Category: Best non-fiction program, series or film where a client has successfully created a reality, documentary or light entertainment show around a product(s) or brand(s)
Advertiser: PRASIT PATANA PUBLIC COMPANY
Product/Service: PHYATHAI HOSPITAL
Agency: MEDIAEDGE:CIA
Managing Director: Mrs Sunee Paripunna (Mediaedge:CIA)
Managing Partner: Mr Sarnchatt Chansrakao (Mediaedge:CIA)
Director: Mr Noppakorn Thongman (Mediaedge:CIA)
Media placement: TV Program - TV, Digital - 24 July 2011
Campaign Description
Thailand is a tightly regulated market, with a distinct lack of quality local branded entertainment.
In Thailand over the last decade, where brands have developed TV content they have taken a traditional, passive, media sponsorship approach. This has included sponsorship idents (opening and closing credits), basic product placement and the production of TV scoops (programme related commercial spots).
This is due to the tight regulation, which governs the branded entertainment market, imposed by the broadcasters. Although brand and product mentions are allowed within programming, there is strict censorship to ensure that certain kinds of overt messages and key product benefits are not promoted.
With the growth of the international market, appetite for branded entertainment in Thailand has also grown and 1 or 2 local production companies are now actively seeking investors in ad-funded shows. However, there remains a lack of good quality locally produced content, tailored to the market. With the strict regulations outlined, it remains a challenging environment to create original formats.
Our success with ‘The Symptom’ is re-defining this model, allowing us to create distinctive, original branded content for our clients, leading to the growth in Thailand of branded entertainment.
Effectiveness
We created a unique new content format we’ve called ‘medu-tainment’. We fused light entertainment with the factual and explanatory medical approach to create our original show: The Symptom.
Phyathai Hospital is the second largest private hospital in Thailand.
Our key objective was not to build awareness, but to position the brand as the leading expert, specialised healthcare provider.
We identified 2 core audiences; health care professionals (future employees) and patients.
We could see that existing medical content was dry, and as a consequence had very low impact. For the consumer audience, our insight was that Thais perceive doctor or health related communication as difficult to understand, so they ignore it.
For both audiences, category communication was functional, making it unmemorable and therefore difficult to distinguish brands. Essentially communication in this category was turning a potentially high level of involvement into boredom and confusion.
The Symptom combines key elements of House and CSI into a medical game show inviting a team of pre-medical students to solve a medical diagnosis. There are 3 key segments:
- Q=Questioning: the team obtain basic information from our specialist
- T=Testing: the team get points deducted for each test that they want to investigate
- D=Decision: the team arrive at the answer from the symptom clues
Brand integration was achieved by creatively working within regulations. The Phyathai specialists on set had subtle medical coat branding. Brand colour schemes and logo were integrated within set design and on-screen graphics. Phyathai designed computer software helped the diagnosis process.
The Symptom ran for 13 episodes, starting July 24th 2011, in a prime time Sunday night slot 21.30–22.00.
- Sponsoring opening and closing credits
- TVC’s ran in commercial breaks.
- MCOT Modern 9 were our broadcast partner, fitting closely with their entertainment positioning.
Implementation
We created buzz around the show, treating it as a TV station would their new season launch.
We held an upfront press conference, which 200+ media outlets covered.
We also launched 15 & 30 second promos, which ran supporting every episode with MCOT (our broadcast partner).
To drive ongoing engagement, we developed a digital strategy fuelled by specialist entertainment and healthcare bloggers tweeting about the show. Viewers could view content on YouTube, and discuss via our Facebook page.
Throughout the broadcast we facilitated real time interaction via a live SMS feed, allowing viewers to share their thoughts onscreen.
Outcome
We have tracked business metrics, and over the show’s run found:
- 14% revenue increase
- 37% increase in new patients
- 13% increase in the number of patient visits
NB: We have compared pre and post broadcast levels for each metric, and can state that there was no other significant activity for the brand or the industry at this time.
We have also tracked campaign outputs:
* Almost doubled the average time slot rating, from 0.9 prior to Symptom, rising to an average rating on 1.5 for The Symptom, with a peak of 2.6.
* 500,000+ YouTube views
* 4m+ cumulative reach
* Attracted second tier sponsors, and over twelve advertisers
* 14,223 Facebook ‘Likes’
* 2,000 SMS’s screened throughout the series
* PR coverage worth 12m+ Bhat
We currently have interest from 4 international distributors to take this highly innovative format into other Western and Asian markets. This will open up a new revenue stream, effectively making the show self-funding in Thailand (the Intellectual Property rights rest with Phyathai & Agency).