Inova

Inova Schar Cancer Center

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As a well-known regional hospital, Inova was set to open its new world-class cancer treatment center located in northern Virginia – the Schar Cancer Institute. Inova Schar wanted to shift perceptions from a community-oriented cancer facility to a nationally recognized comprehensive cancer care center.

Challenge

The Inova Health System is a beloved “community hospital” brand in northern Virginia. Inova made a $150 million investment in a new state-of-the-art facility for its comprehensive cancer care center to serve the growing northern Virginia region. But would patients go to their “community hospital” brand for care when academic institutions like Georgetown and Johns Hopkins had cancer facilities nearby?

Our Approach

Thanks to the growth in searchable data on cancer facilities and movement towards patient empowerment, more patients and caregivers are “self-directed,” relying less on physician referrals. Research revealed a perceived trade-off in the marketplace between either inconvenient or less personal regional researched-based institutions and local-area competitors known for compassionate care.

Our Solution

To break through the crowded market, we developed a multichannel media campaign focused on one central idea: “Cancer Care Built Around You” positioning Inova Schar as the best of both worlds – compassionate care to treat the patient and cutting-edge science-based care to treat the disease. We supported the launch with live events as well as with a local, regional and national media relations campaign.