Louisiana institutions such as government, education, and healthcare consistently rank among the worst in the United States. The problems are so engrained and endemic that many Louisianians have come to accept this situation and don’t expect or even feel they deserve a better way. And that’s just not acceptable.

That’s how Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System (FMOLHS) felt when learning about this perception, anyway. As the leading health system in Baton Rouge and one of the largest systems in the state, FMOLHS felt it was their duty to address this negative mindset. To lift not just the health of Louisianans, but improve how residents felt about their health — to raise their Health Esteem.

Building a brand centered on the people you serve

Rather than just launch a campaign or start a program, FMOLHS built their entire brand position around raising the Health Esteem of those they served. It’s the perfect example of a Post Health System Brand – a positioning not centered on promoting the system, but rather founded on a powerful consumer motivator.

Not only would this approach improve the lives of Louisianans, it would distinguish the systems’ brand from the traditional, promotional, chest-pounding brands of their competitors.

Further, rather than lecturing consumers on being healthy, the initial brand campaign sought to reach the human behind the patient, meeting people at whatever stage of their health journey they were at to help them feel better about themselves.

The campaign’s messaging focused on how they should take time for themselves, hug one another more often, or just laugh more often. Simple health tips and tools, backed by behavioral and medical research, offered more than one way to be healthy.

The campaign combined digital experiences, a broad influencer strategy, social media advertising, and traditional channels to reach and provide real value to their audiences. The impact? A 48% increase in top-of-mind awareness, a 39% increase in preference, more than 10,000 visitors to the campaign microsite in over 7 months, and industry awards. But most importantly, a healthier, happier Louisiana.