metros, as well as from markets across the country, showed many of the same, tired creative elements (i.e., actors-as-doctors; effects-for-effects-sake post-production tinkering; slows-motion, slice-of-life shots of people walking in fields of flowers for no apparent reason, etc.)

The client and agency believed strongly that medicine––especially leading-edge academic medicine––is replete with real-life drama and, consequently, makes for inherently compelling creative that demonstrates real benefits to consumers. So we developed a creative approach that relied on the power of black-and-white documentary photography, featuring the real people and real drama of Creighton University Medical Center. Broadcast media was narrated by a nationally recognized and widely trusted film and television actor, whose unidentified voice resonates with the dignity and believability befitting a teaching hospital. Copy points focus on the distinct differences and benefits of academic medicine.

Once the creative approach was conceived, the media selection became part of the strategy. To create excitement and anticipation, the agency recommended that a print ad and outdoor board “teaser” campaign precede the launch of the new brand. This was executed using a dramatic, letterboxed black-and-white image of physicians and nurses in surgical garb. The image was left unsigned, both in outdoor and print ads, and each ran for a week prior to the unveiling of the new name. This approach proved successful, creating a “water-cooler buzz” in the community, with people (and local news media) intrigued by these mysterious, unidentified ads. The day Creighton University Medical Center announced its new name, the same images appeared in outdoor and in the Omaha World-Herald, this time with the new name and logo revealed.

For the client, the name change posed a few challenges. Many hospital employees had worked there for years, and there was concern that they might resist a new name replacing their beloved Saint Joseph Hospital. To win them over in advance of the public launch, the new name was announced and celebrated with an internal rollout on both the Saint Joseph Hospital and Creighton University campuses. A “Launch Box” designed to help employees understand the purpose of the name change was delivered to staffs and departments throughout the medical center. Essentially a “campaign-in-a-box,” it contained everything from posters to table tents, including background information, talking points, creative and strategic rationales and a preview of the consumer ad campaign materials.

After the teaser and employee campaigns had run their course, the new name was revealed to the press and the public at an organized media event. In addition, a 30-second radio brand-identity spot began airing on local stations. The radio spot featured the well-known celebrity voice talent succinctly explaining the new name in a powerful and dramatic read.

Achievements
The re-branding campaign has already made a difference in only seven months. In a recent awareness and preference study conducted by the hospital, more than 60 percent of respondents recognized that Saint Joseph Hospital changed its name, and more than 20 percent of respondents now feel more favorable towards the hospital because of the name change.

Short Description of the Organization
Creighton University Medical Center (CUMC) is one of the region’s premier academic medical centers and one of the largest health care providers in Nebraska. The organization includes Saint Joseph Hospital, a 400-bed acute care facility; Creighton University Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry and Pharmacy & Health Professions; and Creighton Family Healthcare, a network of nearly 300 faculty physicians who practice in clinic locations throughout Nebraska and Iowa. CUMC is known for its centers of excellence in trauma, cardiac care, neurology, surgery and high-risk pregnancy. Its trauma center is the oldest and busiest in the state, and the medical center offers the region’s only freestanding facility dedicated to cardiac care.