Loretto Health & Rehabilitation
B2C , Healthcare
Loretto helps care for older adults in Central New York with a wide range of options that allow seniors to live fuller, more vibrant lives. But good care takes good workers—something there’s a shortage of in elder care.
Like all assisted living facilities, the COVID pandemic negatively impacted Loretto’s admissions volume, making it more difficult to attract and retain patients. Long-term care decisions are inherently sensitive and emotional, and the barriers created by the pandemic made finding the right fit for loved ones even more challenging.
Through our research, we found that families want what’s best for their loved ones, but in many cases, decisions about care need to be made quickly. And due to recent controversy over nursing home deaths across NYS, many people view all assisted living facilities in the same way—which is to say, not that great. We needed to find a way to resonate with our audience and show them what makes Loretto different.
To make the challenge more manageable, we decided to create a character. By doing so, we’d have more control over how we delivered our message to each of our audiences—everyone from future and present residents to family members and others. Our character would enable us to tell the Loretto story—from a trip on the PACE bus to the Day Center to home care, and more.
She’s kind of feisty and very spunky. She’s headstrong and doesn’t really ask for help, but knows when she could use a hand. We were able to show in a more personal way that with Loretto, anyone can live like Loretta.
Loretta made her introduction in lighthearted :30 and :15 broadcast spots that were reformatted for online video, as well a robust digital campaign including programmatic banners and social. She even became the star of a custom landing page to generate new leads.
It turns out that when you personify the assisted living experience in a novel way, people take notice. The campaign generated 10.7MM impressions and drove more than 77,000 visits to Loretto’s website. Facebook and Instagram engagement metrics were 300% higher than benchmark, and Google search and YouTube engagement was 200% higher than benchmark. The “Meet Loretta” video ad remains Loretto’s highest-performing paid social ad to date. And dozens of people chimed in to share their appreciation for the campaign—a rarity in healthcare marketing.
By using Loretta to tell Loretto’s story, we literally turned a brand into a friend. Not only did she offer levity to a decision which can be so emotional, she allowed prospective patients the opportunity to experience the benefits of Loretto through her eyes.
Key Brand as Friend® drivers:
Hey! Our name is pronounced Mōw-rrr, like this thing I’m pushing.