Content, speaking engagements and awards are key to Ascension’s thought leadership campaign

To elevate its brand, the largest Catholic health system in the United States opted to focus on thought leadership, raising the profile of the organization’s key national and regional leaders. Its success has taken first place in the “Brand Awareness” category of PR Daily’s 2018 Content Marketing Awards.

The team of Nick Ragone and Johnny Smith settled on three means of showcasing the company’s leaders: media content, speaking engagements and submitting Ascension for important, visible recognition. The media effort focused on earned media, achieved in large part through op-eds the company offered addressing topics of interest to publications based on their niche and region. This element of the brand awareness effort led to more than 200 media placements in national health care and consumer publications, along with local media market outlets, shining a spotlight on 65 different company leaders.

The team also published LinkedIn posts from key leaders, attracting additional attention through the business-focused social network. Research delved into the best speaking and award opportunities, resulting in more than 100 national and regional speaking engagements and 75 national and local awards.

Ascension employed social media to tie the campaign together, producing some 500 posts reaching more than 8 million people. These campaign elements remained focused on topics already part of the national health care discussion, such as health care reform, telemedicine and access to care.

It’s a highly effective approach to building reputation based on thought leadership, involving leaders from across the organization.

Congratulations to Nick Ragone and Johnny Smith.