Advertising Showcase: UNC Health Championship Campaign Drives Impact
Each month, the Strategic Health Care Marketing Advertising Showcase features a multimedia advertising campaign’s challenges, tactics, and outcomes, offering strategic and creative insights from some of the nation’s leading hospitals, health systems, and health-related organizations.
The UNC Health Championship golf tournament isn’t just about perfect swings and scenic fairways — it’s a game changer for health care across North Carolina.
Background
The UNC Health Championship presented by STITCH is a prominent Korn Ferry Tour (PGA Tour) event held annually in Raleigh, North Carolina. This exciting tournament showcases professional golf talent and brings together the community to raise funds for important health initiatives — like the new North Carolina Children’s, which is in the planning stages. As the event’s title sponsor, UNC Health leverages this platform to elevate its organizational brand.
Kerry Grace Heckle, executive director of corporate and community relations, UNC Health
Relocating the event to downtown Raleigh and an affiliation with the Korn Ferry Tour have allowed the tournament to grow significantly.
“What started as the Rex Hospital Open in 2005 evolved into the UNC Health Championship in 2023. We had to step up our marketing game and develop a renewed strategy to increase awareness and event attendance to maximize the donation back to UNC Health,” says Kerry Grace Heckle, executive director of corporate and community relations at UNC Health.
“Our team designed a campaign to generate growth by reaching past spectators and new audiences,” adds Heckle. “We utilized first-party data and advanced behavioral targeting methods to reach specific demographics and lookalike segments.”
Read on to discover how UNC Health’s omnichannel marketing campaign achieved and surpassed its goals through strategic thinking, innovative media tactics, and impactful creative executions.