While I won’t go into detail (because some people have queasy stomachs), I will tell you that my mom was hospitalized last week for some pretty serious stuff. (Please forgive the lack of blog posts over the last few days.) She’ll be fine, thank God, and should come home after a few more days. As a copywriter, I always notice the advertising side of everything 🙂 That aspect of my nature certainly held true during her ordeal.
When Mom was admitted, we were sent to an ordinary, tiny little hospital room. Plain off-white walls, about a 10-foot x 10-foot floor plan (at least that’s what it felt like) and a cramped atmosphere. It was very clean, but very small. Almost immediately I began to remember this hospital’s television commercials that began to run last year.
They identified a need for a segment of their target audience and were addressing it through ads. The ads were geared toward the family of the patient. In the old section of the hospital, you got tiny rooms with two chairs crammed in the corners. If you had to spend the night, you’d sleep in this perfectly lovely <sarcasm> recliner thingee that was about as comfortable as your average lawn chair. For those accommodating children or older people who needed a family member with them constantly, it would be a real chore to “live” in these rooms for very long.
But, after my mother’s surgery, she was moved to a surgical floor in the new section. Wow! This is what the commercials were all about. They showed pictures of large rooms (twice or three times the size of the others) with big windows and fold-out beds. There was plenty of room to walk around, nicely painted walls with soothing colors, solid-surface counter tops with integrated sinks, comfortable chairs for visitors and more. Impressive! The copy in the TV spots did an excellent job of letting anyone who had stayed (or would be staying) with a patient envious. Knowing that this facility has wonderful doctors and modern equipment, I would certainly ask to be taken here if I needed hospitalization or had an emergency. I’d also be quick to ask for a room in the new section <snicker>.
Addressing the most common complaints of caregivers and family members via copywriting was a smart move on this hospital’s part. I’d venture to say I’m not the only one who has been thrilled to see all the improvements they’ve made over the last 10-12 months.
Need copywriting that impresses your visitors and the search engines? Visit Karon’s site at https://www.marketingwords.com.
Subscribe to Karon’s copywriting blog at https://blog.marketingwords.com.
