Situation
Glacial Ridge Health System’s maternity service line had experienced a steady 12% decline in the number of births over a period of 4 years. Women were increasingly skipping their neighborhood “small-town” hospital to travel an hour to go to a larger hospital due to perceived concerns about the availability of latest techniques and technologies in the event of complications during birth.
Task
BTS was asked to determine how millennials choose their healthcare providers, what type of information is vital to them and how they prefer to receive it, and what type of messaging resonates with them.
- Perform research
- Develop a comprehensive marketing strategy and plan to address their concerns and needs
- Create an integrated marketing plan for tactics
- Implement the plan
Action
We developed a thorough persona for women of child bearing age using the Jobs-To-Be-Done framework to determine what is important to them in terms of qualities of a healthcare provider and an institution. We utilized these finding to develop a multi-media marketing campaign, “Your Birth Experience, Your Hometown Hospital, Your Way”, which included a dedicated website for the maternity service line with interactive tools, a strategic online ad buy, PPC ads, social media content development, events, large-format, broadcast, and print.
We also recommended operational tactics for the maternity floor to institute such as “Snuggle & Snooze” (Quiet Time) and an umbilical cord blood donation program.
- Created detailed millennial-focused marketing personas to guide messaging and creative direction
- Identified qualities millennials value most in healthcare providers and institutions
- Developed the “Your Birth Experience, Your Hometown Hospital, Your Way” multi-media campaign
- Launched a dedicated maternity service line website with interactive planning and education tools
- Executed a strategic online ad buy, PPC campaigns, and targeted social media content
- Produced supporting collateral for events, large-format displays, broadcast, and print media
- Recommended on-site enhancements including “Snuggle & Snooze” quiet time and an umbilical cord blood donation program
Primary Research
- Conducted in-depth interviews and surveys with millennial mothers and expectant parents
- Assessed perceptions of small-town versus large-hospital maternity care
- Identified top concerns related to technology, safety, and complication readiness
- Explored decision-making factors when selecting a maternity care provider
- Analyzed preferred information sources, digital platforms, and communication formats
- Tested messaging concepts to determine emotional and rational appeal effectiveness
Integrated Marketing and Communications Plan
- Defined clear goals, target audiences, and key performance metrics
- Mapped audience touchpoints across the full decision-making journey
- Aligned messaging themes with millennial values and service line differentiators
- Selected optimal media channels including digital, social, print, and broadcast
- Created a cohesive content calendar to synchronize messaging across platforms
- Developed creative assets tailored for each channel while maintaining brand consistency
- Established a rollout schedule integrating advertising, events, and community outreach
- Built in tracking mechanisms for campaign performance and ROI analysis
Results
In the first year from launch:
39%
increase in births
