Memorial Hermann Health System (MHHS) is the largest not-for-profit health system in southeast Texas. With 17 hospitals, 8 Cancer Centers, 3 Heart & Vascular Institutes, and 27 sports medicine and rehabilitation centers in the region, MHHS was looking to grow awareness and differentiate its brand from regional competition.
The challenge that MHHS was facing was there are a plethora of great healthcare facilities in Houston for people to choose from. There was a high degree of awareness for all the brands, but none had really differentiated themselves in an impactful way.
MHHS was also looking to inspire its audience to connect with the Memorial Hermann brand through its brand positioning: Advancing Health. Personalizing Care.
The first thing Unlock Health did was study its target audience. Through consumer segmentation, focus group research and online polling of healthcare decisionmakers who live in the market, we found that consumers preferred communications focused on their needs versus those promoting the health system’s providers and services.
That meant the message needed to shift from “All About Memorial Hermann” to “All About Jennifer, the 38-year-old Houston resident, professional, and mom with a busy schedule.” It also meant changing consumers' perceptions of healthcare from the current, transactional, “a means to an end,” to one that conveyed Memorial Hermann is a partner in my care journey that enables me to live a healthier life.
It was important to Memorial Hermann that their message connected emotionally with the audience and conveyed the feeling that Memorial Hermann genuinely prioritized their well-being. This was something the online poll said Memorial Hermann did well, so it was important that the new messaging maintained this emotional connection.
This led to the creation of the “For You” campaign, a mixed-media campaign spanning TV, Radio, out-of-home (OOH), Print and Digital.
OOH placements were strategically located near Memorial Hermann campuses and locations to promote specific service lines. TV ads were placed on channels like Houston Life and Audacity to generate broad brand awareness across demographics. Print ads appeared in local publications such as the Houston Chronicle and Community Impact, targeting community awareness. To ensure a broad reach, digital display ads were also deployed programmatically across platforms like YouTube, Pandora, and Spotify.
To bring the campaign messaging to life, the visual strategy centered on using lifestyle photography to showcase people in moments of optimism and confidence – a symbol of how they feel about being treated at Memorial Hermann. The ads were designed with a white background to emphasize the subject and visually communicate the blend of advanced health and personalized care. The top half of the ads focused on human moments and personal outcomes. In contrast, the bottom half of the ads highlighted the rationale behind choosing Memorial Hermann, with strategically placed logos and calls to action.
The campaign aimed to increase brand awareness, differentiate Memorial Hermann from other health systems and improve consumer perception. Key results from the campaign include:
Brand research also showed increased perceptions of access, wellness, and patient prioritization.
