What they were up against.

Virtua is a comprehensive healthcare system headquartered in Marlton, NJ. A nonprofit with a penchant for innovation and personalized care, Virtua was doing invaluable work pioneering in the world of healthcare, specifically launching a minimally invasive knee replacement surgery that featured the region’s only quad-sparing joint replacement technique. They had a problem, though: The Rothman Institute.

With four hospitals and a small complement of support services, Virtua was very much an up-and-comer. Their main competitor in the region, The Rothman Institute, had them beat in size, resources and advertising spending. As Virtua prepared to launch a revolutionary new knee replacement technique, they needed a way to stand out and differentiate against an opponent that was above their punching weight.

What we did to help.

We knew Virtua’s conglomerate-sized obstacle would take more than an advertising solution alone to overcome. They needed a strategic deep-dive. They needed someone to do the legwork to truly understand what message would resonate within the healthcare community. So that’s exactly what we gave them.

We put troops on the ground in New Jersey and southern Pennsylvania to talk to the patients and practitioners who interacted with both Virtua and Rothman. We gathered insights and truths about the industry, the community and the competition. What we uncovered surprised us. It wasn’t something the big guys had that Virtua didn’t. It was something Virtua held on to that their competition never had.

“It’s what we don’t cut that counts” not only launched Virtua’s new minimally invasive knee-replacement procedure, but spoke to something much more potent that had been reflected in our research: Virtua brought innovative and accessible healthcare to the East Coast without sacrificing a devotion to personal care, and they brought a dedication to doing things right. The fully integrated campaign included TV, radio, outdoor, print and digital support. It let consumers know what put Virtua ahead of their competition, all while taking the high road.