Children’s Hospital Campaign for New Clinic Leads to Public Relations Bounty
// By Lisa D. Ellis //
In today’s hectic world, it’s the little things that matter, especially when it comes to making life a bit more convenient. And when this convenience brings tangible benefits to families with young kids, including those with chronic medical needs, it can be enough to spark a compelling public relations angle that has real traction.
At least that was the case for Children’s Hospital New Orleans in Covington, Louisiana. The health system created a simple campaign publicizing the opening of its first new suburban-based clinic, and was able to demonstrate the very real benefit the new location would bring to residents. As a result, media relations around the opening of Children’s Hospital New Orleans’ new clinic were quite effective, significantly exceeding its targets in engaging the media and drawing local residents in to access services. The campaign also was recognized by the eHealthcare Leadership Awards for its success.
Building on a Common Angle
Brittany Cruickshank, account executive and associate supervisor at Deveney
“It is not huge news to have a clinic open, but because the children’s hospital is such a special place, people have very fond feelings toward the brand, and this made a big difference,” explains Brittany Cruickshank, account executive and associate supervisor at Deveney, the agency that worked on this campaign with the hospital. The campaign strategy was to find a strong hook to get the media to tout the concept of bringing the hospital’s highly rated services to the suburbs so everyone would know about this event and be able to take advantage of the new location.
Need for a Northshore Location
To fully understand the importance of creating the new clinic location, you have to be familiar with the landscape, Cruickshank says. She points out that the main Children’s Hospital of New Orleans facility is in the heart of the city, and this is where all of the primary and acute care services are accessed. Yet many of the families served live north of New Orleans, across Lake Pontchartrain. The drive from Northshore into New Orleans crosses the longest straight bridge over water in the world. This translates into close to an hour’s drive into the city for routine visits, tests, and acute-care needs. For kids with chronic health problems, the long drive was just an expected part of their regular routine.