A New Advertising Twist: What the Patients Do for Us

Joshua Cowan, vice president for strategy and communications, Adventist Health

“[A]s part of an ongoing rebranding effort, Adventist Health in Roseville, California has found a powerful technique for getting across a message of caring,” writes SHCM contributor and veteran copywriter Peter Hochstein.

“Notably, the subject of the advertising is neither the hospital, nor the technology, nor what the doctors and staff do for the patients. Instead, it’s about what the patients do for the doctors and staff.”

Here’s an excerpt from Hochstein’s new article:

The magic of the Adventist Health campaign, created by BPD, the Brown Parker & DeMarinis health care advertising agency of Boca Raton, Florida, is not only that the advertising makes frequent use of the word “you.” It’s also that the ads are all about how health care consumers impact the lives and spirit of the people working at Adventist Health.

For example, here’s the voice-over narration from one current 30-second TV spot:

We are on this earth for a reason. To see your life restored inspires and moves us. You’ve left a big impression on our hearts. To listen and to know you well improves us. We care about your health beyond your charts. You inspire us to do more than practice medicine. You inspire us to transform lives. Adventist Health. Together inspired.

So yes, the copy is all about “you” and “caring.” But it’s as different from most health care advertising as the line “I care about you” is from “You light up my life.”

And that’s just as it was intended, says Joshua Cowan, Adventist Health’s vice president for strategy and communications, who explains, “We wanted to reintroduce our brand in a way that explained why we do what we do, and not just what we do.”

Read the full article now: How Can You Get Potential Patients to Pay More Attention to Your Hospital’s Advertising? Try Telling Them What They Do for You

Best regards,
Matt Humphrey
President