In a growing trend, hospitals and health systems across the country are increasingly pushing the emerging “Russian-nesting-doll” brand strategy. The opposite of a unified brand strategy – in which one name is used across the entire organization – the Russian-nesting-doll approach calls for using as many brand names as humanly possible.

Take the new Tyler T. Tylerton Center for Knuckle Replacement Surgery in Chicago, IL. The “TTT Center,” as system marketing lead Jonathan Sampson J. Johnson calls it, is part of the Mary Ginger Bone and Joint Institute, which is housed in the Western Southside Chicago Medical Center, which is part of the Prairie Meadows Health System, a wholly-owned subsidiary of PMS Health LLC. Read the full story »

At Circle J Medical Center, they are committed disciples of the old marketing axiom, “What’s in it for me?”

“Everyday we ask ourselves, in what new way can we talk about ourselves, call attention to ourselves, shine the spotlight on ourselves?” says senior market director Joseph Kool. “Truly, what is in it for us?”

The latest incarnation of the organization’s marketing strategy is a new ad campaign (see sample ad below) Read the full story »

“We want patients to know exactly how we can help them.”

With a new CEO and new physicians on staff, the leadership at Grassy Acres Gastrointestinal Center knew it was time to develop an updated corporate identity to help present its new face to the St. Louis market. While they decided to retain the clinic’s name, they wanted a fresh logo. But unlike the name – which was the inspiration of the former CEO’s ex-wife – they wanted a logo that clearly reflected their business. Read the full story »

Transparency is one of the hottest trends in healthcare right now. At Neptune Hospital, they’ve fully embraced transparency with a new advertising campaign titled “We’re really trying.” (See sample ad after story.) The 330-bed hospital has suffered from more than two decades of poor clinical care, awful customer service and horrible mismanagement. In 2002, an orthopedic surgeon performed knee joint replacement surgery on a patient’s shoulder. (The same error was repeated in 2004 and again in 2005 before the surgeon retired.) In 2006, the hospital opened a $20 million medical spa called “Facetastic” on land behind the hospital. Unfortunately, the land covered a deteriorating portion of the city’s sewer system, and the facility was closed and condemned one year later. The system constantly ranks in the lower percentiles of quality, safety and customer service in national studies. Obviously, it was time for a change. Read the full story »

In response to the worsening economy, healthcare advertising agency Stedman, Trust and Devinshire (STD), New York, has announced a new promotion for hospitals and health systems: free consulting for life.

“For new clients who sign up with us before July 1, we’re offering to work for free for the life of the relationship,” said STD president David Pogilvy. “The margins are low – hell, they’re zero. But tough times call for tough action.”

According to Pogilvy, the agency will provide new clients with free marketing, PR, advertising and communications work, without any costs, for as long as the client remains active. The move comes in response to the ongoing budget cuts at hospital marketing departments, which were followed by discounts on services and offers of free consulting by other advertising and marketing firms. Read the full story »

The couple who made hospital and health system advertising familiar to so many across America is calling it a day. Steve Madson, 74, and his wife, Sherry, 73, are the famous couple seen in so many hospital advertisements riding a tandem bike. They have graced billboards and newspaper ads in the healthcare world for more than three decades, but have decided to hang up the bike and retire.

“Good thing we weren’t actually riding all those times the picture was used,” joked Steve, a former barber. “We would have put a million miles on that bike!”

Steve and Sherry’s introduction into healthcare advertising began in 1973, when Steve’s brother, Brian, snapped a shot of the couple riding a tandem bike through Hyde Park in New York. Brian happened to work at a nearby hospital and brought the picture into work the following day, showing it around the department. Read the full story »