PR Campaign Case Analysis

This was a case analysis assigned in a introductory PR class. This goal of this research was to analyze the effectiveness of a specific PR campaign.

Omron Healthcare: HeartGuide Launch

OMRON Healthcare is a brand based out of Japan that promotes and creates healthcare products. The company is dedicated to helping people live a more rewarding life through unique, cutting-edge equipment that can track and monitor health. Their innovative products allow those that use them to worry less about their condition and more about enjoying their lives (OMRON Healthcare).

The company works closely with its hired public relations agency, MWW Public Relations, to maintain its image and launch new healthcare products. The agency was hired in 2016 to help OMRON appear as a top competitor in the heart monitor market (MWWPR, 2018). Soon after, OMRON developed a wearable heart monitor in the form of a wristwatch designed for those in need of easy access to constant and consistent data. To help launch the new, innovative piece of hardware, the two groups created a campaign that focused on OMRON’s company mission and the promotion of its position as a “global leader in personal heart health and wellness technology” (WARC, 2020, para. 1).

Research

To start the campaign off on a strong foot, both OMRON and MWWPR conducted various types of initial research. The OMRON team started with primary research that included general consumer market research, most likely through surveys, focus groups, and interviews with physicians. They also conducted various forms of secondary research as can be seen in stated statistics from the CDC. Although the exact methods are not clear, the insights gained made a valuable contribution to the campaign. Through their research, the team was able to gather insights that indicated the most effective target demographic for their product. This demographic targeted men over the age of fifty with a sizeable income and an inclination to quickly adopt innovations. Other insights on the perception of the wearable heart monitoring device amongst physicians were gathered as well. Many of these insights proved vital in informing and shaping the campaign’s communication strategy.

Some of these insights included (WARC, 2020, para. 5):

· “According to the CDC, 80% of heart attacks and strokes are preventable”

· “OMRON had a recognized heritage of accuracy but was losing the perception of innovation to brands like FitBit and iHealth who were actively telling a product innovation story.”

· “When a consumer’s blood pressure readings were high, they didn’t know what they meant or how to improve them. These consumers craved additional heart health coaching to help them understand their numbers and stick to a routine of regularly monitoring.”

· “Consumers shared that while they were monitoring their blood pressure at home, they wanted a better way to monitor their heart health that fit easily into their lifestyle.”

The methods used for primary research were mostly qualitative, as they sought to uncover insights into key publics and general opinion on the product itself. The methods of the research were not specified but it can be inferred that surveys and focus groups were implemented. This way, insights about how and why the key public would be attracted to or in need of the company’s product were discovered. The careful attention given to the opinions of healthcare professionals proved to be a valuable source of insight. Such insights most likely led to further research on how to appeal to key publics. Secondary research revealed that the company’s product had several compelling solutions to major problems in its industry. After it was noted that heart health monitoring could effectively prevent or provide an early indication of serious injury, the OMRON team was able to discuss unique opportunities for their campaign.

The research methods were appropriate as their qualitative nature provided a specific direction for the motivational objectives. The majority of the research findings were useful over the course of the campaign and helped establish the objectives. The major findings of the research indicated that the key public desired to have ease of access to continual supervision of their heart health and coaching in that area. This led directly to the development of the campaign objectives.

Action Planning

In this campaign, a singular main goal was not explicitly identified. It is not written or stated in a single location, but the campaign focused on addressing the core problem. Individuals in the category of highest risk were not aware of the importance of regular heart monitoring and did not have convenient ways to do so. Both OMRON and MWWPR seem to address this problem in their goals and objectives throughout the campaign. This overarching theme can be seen in the clearly stated objectives. The three main objectives of the campaign were listed as follows (WARC, 2020, para. 4):

· “Fortify the positioning of HeartGuide as the first wearable blood pressure monitor”

· “Raise awareness for the value of regular blood pressure monitoring among the general population in addition to OMRON’s core target of men and women 50+”

· “Drive product sales”

In many ways, these objectives are successful as they are both informational and motivational in purpose. They were linked to the overall goal as they sought to raise awareness and provide a convenient and constant solution or option. However, it is noted that a loss of effectiveness is seen due to the lack of a clearly stated goal as such leads to more specific objectives.

