CASE STUDIES

career highlights from the past decade

As the de facto Chief Marketing Officer for a $6B health care organization, my role has encompassed comprehensive leadership in brand positioning, media strategy, content creation, and creative development. My strategic oversight and execution have consistently delivered substantial growth, increased revenue, and notable market share gains.

The following case studies illustrate key achievements from my marketing career, highlighting innovative campaigns, data-driven strategies, and a collaborative approach that fosters high-performing, award-winning teams.

Jump down the page:
KP Medicare Liberty
KP Medical Excellence
KP Lead Boldly
KP Medicare
Georgetown Course Development
Capital One Home Loans
building brand equity and willingness to consider among a
high-value audience: The Kaiser Permanente "new entrant" campaign (2023)

Summary
Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States (KPMAS) implemented a successful messaging strategy to attract high-value, new to the health care market prospects and promote KP as their preferred healthcare provider. The campaign resulted in a more positive perception of KP among the target audience, increased willingness to consider KP for insurance coverage, and better understanding of KP's unique care model. This targeted approach aimed to establish lasting connections with potential entrants into the health insurance market, ensuring a sustainable revenue stream for Kaiser Permanente.

Background
‍An external consultancy review identified a growth opportunity in life-stage marketing, specifically targeting potential entrants into the health insurance market. The aim was to develop strong ties with this demographic before they establish any long-term habits or relationships elsewhere, thereby securing a sustainable revenue stream for Kaiser Permanente.

Our research indicated that while this audience had clear expectations from their healthcare providers, they lacked the confidence in navigating the health insurance landscape.

‍Target Audience
23–30-year-olds within the KPMAS footprint
‍‍
Campaign Objective
Lift comprehension of the KP care model, affinity for KP, and willingness to consider KP as a option for health care coverage.
‍‍
Strategic Approach
Kaiser PermanenteMid-Atlantic States (KPMAS) positioned itself as a knowledgeable ally to this target group. The strategy involved educating potential customers about health care essentials, enabling them to make informed decisions, and subsequently positioning KP as the superior, convenient choice.

Execution & Messaging
‍The campaign was built around a compelling call-to-action: "This is your first truly adult decision, make it a good one."
‍Using the Orphan, Sage, and Innocent archetypes from Carl Jung's theory, our messaging was tailored to address emotional needs for Belonging, Knowledge, Simplicity, and Fairness. This was complemented with educational content on the workings of the health insurance market.

‍Key Message Themes
Community: Joining KP means becoming part of a care community.
Expertise: Our physicians are top-notch industry professionals.
Convenience: Seamless, technology-backed patient experience.
Holistic Care: Equal emphasis on mental and physical wellness.
Flexibility: Accessible healthcare tailored to your needs.
Equality: We believe healthcare is a right, not a privilege.

Budget: $300,000
‍
Media Channels
Programmatic digital display with retargeting based on site visits and high-value actions.
Social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Reddit).
Pre-and mid-roll video content.
Prospect email campaigns.
CTV
Campaign website
‍
Performance
Based on website conversion events, the campaign produced leads that amounted to $2.2MM in potential gross income for the region.
‍
‍KPMAS regularly surveyed the prospect market for their recall of messages, and their perceptions of KP as a result of exposure. Listed below are related messages and their positive perception among those who recalled an ad from KP.

KPI

May, 2023

October, 2023

Percentage Change

Ad Recall

49%

67%

+37%

Willingness to consider KP for coverage

53%

58%

+9%

Comprehension of the KP Model of Care

42%

64%

+52%

Positive Perception

45%

60%

+33%

KP gives me access to excellent physicians

56%

84%

+50%

Creative

targeted performance marketing for the retired military audience:
Kaiser Permanente's "liberty plan" campaign
(2022-23)

Summary
Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States (KPMAS) developed messaging aimed at a high-value prospect audience designed to guide them toward choosing Kaiser Permanente (KP) as their provider of choice. This very successful campaign generated over $80MM in LTV for the company and produced an annual ROAS of 13:1.

Background
‍Many veterans reside in the Baltimore/Washington, DC DMAs. One of every eight people within the Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic’s (KPMAS) footprint is a veteran. The Pentagon’s presence also means that there is a large population of military officers. Retired military personnel represent a meaningful growth opportunity for KPMAS’ Medicare line of business.  
‍
The line of business created a Medicare product designed for prospects who would be members of Tricare for Life. It affords them prescription drug benefits that would be redundant in a Medicare Advantage plan that includes Part D (prescription drug benefits).
The Medicare line of business approached the marketing team for help positioning and marketing the product.

‍Target Audience
Medicare-eligble prospects who are also former active duty military personnel
‍
Campaign Objective
Lift comprehension of the KP care model, affinity for KP, and encourage information seeking that would ultimately lead to an enrollment in the Medicare product.
‍
Strategic Approach
Our strategy was to convince the prospect audience that KP is the best choice for their post-military life by accomplishing the following:  
Demonstrate that KP understands the military community—physically and mentally.
‍
Prove that KP’s care delivery system is the closest analog to the VA health system in the market.
‍
Substantiate KP as the region’s leading health system.

Execution & Messaging
We positioned our value propositions around the needs of the Lover and Orphan archetypes, motivated by relationships, belonging, and community.  

