This document describes a marketing campaign created by Journey to Better Health (J2BH) to promote their "Living Well with Diabetes" workshop. The goal was to enroll at least 8 people in one workshop session to train staff. Tactics included web, email, posters, flyers and a direct mail postcard to diabetes patients. Results showed both sessions filled beyond capacity. The postcard generated the most enrollments at 44-70%. Other channels contributed minimally. The objectives of training staff and filling a session were achieved.

1. Journey to Better
Health
Living Well with
Diabetes
Enrollment
Campaign

2. Background
Journey to Better Health is a program of
Howard County General Hospital’s Population
Health initiative. The initiative centers on
improving the health of the Howard County
community by encouraging individuals and
families to practice healthy lifestyles.
In support of the initiative, the J2BH program
offers free chronic disease management
workshops for those who have long-term
chronic health issues (e.g. diabetes, heart
disease, stroke) so they can learn to better
manage their conditions and prevent their
conditions from worsening and, possibly,
having to be hospitalized.

3. Background
In the spring and summer of 2018, J2BH offered a
new licensed workshop: Living Well with
Diabetes.
Designed for those living with diabetes and their
caregivers, the six-week workshop provided
information and practical tools to help individuals
self-manage the condition while creating
individualized action plans in a small, supportive
group setting.
The workshop was offered:
• Spring session: April 4 – May 10, 5:30 – 8 p.m.
• Summer session: Aug. 3 – Sept. 7, 10 a.m. –
12:30 p.m.

4. Challenge
Despite the workshops being free and local,
J2BH has found it challenging to fill its
workshops and, in some cases, run them at
the enrollment minimum (eight
participants).
It needed to run at least one workshop for
staff to take advantage of a train the trainer
opportunity to conduct future workshops.

5. Plan of Action: Promotion
I created a plan that focused on achieving
the following objectives, utilizing a mix of
digital and traditional marketing tactics
within J2BH’s limited budget.
Objectives included:
• Running at least one of the two
sessions.
• Registering between eight-15
individuals in either the spring or
summer session.
• Using one of the sessions as a train the
trainer opportunity for two of its staff
to conduct future sessions.

6. Creative: Copy
Because of the stress, worry,
frustration and other discouraging
experiences and feelings that diabetic
patients and caregivers often face, we
wanted the copy to be empowering,
uplifting and reassuring.
Managing diabetes can seem overwhelming, but it
does not have to be. Learn to reduce its effects by
understanding more about the condition, steps for
managing it and creating an action plan that is
tailored to you in our small, interactive peer-to-peer
supportive six-week class.
We explore real-life skills for:
- Balancing healthy eating with physical activity
- Managing emotions
- Thinking positive
- Planning future action steps
Each session builds upon the last, all the while sharing
experiences and identifying solutions and tools for
solving problems, creating a supportive environment.

7. Creative: Image
Similarly, we chose an image that
conveyed happiness,
empowerment and exercise, a
major factor in reducing diabetic
symptoms.
Because of HIPAA restrictions,
HCGH typically uses stock images.

8. Digital Marketing Tactics
Web Page
Implementation Date: Dec. 22, 2017

9. Digital Marketing Tactics
Home Page Announcement
Run Dates:
March 20 – April 4, 2018

10. Digital Marketing Tactics
Animated Video for Hospital Plasma TV’s
Run Dates: March 5 – April 4, 2018

11. Digital Marketing Tactics
Email: Monthly Physician e-Newsletter
Run Dates: Feb. 28, 2018
Those living with diabetes
and those caring for
someone with diabetes
learn to reduce its effects
by understanding more
about the condition,
discover steps for
managing it and create
and action plan in this
Population Health
workshop. Learn more.
Copy

12. Traditional Marketing Tactics
Flier
Completion Date: Feb. 1, 2018
Distribution: Events and Hospital Information Racks

13. Traditional Marketing Tactics
Poster
Completion Date: March 12 – April 2, 2018
Distribution: Hospital Elevators and Garage

14. Traditional Marketing Tactics
Postcard
Completion Date:
Feb. 8, 2018
Distribution:
• Direct Mailing Sent to
HCGH Diabetes
Patients
• Mailing List Obtained
from HCGH’s
Electronic Medical
Record System
Outside
Inside

15. Measurement
The tactics were measured using two
measurement forms:
• Website traffic
• Phone calls generated
I set up campaign tracking urls to
measure web page views, conversions
(i.e. enrollments) and other pertinent
details.
Staff receiving calls asked and
documented how individuals learned of
the workshop and measured
enrollments gained from the calls.

16. Results
The campaign exceed J2BH’s objectives:
• Both sessions filled and a waiting list
had to be created.
• Two staff members were trained to
conduct future workshops
The direct mailing generated the most
enrollments: 44% for spring session and
70% for the summer session.
Other efforts generated minimal
enrollments, contributing 5%-10%
enrollment.