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How WashU Medicine Orthopedics Built Trust Through an Integrated, Year-Long Campaign

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Industry

Healthcare

Goals

WashU Medicine Orthopedics sought to maintain consistent visibility across the St. Louis region while reinforcing its position as a trusted, comprehensive leader in advanced, patient-centered orthopedic care. The year-long campaign was designed to build awareness, educate readers on the full breadth of its expertise—from sports medicine and joint replacement to spine care and minimally invasive treatments—and reach audiences actively considering healthcare decisions and physician selection.

Results

WashU Medicine Orthopedics generated more than 1 million in total campaign reach and 542 engagements through a sustained mix of print, newsletters, social media, and branded content. Beyond scale, the campaign connected with an audience well aligned with healthcare decision-making: 78% of readers purchase services from advertising they see, 36% plan to invest in medical services or a physician within the next 12 months.

Key Product

Integrated Campaign

1,075,700
Total Campaign Reach
542
Total Engagements
251,665
Branded Content Reach
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The Solution

A Multi-Channel Strategy Built for Consistent Trust

WashU Medicine Orthopedics partnered with St. Louis Magazine on a year-long integrated campaign designed to keep the brand consistently visible while building awareness and credibility across its full range of orthopedic services.

Rather than relying on a single burst of exposure, the campaign maintained a steady presence throughout the year across print, newsletters, social media, and branded content—giving WashU Medicine Orthopedics multiple opportunities to reach readers as healthcare needs and decisions arose.

A key part of the strategy was the branded content feature, How WashU Medicine Orthopedics Is Bringing a Holistic Approach to Pediatric Sports Medicine. The article went beyond a traditional service overview, highlighting the expertise, philosophy, and comprehensive approach behind the team’s pediatric sports medicine care.

The feature generated 710 article pageviews and was supported by a promotional campaign that delivered 251,665 in total reach across newsletters, social media, website placements, and a run-of-site impression campaign.

How The Story Reached St. Louis

For a campaign focused on long-term awareness and consideration, consistency was key.

Across the year, WashU Medicine Orthopedics appeared in 4 print issues and 11 newsletter sponsorships spanning City SCene, Wellness, and Dining Out, alongside social promotion, and branded content.

Messaging throughout the campaign showcased the breadth of WashU Medicine Orthopedics’ expertise, highlighting services and specialties ranging from joint and spine care to sports medicine while also sharing updates such as expanded access to orthopedic care.

  • 594,700 Total Print Reach

  • 214,857 Total Newsletter Reach

  • 14,478 Total Social Reach

  • 251,665 Branded Content Total Reach 

Rather than asking one placement to do all the work, the integrated strategy created repeated opportunities for audiences to see the WashU Medicine Orthopedics brand, learn about its services, and build familiarity over time.

The Impact

The strength of the WashU Medicine Orthopedics campaign came from the combination of scale, consistency, audience quality, and education.

The campaign reached a readership closely aligned with healthcare decision-makers:

  • 62% are female (a key healthcare decision-making demographic)

  • 36% plan to invest in medical services or a physician within the next 12 months

  • 59% have household incomes of $100,000 or more

  • 26% are parents with children under 18

While clicks were not the primary objective of this awareness- and education-focused campaign, select newsletter placements also outperformed St. Louis Magazine sponsor click-rate benchmarks, providing an additional signal that the messaging resonated when readers were presented with an opportunity to act.

Most importantly, the campaign did not depend on a single moment of visibility. By combining recurring media placements with educational content that remains accessible on stlmag.com after publication, WashU Medicine Orthopedics built sustained brand recognition throughout the year—helping keep the organization top-of-mind as readers considered orthopedic care and physician options.

 

 

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