About one in three women will suffer from pelvic floor disorder in their lifetime, but many are unaware of treatment options and simply put up with the problem.
As the University of Chicago (UChicago) continues to expand its specialty women’s health clinic and build new outpatient centers to make complex pelvic health care services more widely available, the organization turned to Unlock Health to launch a mixed media awareness campaign.
The campaign needed to grow awareness of and drive preference for UChicago Medicine’s (UCM) Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery services, which many women may need but do not seek out, as they are used to “dealing” with pelvic floor issues as a fact of life.
UChicago Medicine was historically known for being a Southside hospital, and there is very little awareness of any locations and services offered outside of the main location.
Therefore, the campaign would also need to promote the new location opening, emphasizing that women’s health services, and specifically, urogynecology services from UChicago Medicine are now offered in the northern suburbs.
The campaign to promote a new northern suburban location began in early 2023, with research and planning kicking off in January. By February 2023, the creative execution was set into motion, focusing on building awareness for the services that would soon be available.
The target demographic was identified by meeting with doctors to determine which pelvic floor disorders were most prevalent among patients in this region. This collaborative approach ensured that the campaign addressed the specific needs and challenges faced by potential patients, especially women.
Research revealed a significant lack of awareness and stigma surrounding pelvic floor disorders, so the messaging strategy was designed to raise awareness, educate, and reduce stigma. The goal was to remind women that they have options and to keep the conversation about pelvic health going.
Digital channels, particularly Meta (formerly Facebook), were chosen for their cost efficiency and ability to target specific North Suburban communities where the new location was opening. The campaign ran in a two-phase approach, with a larger, high-spend campaign in June generating substantial initial awareness and a more sustainable, cost-effective follow-up.
Challenges arose in balancing high-impact results with budget, but the team adapted by reducing spending while still achieving a meaningful volume of clicks and conversions.
What made the campaign unique was its focus on providing valuable health information in a compassionate and engaging way, addressing both social and emotional needs, with real stories of patients treated at UChicago Medicine fueling engagement.
Two key campaign phases were divided into a pre- and post-location opening push.
The two-phase campaign used a multichannel-platform approach to effectively to build awareness pre-launch and drive appointment bookings post-launch. The first phase, with high media spend, maximized the clinic’s visibility in a short time, creating a sprint of awareness that was critical for the new location's introduction. The second phase used a more sustainable budget while still maintaining a strong presence across media outlets, leading to optimized click-through rates and cost efficiency.
In the 16 months since the campaign has been live (May 2023-Present), it has driven nearly 2,275 appointments. Approximately, 37.5M impressions have been served in the market to-date, including:
Additionally, three Meta campaigns ran in spring and fall flights, generating a total of 34,917 link clicks.
By integrating multiple touchpoints (print, OOH, and audio) in the key suburban markets, the campaign met its goals of engaging the community, addressing awareness gaps, and promoting the new location in an impactful and cost-effective manner.
