Client/Background:
A Medical Center, home to Womancare, a comprehensive breast health center and a sponsor of Dig for Life, a series of fundraisers that provides free mammograms to area women that could otherwise not afford to receive this important screening.
Project:
A Pink Up Cape campaign was developed as an awareness effort specifically for October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In addition to an awareness campaign, the Pink Up Cape had additional objectives: highlight the commitment to fighting breast cancer with leading-edge technology at the recently opened Cancer Institute, increase mammogram appointments at Womancare, and increase donations to Dig for Life by 10 percent.
Strategies:
Various strategies were incorporated to achieve multiple objectives. To kick off Pink Up Cape, a special event was held on the grounds of the recently opened Cancer Institute. The event featured country music artist Candy Coburn performing her hit “Pink Warrior,” a song dedicated to those fighting breast cancer; a Pink Up Cape store selling pink items to benefit Dig for Life; electronic scheduling for mammograms at Womancare; a picnic dinner; and special Pink Up Cape fireworks.
Month-long marketing tactics included:
- Illuminating the Medical Center in pink
- Production of a Pink Up Cape television spot that aired on local stations and was posted on YouTube and Facebook
- Mayoral Declaration in two regional cities for Pink Up Cape month
- Pink web banner ads
- Pink newspaper wrap (Sunday)
- Pink print ads
- Pink digital outdoor
- Multiple social media contacts through Facebook
- Twitter and YouTube
- Pink gloves used throughout the Medical Center
- Pink patient food tray liners and table tents in the Medical Center’s restaurant
- Dying Medical Center fountains pink
- Pink light pole banners featuring breast cancer facts
- Pink banners throughout the Medical Center
- Various employee communications
Efforts specific to Dig for Life:
- Target corporate donations and spread Pink Up Cape through sales of the Business Pink Up Pack, a package that included multiple pink items and two large pink feather banners for businesses to display at the entrance to their facilities
- Partner with area schools for Pink Out Nights, with ticket and concession sales benefitting Dig for Life
- Pink digital outdoor
- Pink item sales at the Pink Up Cape Kick-off and the Medical Center’s restaurant, and through employee payroll deduction
- Sponsor of a homecoming parade float for Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO)
- Pink balloon release during halftime at a SEMO home football game
Results:
- Platinum MarCom Award
- Donations to Dig for Life increased by 300 percent from the previous year
- Womancare was booked solid in the month of October and through the following months
- Strengthened relationships between Saint Francis and local businesses through the sales of Pink Up Packs
- The viral nature of Pink Up Cape spread throughout the service area, with additional participation across multiple states
Content provided by “Case Study: An award winning, community-centered breast cancer awareness program,” an article by Katie Stensberg.