The listed objectives are indeed clear and concise; however, they did lack a few of the eight criteria that are needed to truly be effective throughout the campaign(Wilson et al., 2019, pp. 93-96). One criterion that was overlooked was a workable timetable. Without such, difficulties arise quickly in a public relations campaign. Additionally, there is an inability to measure the success of the objectives. It is extremely difficult to mark success and efficiency if there is no means by which to measure it. Despite these setbacks, the objectives were successful in other ways. They were attainable, specific, written, and driven by the company’s stated mission. They were listed as single sentences that used positive terminology implying growth and stability. it is interesting to speculate how the results of the campaign may have differed if measurable units would have been implicated in the objectives.

When the time came to plan a strategy, a specific key public was needed. It was ultimately identified as a group of men and women older than 50. Seeking to improve their heart health. They were selected because they were the most likely to purchase a more convenient long-term solution to a problem or condition that plagued them regularly. The key publics were largely related to the set objectives because they were closely intertwined. The research conducted helped the company better understand the demographics and psychographics of this key public. The research showed that this key public had a desire to not only have access to heart health data but play an active role in maintaining or improving their heart health. It also provided insight to show how the Omron team could directly reach them in this regard. There was additional outreach to media outlets to notify the public of the importance of their product and service.

The primary message of the campaign was that OMRON healthcare stood at the top of heart monitoring products through their product HeartGuide, “the first wearable blood pressure monitor” (WARC, 2020, para. 6). This message was derived from the need to raise awareness of available solutions as seen in insights derived from the research phase of the campaign. This message was also able to address the concern to accessible and accurate monitoring.

To develop successful strategies, key publics and objectives were often reviewed and used as guidelines. The WARC case study clearly outlines a series of launch phases that would occur through specific channels and use certain tactics to share the primary message. Such were listed as a media preview day, an official launch at CES, and a post-CES media dinner. Through these channels and tactics, OMRON was able to gain a considerable amount of earned media.

Earned media was seen as TIME Magazine selected their product as one of the Best Inventions of 2019 and featured it on the cover. Another example of earned media was the nomination of the product as one of the 100 Breakthrough Innovations by Popular Science as it helped the brand gain recognition (WARC, 2020, para. 20).

Evaluation

The WARC case study states that effective evaluative research was conducted. The evaluation was closely tied to the objectives as it sought to reveal the efficacy of each one. Such evaluations show that each phase of the launch exceeded expectations and yielded impressive results. The company surpassed its expected sales and was able to gain a considerable amount of media impressions. After the media preview day and the media coverage at CES, pre-orders of the product exceeded the company’s sales goals and the event resulted in over 3 billion earned media impressions. They were also granted three well-known awards and effectively raised awareness of their campaign (WARC, 2020, paras. 17-18). As such, the evaluative research showed the success of campaign objectives in reaching company goals.

Social Responsibility

For OMRON, it was not enough to just make a wearable blood pressure monitor. The company strived to create accessibility to a more fulfilling and enjoyable life. The WARC case study shows that interest was taken in acting in a socially responsible way by assuring that the key public would also benefit from this campaign. This transparency can be seen as social responsibility because it ensures that both parties benefit and instills trust in the public. It also helps to reaffirm the company’s main mission as was previously stated.

Conclusions

A campaign must be developed and thought through carefully and meticulously. Although it is often difficult to address each detail, each part of this campaign proves to yield positive results. A clear procession of thought can be seen each step of the way. Even with a lack of important criteria in the objectives section that would have proved more cohesive in the end, the team was able to reach their overarching goal. OMRON and MWWPR were able to create a highly successful product launch and ultimately put the company on track to being recognized as a premier provider of healthcare equipment.

References

MWWPR. (2018). Omron Healthcare Hires MWWPR as Agency of Record. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/omron-healthcare-hires-mwwpr-as-agency-of-record-300275373.html

OMRON Healthcare. (n.d.). https://www.omron-healthcare.com/eu/general/omron-healthcare.html

WARC. (2020). OMRON Healthcare: HeartGuide Launch. WARC. https://www.warc.com/content/paywall/article/omron-healthcare-heartguide-launch/132461

Wilson, L., Ogden, J., & Wilson, C. (2019). Strategic Communications for PR, Social Media, and Marketing (7th edition). Kendall Hunt Publishing.