In a competitive marketplace, a creative marketing campaign is sometimes the deciding factor for patients choosing where to go for healthcare. The question is, what makes a campaign good enough to win hearts?
Photo: Phillip Mckeown
At CPM, our creative team has over 20 designers, writers, production artists and even a videographer who work daily on healthcare campaigns. Last week, the whole crew took an inspiration-themed trip to the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Harley Davidson Museum, where they participated in a program on “Engaging the customer in your brand.”
A day trip in “understanding”
Understanding the audience is a mantra that Harley Davidson lives and breathes. Not only do its employees continuously improve products based on customers’ needs, they connect with real customers to understand them better. One entire wall of their museum is dedicated to pictures of real Harley riders on the road dating back to the first models created.
Ruth Crowley, former VP, GMM, for Harley Davidson, once said:
Harley-Davidson is a person in disguise. Harley-Davidson appeals to you as an individual, appeals to your need for escape and adventure. The whole spirit is the ability to take that individuality to customization.
A solid healthcare marketing campaign incorporates this same understanding. When our creatives begin work on a campaign, for example, they know who they’re speaking to — the demographic, the health risks and even how the person approaches their health. They version the campaign by individual, creating copy and visuals that not only inform, they resonate.
“Keeping the end user in mind is something Harley has always done,” says Brooke Dovenbarger, our creative director. “In healthcare marketing, we try to form an understanding. We start by asking ‘Why would someone come to the hospital? What would motivate them to improve their health?’”
Do you agree that understanding is a key component of healthcare marketing? What else do you think is vital to crafting a message that resonates?
