RESPONSE Magazine - December 2017

and ‘Peyton’ spots,” Rodriguez says. “In
our space, you could have the best agency
in the world, but if it’s not emotionally
tied to the brand, it’s not likely to be
successful. Our employees were more
emotionally tied than any agency could
be. And we were successful following that
passion, rather than what a high-priced
consultant could tell us.”
Rodriguez adds that, in one instance,
the passion and connection became per-
sonal. “One writer became so invested in
a patient’s story that they became close
friends,” he says. “It plays out in the spot.
You could tell it was from the heart. That
connection helped the real story come
Such a connection is critical in mar-
keting the services UCHealth provides.
With hospitals in Aurora (the flagship),
Broomfield, Fort Collins, Loveland,
Longmont, Steamboat Springs, and
Colorado Springs, as well as more than

100 affiliated clinics, UCHealth serves more than 1. 3 million unique patients every year. The organization’s stated mission is to improve the lives of people in Colorado and beyond — and, to that end, in fiscal year 2017, it spent nearly $650 million on financial assistance, subsidized care, and other areas to directly benefit the patients it serves.

UCHealth Medical Group directly employs about 500 providers and its partners at the University of Colorado School of Medicine employ an additional 2,800 providers. In addition, thousands of other physicians and advanced practice providers are affiliated with UCHealth and have privileges to practice at its community hospitals.

The Patient Is the Hero

But it’s not just the scope of what
UCHealth offers that creates challenges
for Rodriguez’s team. “We’re in a very
interesting time for healthcare. For in-
stance, I could market cars or watches
and, based on tactics, I can create de-
mand and simply measure executions,” he
says. “But, in healthcare, just because we
decide to create a campaign to promote
cancer care and treatment, thankfully
that doesn’t mean the consumer is getting
cancer tomorrow.”
That challenge — among others — is
why the UCHealth team chose to pro-
mote its young brand and the strength
of its platform with its patients. This was
a surprising choice in a business with a
history of promoting its expertise and
caregivers.

“Most healthcare industry marketing centers on the doctors as the heroes,” Rodriguez says. “Not us. Our focus is on the patient’s journey as the heroic story. Within that, we can better promote healthier, more active lifestyles — all through our targets meeting our most extraordinary patients. If these stories

YOUR BUS?

We provide the order management tools and services that empower
you to take control of the wheel, and drive the success
of your business, from anywhere.