Project:

Johnson Direct was hired at the end of the third quarter of 2006 and asked to evaluate and make recommendations concerning existing consumer-oriented advertising that focused on a former Milwaukee professional athlete.

Services Provided:

• Consulting
• Creative Services
• Media Planning & Buying
• Public Relations/Media Relations
  
  • Print
  • Broadcast
    

Objectives:

Johnson Direct needed to keep SWI’s name in front of consumer healthcare decision-makers despite unusually heavy media buys occurring in the 2006 political season, fueled both by mid-term Congressional elections and a particularly intense gubernatorial race that featured record spending on media in Wisconsin.

Strategy:

Radio & Television Advertising

Johnson Direct sought to catch the attention of the spouses and bed partners of those suffering unknowingly with sleeping disorders. The new commercials eliminated SWI's dependence on featuring a faded athlete and refocused instead on messages directed to the symptoms of sleep apnea, primarily snoring and breathing interruptions.

Television and radio buys were staggered, with TV running during later night programs and radio running on early morning “drive time” shows. Television commercial lengths were shortened to 10 seconds to preclude the possibility of being bumped in favor of 30 and 60 second spots ordered by political campaigns. A package of ear plugs was featured in the TV spots, branded with the slogan “Take two, and call us in the morning.” These branded ear plugs were used as giveaways as part of the campaign.

Public Relations / Media Relations

Johnson Direct pursued news media opportunities that would begin the process of creating top of mind public awareness of SWI as the leader in sleep disorder diagnosis and treatment.

Given the close proximity to the Christmas/Chanukah holidays, Johnson Direct capitalized on the opportunity to discuss sleep dysfunction as it is tied to the stresses and emotions of the season. The local ABC affiliate, WISN-TV, was targeted as its early morning (5:00 to 7:00 a.m.) newscast frequently carries helpful features for viewers. The station responded with an appropriate story, including an interview with SWI’s president and tape of SWI facilities that ran at 6:44 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 15, 2006. The story then was repeated on the 5:00 p.m. newscast the same day, and a link to SWI’s website was placed on the television station’s website.

• View placement now (.wmv file)

Continuing to examine opportunities, Johnson Direct found that the local NBC affiliate, WTMJ-TV, had a live interview opening available on its Friday, Dec. 22, 11:30 a.m. newscast. With recommendations from Johnson Direct, the station chose to focus on sleep apnea, and carried a live, four minute interview with SWI’s president at 11:45 a.m., and provided a link to SWI’s website on its own website.

• View placement now (.wmv file)

During that interview, a Johnson Direct public relations representative spoke off-camera with one of the station’s meteorologists, who expressed concern that he, himself, might have sleep apnea. He was provided with additional information, and was scheduled for an overnight sleep study at SWI in late January. WTMJ-TV produced a story focusing on sleep apnea and the meteorologist’s sleep study that was heavily promoted and appeared on 10:00 p.m., 5:00 a.m., and 4:00 p.m. newscasts during February, “Sweeps” month.

• View placement now (.wmv file)

At the same time, Johnson Direct developed an article on SWI that became the featured cover article for the January, 2007 edition of MDNews Magazine, a publication that targets the physician market in the Greater Milwaukee area. A Johnson Direct representative interviewed a physician and other personnel at SWI and then authored the article specifically for the physician audience.

• View placement now (PDF)

Still looking for additional opportunities, a Johnson Direct public relations representative noticed in March that the local CBS affiliate had added a new reporter whose experience included reporting on some healthcare issues. She was approached with the importance of spreading the word about sleep apnea and, on April 3, a story about the Sleep Wellness Institute and its sleep apnea diagnostic and treatment services appeared four times on the CBS station.

• View placement now (.wmv file)