Junto ("june-toe") is sponsored by Franklin Street, a branding and full service advertising agency specializing in health and wellness. We call the blog Junto in homage to Benjamin Franklin, who created the first "Junto" brainstorming group, which established the first American public hospital.
Our president, Will Flynn, was recently featured in a documentary on graphic design in Richmond, which directed by a VCU student, Jamie Bourne, along with Bekky Rage and Rachel Kim. Will is a VCU graphic design alum (Go Rams!), has taught at VCU, and regularly speaks to students about the communications, healthcare, and design industries.
In the documentary, Will talks about the importance of specialization: that by becoming an expert, it allows more freedom of exploration – both in design and the strategy that informs the design. Will is an advocate for specialization of your craft, whether it is design, law, or accounting. Franklin Street is a strategic marketing firm with deep expertise in the health and wellness industries. We help hospital systems, biotech firms and other health organizations overcome complex brand challenges and identify new revenue opportunities.
One of the great ironies about creativity is the freedom that comes from the discipline of focus and specialization. This is true in two different ways. First, by choosing to narrow your palette and work within a medium like oils or a form like a print advertisement, you free your creativity to expand to fill your vessel. In other words, your brain won’t toy with a sonnet when you’ve committed to a haiku.
Second, by choosing to specialize, you accrue knowledge that builds upon itself and drives inspiration, insightful strategy, and produces work that has few equals. That knowledge base you cultivate positions you as a sought-out expert – and those who seek to work with you are most likely to listen to you and abide by your expertise, which provides you even more fruitful knowledge.
We are honored to be a part of this project along with our Richmond design and advertising colleagues. A special shout out to the other firms featured in the documentary: J H I, riggs ward, and 1717 Design Group.
Take a moment to think about the following brands: Nike, Apple, Coca-Cola, Exxon, McDonald’s. What do they all have in common besides giant war chests, near-global ubiquity and a preference for questionable business practices?
Consistency. There’s a very good reason why every Apple retail store looks exactlythesame, or why every McDonald’s bag faithfully adheres to the red and yelow color scheme. True, consistency can be boring and predictable, but it also works. It preys on our collective need for familiarity, creating a simple set of symbols for complex associations.
By keeping your brand identity consistent, you are removing one of the most important barriers between you and your market. Repetitive exposure to the same symbols allows your consumers to quickly and easily recognize your core message. This is why all your communications—whether it’s an ad campaign, a website, or the waiting room—must be visually consistent with each other. Your brand changes from being an unknown entity to a familiar presence. Familiarity builds trust. When people trust you, they are more inclined to listen.
There are other consequences to ignoring brand consistency. Your customers should be able to follow a clear path between your collateral, your advertising and your physical spaces. Without those clear links, your organization risks credibility and appears disorganized. At worst, consumers might think you’re new to the market, causing them to avoid you altogether.
Take a look at a few non-healthcare examples of consistent brand identities:
You can clearly see the narrative thread that connects every aspect of Apple. Consistency has turned their brand identity into a brand experience, which is one of the reasons why they’re one of the most valuable companies in the world. Note how their advertising, website, products and retail spaces align harmoniously to present a unified image—an image that is unmistakably Apple.
Similarly, there’s a very good reason why Pepsi has been unable totopCoca-Cola ever since their ridiculous 2008 logo change—and it’s coincidentally the same reason why New Coke was such an utter disaster. For the most part, straying from your core brand identity will inevitably end in nothing but tears, lost revenue and confused consumers.
Healthcare marketing is no different. Brand consistency leads to trust and acceptance. So when Centra—a leading three-hospital system in Virginia—added a new hospital and expanded to serve 13 counties, we created a visual identity that unified the system but allowed flexibility for growing service lines.
After Centra’s new identity launch, research showed staff morale, name recognition and patient volume for key services increased. In fact, consistent brand extensions actually proved to strengthen the overall brand and helped increase recognition. Finally, consistent branding strategies helped Centra save money on brand development and overall marketing expenses. After all, tweaking a brand identity with every new service line or center of excellence may mean you have to work harder to help consumers make the connection with your hospitals. And why do that, especially in lean times?
Know a brand that’s growing effectively? Or an extension that’s stretched a little too far from the brand? Please share.
Here’s a smattering of commercials from the Super Bowl XLVI that our team thought hit the mark.
Clint Eastwood is an American icon. This two-minute commercial is a passionate tome that tugs heartstrings and appeals to virtues bigger than just selling cars. The response after the Super Bowl has been dramatic. Some people felt the spot was politically-motivated. Who cares. It’s brilliant.
Dogs have replaced babies as the go-to for suckering eyeballs. VW strikes back after last year’s pint-sized Darth Vader spot with an overweight pooch on a comeback. Beautiful tie-in with last year’s Star Wars’ theme.
