As I head into a Labor Day weekend blogging break, I offer this thought:
Have you noticed the latest fad in hospital advertising? The idea is to present a two-word summary of the hospital's attributes. An example is above. Among other I've seen are:
"Human First"
"We do."
I guess ad people like this type of pairing because the viewer can apply his or her own meaning to the phrase, and presumably that meaning will reflect favorably on the hospital. But truly, I don't think most of these slogans mean much of anything at all--and in any event they do not create memorable connections between the viewer and the corporate sponsor.
Please submit examples from your area, so we can keep the collection growing.
Princeton [NJ] HealthCare System
ReplyDelete"Redefining Care" http://www.princetonhcs.org/
Thanks. Translation: "We've been doing it wrong for decades, but you can trust us now!"
ReplyDeleteWhen I began working on end of life (self) reform, I observed web banners and print ads that I came to call Happy Couple ads. One even displayed a happy pretty lady dancing in a hospital hallway with a happy handsome guy who was wearing a white or blue jacket of strange cut — not a doc's coat but doclilke enough to imply "doctor." It was remarkable. Then the dad in the kid's classroom. So: Happy Couple as an implied headline.
ReplyDelete"Working Wonders" is what we do at Children's Mercy - Kansas City. :)
ReplyDeletePatient's First Cleveland Clinic Cleveland Ohio
ReplyDeleteIn reality it's Profit First! Personally, IMO ever since the production of two hospitals in Abu Dhabi not the best overall. Slow in job and financial assistance application response. Time waiting in Urgent care over 7 hrs (we know all the stalling and length increase the time and CPT E&M Emergency codes are based on time). It's not the worse but it's not the best like it used to be when I had my heart surgery in 2004.
"Cheating Death"
ReplyDeleteThree words, Sutter Health's "We Plus You."
ReplyDeleteWhat does that mean?
Baptist Memorial Healthcare out of Memphis is using "Get Better."
ReplyDeleteThis topic is particularly timely for me as we work to name a new hospital. We are exploring whether or not to use various tags as an opportunity to say more about who we are or what we are trying to do. The blog as well as the posts help to urge caution. Some companies outside healthcare appear to have incorporated words that have worked--at least for a time--Apple's Think Different probably went beyond the usual marketing slogan to get people to think of both Apple and themselves as innovative and to have end-users identify in positive ways with thinking differently. I look forward to following the posts.
ReplyDeleteAt Northwestern Memorial HealthCare we have "Everything Matters"
ReplyDeletePaul,
ReplyDeleteAdd “Inspired Health” to your two word list.