[30 Dec 2009 | No Comment | 401 views]
“That’s what she said” campaign garners unexpected national attention

Waynesville Health was shocked at a sudden surge in web traffic and social media mentions after the launch of their latest patient testimonial campaign titled: “That’s What She Said.”

Waynesville Health director of marketing, Garth Sanders, remarked, “We know for a fact that reaching women is critical to the success of almost any healthcare marketing campaign. They wear the pants, so to speak, when it comes to making healthcare decisions. We needed a campaign that not only spoke to women, but was spoken by women. After a month of brainstorming we came up with ‘That’s what she said,’ a campaign that focuses on testimonials from women who’ve experienced the compassionate care of our hospital and clinics.” Read the full story »

Social Media, Trends »

[9 Jul 2009 | One Comment | 268 views]
Embracing Facebook, Pantaloon Hospital announces results: “they are the color beige.”

Following the implementation of a new Facebook strategy, Pantaloon Hospital’s CEO Terry Becker held a press conference Thursday to announce the hospital has determined that it, according to a popular online quiz, is the color beige.

“We’ve jumped head first into social media, and what we’ve learned through Facebook is truly eye opening,” said Becker. “Following the completion of the ‘What color are you?’ quiz, the result of ‘beige’ gives us tremendous insight into how to engage our community, and we’re acting immediately on that information.” Read the full story »

Advertising, Marketing »

[5 Jun 2009 | One Comment | 506 views]
Heart surgeon and marketer agree to switch roles for a day

A routine business meeting at Evergreen Hospital ended with the vice president of marketing agreeing to perform heart surgery. The move followed a heated discussion on the merits of a marketing tactic suggested by a heart surgeon.

Janet Nolan, MD, a cardiovascular surgeon, was advocating for printing advertising on java jackets (coffee cup wraps) to help address a persistent lag in cardiology consults.

“Everyone drinks coffee, and many will eventually require cardiovascular intervention,” said Dr. Nolan. “And think of all the caffeine-induced arrhythmias we’d be in front of. The strategy is so obvious it makes you question the intelligence of our marketing staff.” Read the full story »

Trends »

[1 Jun 2009 | No Comment | 201 views]
Topless car washes trigger senate investigation of community benefit reporting

The Senate Finance Committee will continue its investigation into abuses in community benefit reporting after a hospital in California accounted for $347 in topless car washes. The 2008 Community Benefit Report for SunSpot Hospital in Fresno, CA lists the benefit under its “Self-help program” category, along with its smoking cessation classes and anger management programs.

In a tweet this weekend, Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa, the top-ranking Republican on the committee, commented: “Hosps having topless car wshs I get, but $347? That seems like a stretch #welovechuck.” Read the full story »

Advertising, Social Media »

[29 May 2009 | No Comment | 395 views]
Ad Kudos of the Week: Hospital introduces Billboards 2.0

The marketing department at General Hospital has developed a new approach they call “Billboards 2.0.” They developed the strategy after reviewing search terms people used to find the General Hospital website. When they discovered that visitors were using very specific terms, they realized it could help them target their billboard messages. Read the full story »

Business »

[20 May 2009 | One Comment | 129 views]
Feds tout healthcare stimulus: $5 billion for magic beans

In a move aimed at supporting long-awaited reform of the U.S. healthcare system, the Obama administration announced a federal infusion of $5 billion for the implementation of magic beans at hospitals across the country. The statement induced applause from advocates and warnings from critics.

“The use of magic beans by hospitals will improve quality while saving trillions of healthcare dollars over the coming years,” said Mark Keepitt, chair of the Certification Commission for Healthcare Magical Bean Systems, the independent agency charged by the government with approving adoption of magical solutions. “Magic beans really will solve all of our healthcare ills. Not to mention, they will improve our ability to grow giant bean stalks.” Read the full story »