Media Event Planning
Situation: Lakeshore Bone & Joint Institute (LBJI), an orthopedic clinic, had just completed a new, state-of-the-art medical facility that would serve as the primary clinic for their growing practice. They needed a way to raise awareness of their new location and growing list of services amongst both referring doctors and the community at large. This move also correlated with a name change, from Valparaiso Orthopedic to Lakeshore Bone & Joint Institute, and the publicity needed to be geared towards strengthening this new brand identity.
Response: We organized a Grand Opening Weekend featuring a “VIP Open House/Media Briefing” for referring doctors and the press on Friday evening, and a Community Open House for the general public the following day. The Community Open House was held concurrent to a series of free health seminars, given by the doctors of LBJI, also open to the public. Along with our valued partners at Fusion Design we utilized Public Relations, radio spots, newspaper ads and a very original VIP invitation to generate knowledge and excitement about this event.
Rationale: Instead of trying to cater to two very different publics at the same event, this two-day format allowed us to specifically target each group. Referring doctors received personalized attention and information about the facilities and its staff of doctors and nurses while community members were educated regarding how LBJI could benefit them.
Results: Over 400 doctors and their spouses attended the VIP event, and In just over a month we received $33,132 worth of local and national media coverage, with features running both in local newspapers and national medical magazines. The formal, Friday night VIP event provided a time for orthopedic surgeons and referring doctors to mingle and take informal tours of the new facility. The following day, over 300 community members were taken on guided tours, given information about the clinic and were given the chance to win various door prizes.
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