“Great things never came from comfort zones”
— Unknown
To celebrate turning 50, I ran my first hundred miler. That pretty much sums me up.
I never shy away from a challenge. But what does running 100 miles have to do with creativity? Everything.
As a creative leader for a healthcare organization, I was looking for non-traditional ways to promote the new Sports Cardiology Program to external and internal audiences. “Why don’t I sign up for the VT 100 endurance race and document my journey to the start line via our social media channels?” I asked. The “crazy” idea was embraced, a robust marketing plan was developed and the hashtag #RihanaRuns was born. I got bragging rights for completing the race and the specialists from the Sports Cardiology Program got credit for being the wind beneath #RihanaRuns wings.
On the run with two of the Drs. from the Sports Cardiology Program
Internally, we created a “What’s Your 100?” program that challenged employees to commit to doing 100 of something of their choice that promoted personal health and wellness during the 2 weeks leading up to race day. This included things such as: reading 100 pages of a book; swimming 100 laps; learning 100 new words of a new language. The program was well received and became a quarterly challenge beyond the race. #WinWin
A brand, a new start
There’s nothing like integrating two health systems and then creating a new name and brand identity. (I don’t even have to mention the layers of approval it involved!) Fortunately, we found the right partner, Monigle, to identify and articulate the shared values and aspirations of our combined organization. Health Quest and Western Connecticut Health Network formally became Nuvance Health and, with our advertising agency SPM, our new brand was launched.
Most recently, we partnered with R2i, our digital agency, to create a centralized website, which is not a short order when merging two health-systems. I also had the opportunity to learn Sitecore so I could pitch in to help build pages and to format and load content.
The power of the human spirit
In honor of Cancer Survivors Day, we wanted to share what survivorship meant to the featured patients through their stories. Each one left an indelible mark. It was awe-inspiring to feel the positivity they exuded while facing their respective battles. (There wasn’t a dry eye leaving the photoshoots). These stories were shared through our social media channels and also made in to panels that adorn the walls outside the Infusion Center. The background colors represent their respective primary cancers.
360 Experience
As much as I enjoy working in healthcare, my experience (and interest) spans many industries and verticals. I worked on the Verizon brand, from CRM, B2B to Shopper Marketing/Retail for many years and through several brand refreshes. The in-store experience, from print and digital signage to interactive displays, were part of those refreshes.
The numbers speak for themselves
Pitney Bowes- B2B lead generation
Regardless of the task or industry, it’s always about ROI. In this case, the ask was to educate decision-makers at Fortune 50 companies about the impact of the new postal rates on their mailings and to fill out a survey to generate leads. We proposed a mini envelope with a barrel-fold brochure housed in a 9x12 piece of plexiglass. The call to action was to go online (to a microsite we created) to fill out a survey. On completion, they would receive a $50 gas card. We did an A/B split with 50% of the audience receiving a package with “get a $50 Gas card ” on the exterior and the other 50% with just the recipient’s name. A 3-5% return was the benchmark. The mailing netted a 24% response rate.
The “more about me” part
I was born and raised in England, moved to New York, solo, as a young adult, but my transatlantic life continues. My most important and proudest accomplishment is raising my strong, independent twin daughters. (Crossing the finish line at the VT 100 was momentarily a close second!). My professional career isn’t too shabby either. Link to my resume for more about that!