CASE STUDY

Institute for Health and Productivity Management (IHPM)
Research Distribution Campaign

The Institute for Health and Productivity Management in Scottsdale, Ariz., conducted a three-year series of studies to define precisely the critical role played by employee health in corporate productivity. Working with employers, health care providers, insurers and employees, the IHPM assembled data that demonstrated clearly how low-cost methods to prevent illness could improve work force health to the benefit of both companies and employees.

The IHPM maintained a low profile while carrying out its research. When the results were in hand, the Institute was eager to disseminate its information throughout the health care system. But how could the Institute get attention for its research in a media market saturated with competing views on health care?

Winning Strategies responded to IHPM's challenge with a multi-layered media campaign designed to raise awareness of the Institute and its work across the nation. It put in place:

• A service to send e-mail news bulletins to IHPM's target audience throughout the health care system.
• An IHPM News Bureau. It drafted and distributed news releases on newsworthy topics; encouraged media interest by telephone and e-mail; and fielded inquiries from the media.
• An opinion-article placement program. In collaboration with IHPM President and CEO Sean Sullivan, an essay designed for publication on newspaper opinion pages was prepared. The opinion piece, which promoted the Institute's employee-based health care solutions, was published in several newspapers.

Media placements included wire services and the mainstream and business press -- Reuters, for example, and publications such as USA Today and Investor's Business Daily. Trade and niche publications for physicians, hospital management and other health-care workers also used information from the program. Further, the campaign saw many web site placements, including HR News Online, ModernPhysician.com, Pro2Net and the web portal, Yahoo!

Between September and November 2000, impressions exceeded 10 million. The Institute for Health and Productivity Management was successfully launched as a leading resource on employee health and productivity.