ECHO Colorado
Brand Strategy / Integrated Marketing Campaign
ECHO Colorado came to us for guidance on their marketing because their existing materials still left people uncertain as to what the organization offers.
To understand why people were having difficulty grasping the ECHO Colorado approach, we first became students of what the organization does, which is that they give voice to knowledge through a unique learning platform. It’s a combination of interactive learning and case-based discussion in a community setting that allows health professionals to share knowledge, experience and expertise using technology, not proximity, to connect.
We also talked with the people ECHO Colorado is trying to reach to learn why such a great idea wasn’t resonating strongly with them. A direct parallel to the ECHO model doesn’t exist, which, it turns out, was the cause of a good bit of the confusion the organization encountered. When people would hear the presentation and think, “Oh, it’s a webinar.” or “So it’s an online video class,” they would unconsciously call to mind the inherent issues that come with these and other ways health professionals have traditionally expanded their knowledge—issues that include time and budgetary constraints, the requirements of patient care and a one-way presentation of subject matter.
To help ECHO Colorado articulate the ways their offerings address these major barriers and help spread health knowledge to more people in more places, we developed a strategy that better aligned the organization’s vision and purpose with the thoughts and needs of the target audience. This was expressed through hybrid messaging designed to reach the analytical right-brained and emotional left-brained thinking of the target audience.
The approach also had to reflect the reason ECHO Colorado is different, which is so they can make a bigger impact. Strategic development of campaign elements helped this idea stand out. The website delivered details while tapping into the emotional nature of the ECHO Colorado mission to share health knowledge. The traditional brochure became a mini marketing packet with individual, sharable cards and a poster for breakrooms that serves as a consistent reminder that ECHO Colorado is the place to share and acquire knowledge. Inspirational visuals and messaging were extended through email templates, trade show graphics and a presentation template.
RESULTS: The rebranding effort has energized ECHO Colorado and delivered measurable results. Marketing tools now speak to the mission, provide clarity among the target and offer a reminder for everyone working in healthcare that they all have lots of knowledge to share and learn.
This has led to a threefold increase in traffic on their website and inquiries have more than doubled in just a few months. The first eblast with the new branding had close to a 60 percent click-through rate with three-quarters of those people clicking at least one link within the email to learn more.