Audi’s “Vampire Party” spot is simple, smart, and uber trendy, right down to the hashtag #SOLONGVAMPIRES.
GE has consistently held the distinction of great advertising for years. This spot features GE technicians who meet with cancer survivors who benefited from the equipment the GE technicians made. Below is the extended version.
You can’t get more ubiqiutious than the Toyota Camry. The brand turns a negative brand attribute into this smart, touching spot emphasizing the Camry connections we have.
Unfortunately, Toyota ruined all that new brand love with this spot, which feels like it was done by a different agency for a different car company for a different Super Bowl:
Acura and Honda went the nostalgia route by featuring Jerry Seinfeld and Matthew Broderick in a pair of spots that complemented one another, even if most people don’t know that Honda owns Acura (or even cares):
Everybody seems to love this Doritos’ spot, even if the premise is murder. (Hey, we’re animal lovers at Franklin Street. Just sayin’.)
Now, for the lowbrow crowd. First, Beckham:
Next, FIAT:
A team favorite was the music video by the band OK Go that featured Chevy. Snippets of this video were featured in one of Chevy’s Super Bowl commercials, so technically it was featured in the Big Game. (This video was released just after the Big Game and already has millions of views.) OK Go is getting a lot of press for its innovative music videos. With this video, you can see why the press is well-deserved.
4 Super Bowl Takeaways for Healthcare Brands:
1. Don’t be afraid of the reveal. Some of the strongest commercials played at this Super Bowl teased the product until the very end. If advertising doesn’t ask any of the viewer, then the commercial is easy to ignore/dismiss. For your healthcare advertising, talk up to your audience; she can handle complexity and intrigue.
2. Be real time. The Client Eastwood spot for Detroit auto and even Audi’s “Vampires” spot hit the American consciousness for the Twilight and True Blood phenom. In healthcare, it’s easy to get caught up in support points, technology shots and word choices that won’t upset the doctors. Put your audience first, though, and lean on what informs their world, interests and passions. If it’s vampires, so be it. You can bet your healthcare TV spot will be noticed.
3. Consensus can kill great work. Our 20+ team got together a few days after the Super Bowl to review the commercials and eat barbecue. (Yes, it’s tough work being a Franklin Streeter.) There was little consensus from the group about which spots were the best. The Clint Eastwood/Detroit spot, for example, had a polarizing effect on our group: some thought it was among the best advertising of all time, and others thought it was boring and lagged. Many healthcare organizations are consensus-driven, and advertising can bear the brunt of the consensus culture. When possible, develop a small, core team of decision-makers and run to the finish line.
4. It’s what happens after your spot airs that matters most. Most healthcare brands can’t advertise on the Super Bowl, but every ad campaign has a “launch.” What happens after your campaign first airs is largely dependent on the brand culture of your organization, and, to a lesser degree, your role as a marketer in helping to harness that culture to add to the brand conversation. Read this to learn more about the power that culture and building on the brand story can have in healthcare.
When you think of Harley-Davidson®, do you think of a premium woman’s brand?
Maybe you should.
According to NBCU, which does an annual brand power index study, Harley tops the list of brands that are doing all the right things to connect with women.
Harley’s new “My Time to Ride” campaign documents women from across different lifestyles and life stages learning how to ride a motorcycle. The webisodes are instantly engaging and do what great branding does: marry the product with a higher emotional state. In Harley’s case, it’s freedom and confidence.
Most health systems cater their brands to women. (She’s the healthcare decision-maker in the house, after all.)
So what can we learn from Harley?
1. Be real. The 2012 Trendwatching study talks about “Maturialism.” Consumers have zero tolerance for brands that handle them with kid gloves. They want frank, honest conversations. The “My Time to Ride” campaign does this brilliantly.
2. Use multiple platforms. Harley connects with women in traditional ad campaigns, on-line via webisodes, and social media. Harley also offers directories for women to find mentors and group riding events. As you plan your next campaign, challenge yourself to go beyond print, radio and TV. How many different ways can you connect with your audience? (Often, these secondary level tactics produce surprising buzz.)
3. Engage your audience. Inspiring campaigns are one thing. But nothing can replace the sound and feel of a real Harley-Davidson®. So Harely hosts Garage Parties, opportunities for women to join other non-riders to learn the basics of motorcycling. (Men are off-limits at these events, by the way.) Health fairs, screening events and symposiums, once passé, now have new opportunities for healthcare marketers, and social media helps keep the conversation going. Give your audience an opportunity to connect with your physicians and healthcare providers.
Do you ride a Harley? What do you think of this new campaign?
Have a surprising brand that can inspire the healthcare marketing conversation? We’d love to hear from you.
According to a study from Deloitte, 80% of people will travel outside their community for perceived higher quality of health care.
Many community hospitals are challenged with the perception that they are good for the common illnesses and broken bones, but can’t handle the major stuff.
