Case Study for Health Care
HEALTHCARE CHALLENGE:
Reach Influential Audiences with New Policy Proposal
In 2008, four well-known former elected officials came together to create a report that offered bipartisan solutions to the healthcare crisis, intended to provide a realistic blueprint for Congress. The report was officially issued at a press conference on June 17, 2009. Garnering attention for a proposal on healthcare was a particular challenge in a year when Congress, voters, and the media were inundated with recommendations from a broad swath of stakeholders. The goal was to obtain extensive media coverage of the report, and to reach the appropriate policymakers, stakeholder groups, and consumers through that coverage. We also had to drive attendance and create buzz about the event itself.
VOX Solution:
Implement Sustained Media Campaign to Reach National Voices
VOX developed a communications strategy centered on reaching the most influential national voices on health care reform with a sustained campaign that focused both on the organization’s leaders themselves and on their proposals. We supported our national, targeted efforts with a strategic local and online media campaign, using online media to drive interest and awareness of both the launch press conference and the report. To garner as much coverage as possible, our campaign capitalized on the vast combined experience and knowledge of the organization’s leaders, their high visibility with Beltway and political audiences, and the unique bipartisan nature of the recommendations.
- Message Summit: To ensure that all participants were using consistent messages to speak about the report, VOX performed an analysis of strengths, opportunities, weaknesses, and threats, and created a consistent message platform that formed the foundation of media outreach and public efforts.
- National Media Outreach: VOX coordinated efforts with our internal team and a variety of outside consultants to reach key national voices on healthcare reform at The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and other outlets.
- Targeted Local and Regional Media Outreach: VOX supported its national outreach with a targeted local and regional media campaign, intended to garner coverage in the organization leaders’ districts and home states and other key target areas.
- Online and Print Advertising: VOX provided guidance and strategic input on advertising to extend the visibility of the project on Capitol Hill and inside the Beltway. We used Google ad words and banner advertising to reach key online audiences, as well as print advertising in key Beltway publications to extend awareness of the report and the organization.
- Online Video Development: To further extend the campaign’s online reach, VOX worked to leverage a video created for the project by our fellow consultants at GMMB, using it in all media communications with a particular focus on online and blogger audiences.
- Event Coordination: VOX provided guidance and coordination for the logistics and details of the event itself, and provided on-the-ground support on the day of the press conference.
- Media Analysis: Following the launch of the proposal, VOX performed a timely, comprehensive and quantitative analysis of all media coverage that had resulted for the report, the organization and its leaders.
RESULTS
251 print and online outlets covered the launch of the report.
24,385,057 cumulative television viewers saw coverage of the report.
$1,015,216 in publicity value was the equivalent of the earned media coverage.
33,806,024 people saw mentions of the report in national print and Beltway publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Politico, Roll Call, National Journal, CongressDaily, and The Huffington Post.
