Problem

According to Susan Snider, Marketing and Public Relations Manager for AP&S Clinic (now UAP Clinic), the clinic had historically been the market leader in providing clinic services and didn't have much of a need to market to the community. Yet as the clinic continued to grow and add services, it realized that many people didn't know what it offered. Compounding the clinic's marketing challenge was the fact that competition had come into the Wabash Valley. Health care is a growing business, because the area has an aging population. The clinic identified the need for an integrated marketing plan that would educate the community about the scope of services it offers.

Solution

AP&S Clinic sought assistance from MillerWhite Marketing to develop and implement a marketing plan through its MW Fusion® formula. MillerWhite performed a discovery phase to gather comprehensive information about the clinic. It then recommended audits and additional research and performed an online survey to gauge the audiences' perception of the clinic. Discover and survey results were used to develop the marketing plan.

The community perception survey found that although Associated Physicians & Surgeons Clinic had been the official name for more than 90 years, most people condensed the name to AP&S Clinic. The plan recommended re-branding the clinic using that name, a new visual identity and a tagline. The tagline chosen was ‘Personal. Comprehensive. Innovative.' based on the clinic's focus on offering a personal touch in health care, its comprehensive services, and the cutting-edge technology it makes available to the Wabash Valley.

After re-launch of the name and branding AP&S and MillerWhite started working through the integrated marketing plan's recommended tactics, which included reinventing the web site, which hadn't been updated in almost 10 years. Signage for the clinic's 13 locations was revised, and new letterhead and business cards were designed. Other recommendations included community engagement through public relations and association memberships and integrated campaigns for selected clinic services,

Results

Snider said the clinic had interviewed several marketing firms and was particularly impressed with MillerWhite because of the plan and the process that it brought and the fact that it incorporated the clinic's stakeholders. She said the results of the plan have been “wonderful,” and added, “The reaction that I have received from the community has been overwhelming. I've had lots of community leaders come up to me and tell me that the spots are well done, that the billboards are beautiful – not only how nicely it was produced, but they're also learning more about AP&S Clinic. They didn't realize the breadth of services that we offered, and that truly was the point of the re-brand.”