An Engaging Publication that Raised the Bar for Rehabilitation Care with Trauma Physicians
CHALLENGE:
Shepherd Center needed to capture the attention of time-crunched physicians to position itself as a thought-leader and a center for cutting-edge practice in the industry. One of the rehabilitation hospital’s key target markets was that of trauma physicians and their staff, who provide a majority of the referrals to the hospital. The hospital was also looking to engage a larger national audience, as it looked to move up in the rankings of the top rehabilitation hospitals by U.S. News and World Report, which is based solely on reputation from specialists surveyed.
Solution:
After many months of collaboration, first with the Shepherd team and then external research and focus groups, Soloflight recommended a communications strategy, that would include two custom publications. The first publication, The Apex of Trauma Care, would be focused specifically toward trauma physicians and their initial care of trauma patients.
From our research, we knew this audience would be a challenge to engage with their fast-paced work life, and the publication would have to arouse their curiosity and the respect from their first glance. The graphic representation of a lowercase letter “a” with a line over it, the shorthand in medical speak for “before,” was selected for the logo of The Apex of Trauma Care. A palette of dark black with bold pops of color was paired with graphic illustrations and real-world imagery to mirror the intense nature of the trauma-physician world.
From a content perspective, Soloflight worked with the Shepherd team to organize an advisory board of outside trauma physicians and an editorial board of Shepherd staff physicians to verify topics and review articles. We also lined up additional physicians and medical professionals to serve as expert sources for content development that would be able to further connect with this hard to reach audience. Writing to both engage and educate, we selected a team of writers with specific expertise,to produce articles around the latest in medical advancements, best practices and expert opinions. Shepherd Center has repeatedly been voted one of the top 10 rehabilitation hospitals in the nation by U.S. News and World Report – a distinction based solely on reputation from specialists surveyed.