northwell health
It’s always better for a brand to be original than mimicking a successful competitor.
Yet the temptation exists.
It was certainly there for the North Shore-LIJ Cancer Institute as they grappled with their biggest challenge: after diagnosing patients with cancer, those patients left Long Island and headed to New York City for treatment.
The thing is, North Shore-LIJ is the largest healthcare system in New York state. And those resources make the Cancer Institute one of the most advanced – and effective - in the nation. Acting as strategist, creative director and writer, I knew we had a story to tell. It was just a matter of making it resonate with patients – without aping the competition.
Once again, research led the way. Cancer survivors and their families told us that the disease strips them of all initiative. It becomes the aggressor and they the victim. What they really wanted was:
1. a treatment partner that engendered confidence by attacking cancer with the same ferocity that it attacked them.
2. for that partner to remember patients are people and their bodies aren’t just medical battlefields.
That was the genesis of our “Relentless” strategic direction and the campaign that ensued. It drove a 40% increase in new visitors to the Cancer Institute’s website, which boosted call center and e-mail inquiries and ultimately led to a 15% increase in consultations.
Work created while serving as chief creative officer, partner and writer at Gatesman+Dave.