181% INCREASE IN CALLS DURING COVID
rapid response pivot in messaging strategy to address current market
When the pandemic of 2020 hit, Enterhealth’s mission of treating patients seeking recovery for drug and alcohol addiction was severely threatened. Many people needing treatment were afraid to leave their homes, and as hospitals were overrun with patients, lifesaving treatment was delayed or canceled. An essential business, Enterhealth couldn’t stop treatment, and The Point Group didn’t stop getting the message out through a variety of integrated media and public relations.
After reviewing the most recent VMS report on competitive spend, we saw that the competition was spending most of its budget on traditional media but very little emphasis toward the digital platform. Knowing that 80% of women, the family health care decision maker, search online first for a physician or research medical conditions, and with proven results that the cost per patient acquisition was much less than traditional channels, we set a robust digital strategy in place. Search engine marketing, social media advertising, digital advertising on a mix of sites where our target was known to spend time: health care, apparel, home interior, entertainment and food sites became part of surrounding our target with meaningful messages online.
We quickly shifted our brand strategy to more urgent, immediate, timely and appropriate given the media environment. But it was a challenge. Production crews weren’t able to work. Equipment couldn’t be rented. Travel was limited. And much needed in-person tours of Enterhealth facilities weren’t an option. In less than 72 hours, we evolved our integrated strategy and decided to feature Enterhealth’s CEO David Kniffen, Jr.
As alcohol sales exploded, he urged people seeking treatment to not go it alone and that we were helping to ease the burden of our first responders and healthcare heroes. Additionally, our creative, media, and public relations teams called on our media partners.
We were able to quickly get public service announcements from Scott Sams at KRLD news radio; and live broadcasts on Good Morning Texas with Jane McGarry interviewing our CEO and expert physicians.
And our digital and social teams quickly created a special COVID-19 landing page on the Enterhealth website featuring safety measures, video messages from the CEO, and a virtual video tour (filmed on our iPhones) so Enterhealth’s call center teams could personally direct callers to see the facilities online. The results were stellar. Since launching, the number of patients admitted increased 25%. And callers citing TV commercials as their primary motivator increased 350%.
Our next strategic steps include capturing stories from patients, family members, doctors and nurses. We are able to capture most remotely via Zoom interviews.
