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Mary Free Bed Hospital to change name and marketing direction.

On November 15, 2004, Mary Free Bed will launch a comprehensive branding campaign to strengthen its position within the rehabilitation hospital sector.

The campaign will cover every aspect of the organization from staff name badges to television commercials to print and billboard advertising, starting on November 15, 2004.

Bill Blessing, CEO said, “The ever-changing healthcare environment prompted our organization to undertake an integrated branding campaign, generously funded by the Mary Free Bed Guild of Grand Rapids. This campaign challenged our organization to clarify our communication strategy to the entire region. Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital provides rehabilitation services like no one else.”

The campaign’s creative direction was the result of insightful focus groups and lengthy referral physician interviews held over the last 12 months. The branding research showed that the words “rehabilitation center” were perceived in the minds of physicians and the public, who did not know about Mary Free Bed, as meaning an organization that does drug and alcohol rehabilitation. By changing the name to “Rehabilitation Hospital,” the organization is able to better clarify its mission to its target audience.

Mr. Blessing went on to state, “Our focus is to make sure that the quality, experience and a wide array of services will be clearly and concisely portrayed in a truthful and straightforward manner. I am very proud and truly pleased with the results of this undertaking. We are letting the audience know that we are not like other Michigan hospitals:  We have no emergency room, no surgical suites and no intensive care units. We are sharing only one piece of information about us with the audience, and that is: Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital provides rehabilitation services and does it like no one else.”

The state wide $3.2 million comprehensive branding campaign is spread over the next three years and will provide a solid level of frequency and audience reach.

Key points and elements of the branding campaign:

•    New name: Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital
•    New slogan: Restoring Hope and Freedom
•    New logo
•    New website – http://www.maryfreebed.com
•    Television commercials
•    Billboards
•    Newspaper advertising
•    Advertising campaign: Grand Rapids, Saginaw, Flint, Bay City Traverse City, Lansing, Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Jackson and Muskegon
•    The branding campaign will simultaneously launch the new name, logo and slogan to the entire organization.
•    The branding effort is scheduled to run for three years.
•    This is first comprehensive branding campaign Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital has ever undertaken.

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