Healthcare Marketing & Branding Case Study for Advanced Marketers

MAKOplasty® case study

Your marketing & communication zealots

About Novant HealthNovant Health is an integrated system of physician clinics, outpatient

centers and hospitals serving a four-state region spanning Virginia

to Georgia. It serves more than 4 million patients annually through its

network of 1,200 physicians and 26,000 employees working in nearly

500 care locations. Headquartered in Winston-Salem, NC, Novant Health

is committed to making healthcare remarkable for its patients and

improving the overall health and wellness of its communities.


Case study

MAKOplasty® integrated marketing campaignDeliverables

• SEM/PPC keywordand display ads

• Email marketing

• Social media marketing

• Video production

• Print advertising

• Direct mail

• Outdoor

• Print collateral


Case study

Project backgroundIn 2012, Novant Health introduced MAKOplasty® partial knee resurfacing

at two of its regional medical centers, placing them among a select group

of facilities nationwide to offer the procedure at that time. MAKOplasty®

is a highly innovative, minimally invasive alternative to knee replacement

surgery that offers less pain, a shorter hospital stay and faster recovery

time than traditional methods. Novant Health enlisted ABZ Creative

Partners to develop and implement a strategic marketing campaign to

educate the public about the benefits of MAKOplasty®, target prospective

patients and move them through the decision funnel, and further advance

Novant Health’s position as a leader in high-tech patient care.


Case study

Integrated strategyCandidates for MAKOplasty® are typically males and females ages 55

and older; however, the procedure can also benefit younger patient

populations such as athletes and individuals with occupations known for

overuse injuries. Given the broad demographic spectrum, the plan needed

to include both traditional and emerging channels to achieve maximum

reach, message effectiveness and audience engagement. The primary call

to action across the entire campaign directed audience members to attend

a free educational seminar to learn more about the procedure, and how it

could alleviate their knee pain issues.


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Case study

Digital marketingHighly targeted, hyper-relevant

content delivered through a

mix of channels with real-time

results allowed us to adjust the

messaging and optimize the

spend every step of the way.

TacticsSEM/PPC keyword and display ads

Using paid keywords and display ads, we

reached target audience members as they

were actively searching online for solutions

to their knee pain. The ads directed them to

a special landing page about MAKOplasty®

and promoted the free seminars.

Remarketing

The buying cycle for a specialized surgical

procedure like MAKOplasty® can be lengthy.

Even when a prospective patient shows interest,

it can take months or even years before he or

she is ready to move forward. We employed

remarketing strategies to keep our message in

front of target audience members who showed

initial interest by visiting the MAKOplasty® landing

page. Following their visit to the page, they were

served up specially created ads as they visited

other websites.

Email marketing

E-blasts were deployed to target audience

members with specially selected demographic

and psychographic profiles. Well-crafted

content informed recipients of the benefits

of MAKOplasty® and directed them to attend

an upcoming seminar.

Social media marketing

Like other digital channels, social media allows

for very targeted message delivery; however

its ability to make a message go viral can extend

the budget of any campaign. Through micro

ads and sponsored content, we leveraged the

power of social media to create awareness and

drive engagement.


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Traditional marketingTraditional, offline tactics

served an integral role in

the campaign by delivering

effective content paired with

compelling visuals.


Case study

TacticsOutdoor & POS signage

Through the use of outdoor, as well as POS

signage, we spread the MAKOplasty® message

in high traffic areas, promoting the website and

call center number where the target audience

could learn more about the procedure and the

free seminars.

Print advertising

Several versions of print ads were created and

placed in targeted publications throughout the

campaign. Key messages varied between general

awareness about the availability of MAKOplasty®

in the market to primarily promoting the free

educational seminars.

Print collateral

From patient education brochures about the

procedure to fliers promoting the seminars,

we designed support materials to help inform

prospective patients every step of the way.


Case study


Case study

Making it personalThe initial phase of the campaign

primarily focused on creating

awareness of the new procedure

and its benefits. A second phase

was then developed to give the

campaign a more personalized

feel through a compelling

patient testimony.

Click video to watch at vimeo.com.

https://vimeo.com/91716727

TacticsTestimonial video

We created a video showcasing the story

of a high-profile member of the community, and

how MAKOplasty® helped him return to his active

lifestyle quickly and pain free. The video featured

a high-quality blend of patient interview, active

b-roll and clinical animations to tell the story.

Custom photography

We conducted a custom photo shoot of

the featured patient to use throughout the

testimonial portion of the campaign.

Print advertising

We also developed a print ad to share the

patient’s MAKOplasty® success story and ran

it in the market’s top publications.

SEM/PPC keyword and display ads

Using paid keywords and display ads, we shared

the patient testimony with target audience

members as they were actively searching online

for knee pain solutions.


Case study


Case study

SuccessThe MAKOplasty® campaign was deemed highly successful by Novant

Health. The educational seminars were consistently well attended, and

patient volumes met Novant Health’s target goals in the two markets

offering the procedure. In the smaller of the two markets, the MAKOplasty®

landing page on the Novant Health website saw approximately 800 unique

visits within two months of the campaign’s launch.