With nearly a month until the 2016 presidential election, ads are flooding television screens and Americans from all ends of the political spectrum are voicing their opinions about which candidate would serve our nation best. Richmond, Va.-based MEDARVA Stony Point Surgery Center wanted to fill screens with a different type of ad that diverted, if only for a moment, Americans' attention away from the hustle and bustle of the political election.
To accomplish this goal, the surgery center launched a one-minute ad about puppies.
"MEDARVA Stony Point Surgery Center is known for being creative and taking issues head-on. We like to start conversations and encourage open dialogue," says Bruce Kupper, CEO of MEDARVA Stony Point Surgery Center.
While some political ads speak of promise and a fruitful future, other ads are putting forth negative messages. Mr. Kupper remarks, "It just seems to us that the presidential campaign is wearing on everyone and we wanted to do something that would lift people's spirits and give them something to talk about other than attack ads."
After a minute or so of watching puppies play amongst each other, the ad reminds viewers to "take a paws from politics." The surgery center is getting a wealth of positive feedback from both patients and local community members, with its sights set on getting the ad to go viral.
"We want to start conversations and we want people to know that there is more going on in the world than just the political campaigns," Mr. Mr. Kupper says.
Marketing is a vital tool for surgery centers to thrive in the highly competitive healthcare landscape, and MEDARVA Stony Point works to accomplish two goals — shift attention away from the election while also educating the public about ambulatory surgery centers. Mr. Kupper explains surgery centers need to unite as a community to show how ASCs provide high quality to consumers.
"We need to partner with our surgeons and safely push the envelope in transferring surgical procedures from the acute care hospital to ASC," he says. "We find partnering with our surgeons and educating the public through TV and print on the benefits, safety and value of surgical procedures performed in an ASC is very successful."
Click here to view MEDARVA Stony Point Surgery Center's ad.
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