For the past three months, Baptist’s Corporate Communications team has executed a three-phase COVID-19 communications campaign throughout Baptist’s service area. Using television, social media, and marketing and online tactics, the team has reached millions of people.
Phase 1: March 8-April 27, 2020
Baptist’s COVID-19 campaign began with a series of ads and videos aimed at educating the general public about how to protect themselves from the disease. Television commercials, social media videos, a website and digital ads provided information on a number of COVID-related topics. These tactics yielded tremendous results:
- Ads leading to social media videos featuring Dr. Stephen Threlkeld, an infectious disease physician and co-director of Baptist Memphis’ infection prevention program, earned 30,931 link clicks and had double the industry standard click-through rate.
- The Baptist Coronavirus Resource Center website had 214,000 views.
Phase 2: April 27-June 1, 2020
Phase 2 television commercials, publicity and social media ads and posts continued to advise viewers on ways they can stay safe, including by using MyChart video visits and e-visits. The campaign continued to earn strong results:
- Social media ads reached 1.8 million people.
- Social media posts on Baptist’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn pages reached 2.9 million people and earned 118,000 engagements. In addition, 32,033 people clicked on links in the posts.
- Baptist earned an average of 71% of COVID-19 news media coverage.
In addition, Baptist Medical Group telemedicine visits jumped from 2,542 between January and March to 39,234 between April and June, and the 24/7 Coronavirus Resource Center hotline received 10,715 calls since it began operation on March 8. The COVID-19 communications campaign heavily promoted both services.
Phase 3: June 1-July 31, 2020
The focus of the campaign’s third phase shifted to encouraging people to reschedule elective procedures and Baptist Medical Group physician office visits. It includes TV commercials, billboards, and Facebook and Instagram ads. The campaign will cover Baptist’s entire service area: Memphis; Jackson, Tennessee; Tupelo, Mississippi; and Jackson, Mississippi. All tactics feature three physicians:
- Dr. Stephen Threlkeld, infectious disease physician and co-director of Baptist Memphis’ infection prevention program
- Dr. Kimberly Brown, an ER physician at Baptist DeSoto
- Dr. H.F. Mason, a general surgeon with Baptist Medical Group and chief medical officer of Baptist Union County
