3 Hospital Videos: One Will Really Touch Your Heart
"Stealing from one is plagiarism,” according to American playwright Wilson Mizner, but “stealing from many is research." That said—and apropos of nothing at all—here’s a quick “research” roundup of fresh ideas and examples of how hospitals are continuing to leverage the power of video in marketing.
Seriously, savvy marketing and communications executives are always learning…and they are keeping an eye on competitors, non-competitors and even the creative work from non-healthcare industries. What’s more, videos often show up on the first page of search results, and they are more likely to increase engagement than text alone.
With the availability of broadband up, and production costs down, the video applications have proliferated among hospitals, both large and small. (Doctor’s offices and group medical practices too, by the way.)
A random sampling of health system reveals that many (if not most) websites have a consolidation page titled “watch our videos” or “video library,” or they have a branded YouTube page. Some of these materials are created in-house, but television commercials and many of the higher-profile videos are produced professionally.
We’re beginning to suspect that hospitals for children have a slight advantage in terms of potential subject material. They're turning out some good research material:
Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC: Comic Book Superheroes
A nicely-told tale (and a nice bit of local publicity) about how the hospital teamed up with Allegheny Window Cleaning company to bring costumed “grime-busters” to “drop in” to the delight of children and families.
Comic Book Superheroes
Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH: Time For 10!
Ohio’s First Lady, Karen Kasich, wife of Governor John Kasich, teamed up with a fitness expert and Nationwide Children’s Hospital in an educational video series—each about 10 minutes in length—that encourages children to participate in healthy physical activities. (By the way, Mrs. Kasich’s professional career spanned nearly two decades in healthcare, public relations and marketing.)
Nationwide Children's Hospital Time For 10!
Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, Orlando: Chloe’s Wedding Day
I don't think there was a script for this one. Dr. Alex Levy shares the heart-warming story of a family who learned their 4-year old daughter had a brain tumor on Christmas Eve. This is Chloe's story.
Watch this and tell us what you think.
This is Chloe's story.
A no-so-secret ingredient for compelling and sharable videos is the ability to touch viewer emotions. For more on this topic, see: Healthcare Video Marketing Secrets and YouTube Overview: 12 Helpful Tips About Video Sharing.
Author: Kathy Gaughran
