Allison Arieff of The New York Times has some good news for us from the unlikeliest of industries-- health care providers-- and an unusual case of great advertising living up to its promise.
Over the past few years, I’ve noticed that there was something very different about the way Kaiser communicated its brand. Their “Thrive” campaign, created by Campbell-Ewald, posits Kaiser less as a medical/institutional service than a lifestyle. Both in print and on TV, the ads are visually compelling (clever puns, blueberries elevated to high art) and emotionally engaging (online medical records not only streamline procedures, they save trees and the planet), with voiceovers by the appealing Allison Janney, formerly of “The West Wing.” The intended message is not how well Kaiser will care for you when you’re sick, but rather how Kaiser helps deliver wellness and can enhance the quality of your life.
It would be easy to dismiss “Thrive” as a great piece of ad work, one likely masking larger institutional deficiencies. But the thing is, Kaiser has invested an incredible amount of its resources to align itself with the brand message conveyed by “Thrive.” Their efforts to improve the patient experience touch all facets, from designing greener, healthier buildings to increasing the amount of time nurses spend at bedside. And they are helping resuscitate an industry that’s never been more in need of fresh air.
I've written here about how even the most seemingly innocuous details of the health care environment— a dead potted plant in a doctor’s reception room, an ill-fitting hospital gown, a blaring television — can contribute to an unpleasant, at times even devastating experience. Recognizing that reality, Kaiser’s National Facilities Services (N.F.S.) group has, since 2007, been working on the Total Health Environment, a program that is applying design thinking to every aspect of Kaiser’s operations, from medical records to medication administration, color palettes to carpet.
No comments:
Post a Comment