Case study: campaign kicks off hospital effort to promote breast health
When North Memorial Medical Center wanted to take advantage of an opportunity they had to help sponsor a national breast health awareness campaign, they turned to GeigerBevolo. North Memorial had agreed to sponsor the Minneapolis Saks Fifth Avenue store as part of the Fashion Targets Breast Cancer program, a charitable initiative of the Council of Fashion Designers of America to help raise awareness of breast cancer via fashion retailers throughout the country. The marketing team at North Memorial felt the programâs goals of awareness and fund raising fit perfectly with the goals for their oncology services.
âWe routinely partner with other organizations for the good of the community, but this event was special because it was part of a national effort, yet served the community,â? said Marc Fredson, North Memorial marketing manager. âBy partnering with another leading corporate citizen like Saks Fifth Avenue, North Memorialâs voice had an even greater impact in raising awareness in our community.â
The campaign started with a full-page ad in a special breast health awareness section in Minneapolis/St. Paul magazine. The creative strategy behind the ad demonstrated North Memorialâs sensitive, caring attention to detail and reflected those moments in life that are often taken for granted until someone is struck with a life changing experience such as cancer. The headline – âWhen you have breast cancer, sometimes the little things matter mostâ? – and colorful image of a butterfly resting on a wildflower create a powerful image that anyone experiencing illness can relate to.
The creative strategy was then carried over to support North Memorialâs presence at Saksâ special four-day charity shopping event in late September. As part of the national effort, the Minneapolis Saks store donated two percent of all sales from its store to the Twin Cities Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. GeigerBevolo created impactful imagery that maximized North Memorialâs presence at the event, including a 12-foot central information display and 7-foot tall free-standing banners for the Saks store itself. Banners were also placed in Gaviidae Mall and in a street level window display promoting the event. The message was altered slightly on all materials to promote how the âlittle thingsâ? – like self-exams and mammograms – can make a big difference in detecting breast cancer early. The butterfly imagery was expanded to include a starfish and tulip, which appeared throughout the event graphics.
Finally, a breast health awareness kit was developed that included a self-examination shower card, reminder stickers for the calendar, a brochure with tips on early breast cancer detection and a guide to North Memorialâs breast health services. The kit was available at the informational display during the Saks event as well as in North Memorialâs atrium for a month following the event.
The Saksâ event raised more than $15,000 for the Twin Cities Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, and in the month following the campaign rollout, more than 4,000 kits had been distributed. North Memorialâs media relations representative, Wendy Jerde, says that she hears comments like âWow, this is the best marketing material North Memorial has ever put out,â? and âI donât know what to say – this is breathtakingly beautiful.â? The chairperson for the Twin Cities Race for the Cure, herself a breast cancer survivor, specifically sought out the North Memorial marketing team at the kick-off party at Saks Fifth Avenue to express her appreciation for the âon-target,â? âabsolutely gorgeousâ? kits and banners.
âGeigerBevolo is simply an amazing partner,â? says North Memorial marketing director Anthony Gardner. âThe hallmark of any great agency is the strength of its creative messages and visual imagery, and GeigerBevolo ranks with the best of them. Their messages are tight and targeted, and their visuals are strong and engaging.â