Satilla Regional faced a similar quandary when they asked for our help in marketing their cardiac services program. Despite outperforming 75% of all hospitals nationwide in the emergency treatment of heart attacks, many locals believed they needed to go out of town for heart needs.
Using research on how and why consumers choose and evaluate healthcare providers, we developed a solution that spoke openly and honestly to Satilla’s audience. When it comes to your heart, use your head, became the campaign theme.
We featured one of Satilla’s cardiologists as a spokesperson for the campaign. Based on research we’ve conducted in markets all over the country, we knew physicians can be excellent spokespeople for hospitals, creating a halo effect for providers. Consumers feel that physicians can choose to practice medicine at many hospitals, so if they are choosing this particular hospital to practice, it must be of high quality.
We also featured testimonials of former cardiac patients and the life-saving care they received at Satilla. Television and web videos wove the softer, more emotional factors that lead to trusting Satilla for cardiac services.
We’re still tracking results for the campaign, but early numbers suggest the campaign is reaching our audiences’ hearts and minds.
What’s your take on using physicians as spokespeople? Curious about our clients’ take on STARK laws? Drop us a line — we’d love to hear from you.
Franklin Street has provided Northfield Ministries, a Virginia not-for-profit, with office space and furniture totaling near $30,000 annually.
Northfield Ministries is a 501c3 not-for-profit organization providing hope and care for girls between the ages of 13 and 21 who are struggling with life challenges such as eating disorders, depression, and self-harm.
“Our mission is to meet young women and their families where they are, go with them on their journey to restoration and healing, and to give them the tools to break free,” says Gwen Seiler, Northfield Ministries Founder and Executive Director.
In addition to office space in Richmond donated by Franklin Street, Northfield Ministries plans to open a residential facility in Cumberland, VA for young women who need a transitional home to focus full-time on healing and deliverance from self-destructive thinking and behaviors.
Partners Will Flynn, Stephen Moegling, and Tim Roberts are happy to be able to help the Richmond community and greater Virginia area.
Earlier this year, BridgeHealth, partnered with Franklin Street to develop a campaign for their unique role: “the premier provider of access to Centers of Excellence in the US and beyond for planned major surgeries.”
From direct mail to brochures to email campaigns, Franklin Street developed a complete advertising campaign.
Franklin Street is excited to welcome Carter Tilman to our creative team!
With an eye for design, a mind for interactive and a knack for all Adobe products, Carter has been preparing for a career in art direction for as long as he can remember. Throughout his college career, Carter worked at a local shop as a jack-of-all-trades from designing to painting to carving handcrafted signs. After graduation, Carter worked for Capital One’s web development team focusing on web migration. With an attestable aesthetic for all things digital and a deep understanding of design processes, Carter brings his talents and wise cracks to the Franklin Street creative team. Carter earned his B.S. in Creative Advertising from Virginia Commonwealth University and his A.S. in Web Development from ECPI.
Franklin Street recently won three awards from the Annual Cardiovascular Advertising Awards. Franklin Street won two silver awards for campaigns developed for our wonderful clients Good Samaritan Health System and Memorial Health Care System.
Franklin Street also won the Judges Award – the competition’s highest award – for the Total Advertising Campaign developed for North Shore-LIJ‘s Huntington Hospital.
Franklin Street won a silver award for a special video production for Memorial Health Care System‘s live cardiac surgery webcast.
In Franklin Street Marketing’s best year in a decade, owner, president and founder Will Flynn considers risk management and business continuation planning critical to the firm’s future for employees and clients.
Looking ahead, our president Will has forged a partnership with Franklin Street associates Stephen Moegling and Tim Roberts.
“Challenging times lead to more innovative thinking, which has fueled our growth,” said Will. “It’s great to see the second generation of ownership in place and pushing forward for our associates and clients.”
Stephen is now Executive Vice President, Account Planning. Having worked with Goodyear, Perdue and Duracell, Stephen brings a unique perspective to his role. His trend-spotting in technology and consumer behavior helps him provide the inside track on driving volume to healthcare brands. His speaking credits include the Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development, the Healthcare Marketing Strategies Summit and many regional conferences.
“For the past 12 years, Stephen has moved up through the ranks at Franklin Street to become one of the nation’s foremost experts in healthcare marketing,” said Will.
Tim is now Executive Vice President, Creative Director. For over 20 years, he has helped grow national brands like eBay, Hamilton Beach, Target, Wal-Mart, Newsweek and the University of Richmond. Tim’s big ideas have landed him on sets with Margaret Thatcher and Steve Jobs. The VCU grad’s unique skills and experience bring brands to life through innovative processes, conceptual thinking and a commitment to big-picture strategy.
“I’ve known Tim for over 20 years. He’s one of the most creative people I’ve ever met,” Will said. “Both are a wonderful addition to the leadership at Franklin Street Marketing.”
