Direct Mail Magazine.
“Hi! I love this publication. I would subscribe to this and pay an annual fee. I hope it keeps going and going. Love the practical content, and I love the technical content. Thank you!”
Old School Marketing.
I served as editor-in-chief of a 24-page direct mail magazine for a Northern California pediatric hospital that highlighted current health topics and treatments. The magazine was a vehicle to brand the hospital as the region’s top-of-mind choice for pediatric care.
The Goals.
Target the messages to the insured child’s healthcare decision maker—women age 29-48 living in a household with an income of over $150,000 with kids age 0 to 18.
Reinforce the image of the institution as a trusted brand—and extend this to the satellite care centers.
By making “wellness” a strategic imperative, families received free, trusted education on staying healthy.
The Design.
Bright colors, charts, infographics and call-outs broke up the content into scannable information
A logic puzzle that required submission through snail mail gave young (and older!) readers an opportunity to have their photo printed in the next issue
Established sections of the magazine provided specific areas of interest which included research, patient stories, practical advice, and healthy recipes
Reader Survey.
Readers survey received 527 responses which overwhelming showed the magazine had successfully influenced reputation.
Reader comments:
“It keeps me aware of the important research that’s going on (and made me aware of the affiliation with UCSF). Also, I learn more about how certain pediatric illnesses are being treated which gives me more confidence in the system.”
“I believe this magazine proves how helpful Children’s Hospital Oakland is.”
“It has a lot more services and serves a greater portion of the community than I originally thought.”
“Made me feel good about their technology.”