Bon Secours

During its eight-year relationship with Bon Secours, CRT/tanaka has developed marketing, media and public relations campaigns to strategically position the not-for-profit health system in what has become an increasingly competitive marketplace. CRT/tanaka developed the brand and messaging strategy for Bon Secours’ merger with a sister regional health system to form Bon Secours Virginia, a statewide health system with seven hospitals. The agency is currently working with both local and state market leaders to develop marketing and advertising campaigns to support key service lines, such as orthopedics, cardiac and cancer. CRT/tanaka also writes and produces an internal e-newsletter and a quarterly, tabloid publication that Bon Secours mails to 75,000 Hampton Roads households.

Over the years, the agency has developed a number of community outreach initiatives for the health system. When Bon Secours Hampton Roads faced opposition to its request to establish an open-heart surgery unit, CRT/tanaka developed a grassroots communications and media relations plan that saturated the community with messages reinforcing the advantages of and need for the proposed new unit. The state health commissioner eventually approved Bon Secours’ proposed open-heart division, citing key messages used throughout the year as reasons for approval.

BUILDING BETTER COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS

During its eight-year relationship with Bon Secours Hampton Roads Health System, CRT/tanaka has developed strategic marketing and public relations campaigns to position the not-for-profit health system in what has become an increasingly competitive marketplace. The three-hospital health system is located in a seven-city region with a population of 1.7 million and competes with a large, aggressive, not-for-profit health system that has acquired a number of hospitals over the years.

Challenges/Solutions

Brand and Messaging Strategy

Most recently, CRT/tanaka developed the brand and messaging strategy for Bon Secours’ merger with a sister regional health system to form Bon Secours Virginia, a statewide health system with seven hospitals. The agency is currently working with both local and state market leaders to develop marketing and advertising campaigns to support key service lines, such as orthopedics, cardiac and cancer. CRT/tanaka also writes and produces an internal e-newsletter and a quarterly, tabloid publication that is mailed to 75,000 Hampton Roads households. The agency is working with Bon Secours to develop a social media strategy to position its primary care physicians.

Heart Institute Campaign

As a trusted partner, Bon Secours turned to CRT/tanaka when it was developing its Heart Institute. Initially enlisted to build community support for Certificate of Public Need (COPN) approval, CRT/tanaka helped build excitement and credibility for the new Heart Institute once the state gave its consent. The agency developed a successful one-year grassroots and communications campaign that culminated with the region’s six mayors speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony and more than 1,500 people attending a variety of pre-opening events.

Community Outreach

CRT/tanaka also has developed a number of community outreach initiatives for Bon Secours, ranging from building community support for new facilities to developing marketing and public relations programs to raise awareness and reduce risk factors for heart disease among African-American women. CRT/tanaka helped brand the program, called “Let’s Get Real,” developed marketing materials, identified a community ambassador and helped drive participation. As a result of the agency’s efforts, more than 1,500 women have participated in the program, which also has received multiple grants and awards.

Media Relations and Crisis Communications

Bon Secours also has turned to CRT/tanaka to provide ongoing crisis communications support and media relations counsel on a host of communications issues.