‍Key Message Themes
KP delivers personalized, compassionate care for you and your family
KP’s health care understands and respects your service
KP provides a familiar model of care
KP believes mental wellness is as essential as physical wellness

Budget: $880,000
‍
Media Channels
‍Programmatic digital display with retargeting based on site visits and high-value actions.
Social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Reddit).
Pre-and mid-roll video content.
Prospect email campaigns.
CTV as a retargeted channel.
A dedicated landing page on the regional Medicare website.
‍
Performance
The campaign generated 1,183 enrollments in the Liberty Medicare Plan.
This generated $11,555,544 in gross annual revenue for KPMAS*.
ROAS: 1351.5%
Lifetime Value**: $80,888,808
‍
*1,183 enrollments x $814 Per Member Per Month (PMPM) revenue
** annual revenue x 7 yr avg. member tenure

Creative

building brand equity for kaiser permanente's quality of care
the "medical excellence" campaign
(2020-22)

Summary
Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States (KPMAS) sought to change perceptions of the medical care provided by KP in a market that equated wide choice of physicians with high-quality care. Promoting Permanente physicians as world-class doctors who deliver nation-leading outcomes was a key component of this successful campaign. The campaign produced positive change in the market's opinion about KP's standard of care.

Background
‍KPMAS suffers from a gap in the perception of its quality of care and the actual care outcome metrics that it was producing. For many consumers, this perception was a barrier to consideration. A study from a business consultant firm found that quality of care perception was enough of a drag on consideration that KPMAS needed to have at least a 15% positive rate position to be a viable competitor for large group business.

KPMAS was and is competing against national and local care delivery giants such as Johns Hopkins and INOVA, both well-known in the region as providers of exemplary care.
‍
The organization decided that it was important to build KPMAS’ bona fides in high-quality care to make our offerings more attractive and lessen the price pressure on our products.

‍Target Audience
General public within the KPMAS footprint
‍
Campaign Objective
Lift appreciation and understanding of the clinical capabilities of Kaiser Permanente, thereby building brand equity for KP.
‍
Strategic Approach
KPMAS’ strategy was simple: Convince the audience that KPMAS provides world-class medical care that is local and easily accessible via a thorough exposition of our care capabilities and outcomes.

Substantiate KP as the region’s leading health system, higlighting the people, processes, and infratstructure to deliver high-quality health care.

Execution & Messaging
‍The marketing team focused on KPMAS’ functional benefits and promoted data points that promoted our care outcomes and differentiating competencies in delivering care, emphasizing the accessibility of high-quality specialty care via our robust telehealth capabilities.  
‍
The core message of this effort was that KPMAS is The Region’s Leading Health System. This positioning was included in all creative executions.
We focused on four service line capabilities: Cardiac, Cancer, Diabetes, and our telehealth capabilities, branded as Care on Demand. We also featured regional physicians who humanized our world-class care outcomes.  

‍Key Message Themes
‍KP provides world-class specialty care
KP’s integrated care model means we deliver quality care sooner
KP digital medical records mean that all of your physicians are up to date on your treatment and can treat you accordingly.
KP has ancillary services that help treat the whole you
KP provides flexible access to care so that your health care revolves around you.

Budget: $1,500,000
‍
Media Channels
Programmatic digital display with retargeting based on site visits and high-value actions.
Social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Reddit).
Pre-and mid-roll video content.
Prospect email campaigns.
CTV
Campaign website
‍
Performance
‍KPMAS regularly surveyed the prospect market for their recall of messages, and their perceptions of KP as a result of exposure. Listed below are related messages and their positive perception among those who recalled an ad from KP.

KPI

Winter, 2020

Winter, 2022

Percentage Change

Ad Recall

50%

57%

+14%

Willingness to consider KP for coverage

33%

55%

+67%

KP is a health system designed to create better outcomes for people like me

62%

66%

+6%

KP can treat any illness no mater how serious

64%

70%

+9%

I have confidence in the medical professionals at Kaiser Permanente

65%

75%

+15%

Creative

Engaging the business decision maker
The kpmas "lead boldly" b2b equity/demand generation campaign
(2021-23)

Summary
Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States (KPMAS) developed messaging aimed at guiding business leaders to choose KP as their health care provider. The campaign successfully increased positive perception of KP and willingness to consider it for insurance coverage. KPMAS used a multi-pronged strategy to reach business decision makers and emphasized KP's affordability, customization, and high-quality care. Various channels, including airport Wi-fi access, thought leadership campaigns, testimonials from local business owners, and digital assets, were utilized to generate awareness and leads.

Background
KaiserPermanente of the Mid-Atlantic (KPMAS) suffers from low market share within its footprint and is compounded by a market that brokers largely control. Given the uncertainty of the economic recovery from the pandemic, brokers have been more focused than usual on renewals to protect their books of business.

KPMAS needed a way to reach business owners to generate awareness, consideration, and affinity for Kaiser Permanente, influencing them to initiate conversations with their brokers to explore doing business with KP.
‍
Smaller businesses may not have broker representation and would purchase plans directly from our sales team. KPMAS wanted to reach those prospects and give them a means to contact KP directly to begin the sales process.

‍Target Audience
Business decision makers (CEO, CFO, CBO) within the KPMAS footprint
‍
Campaign Objective
Lift appreciation for KP as a health insurance business partner and a world-class provider of health care, committed to contributing to the health of the businesses that sign on with us.
‍
Strategic Approach
KPMAS employed a multi-pronged strategy:·     
Recognize the business leader as the most important player in workplace culture and positionKP as a partner in helping them create healthier, more productive businesses aspart of their competitive advantage.
    
Convince the business leader that KP offers plans that provides the affordability.customization, and lower administrative overhead that business leaders seek in a health coverage plan.     
‍
Prove KP is a leading medical health care provider, available when and where patients need it.

Substantiate KP as the region’s leading health system, highlighting the people, processes, and infrastructure to deliver high-quality health care.

Execution & Messaging
‍
Thought Leadership Campaign: (2022-2023) The pandemic made mental wellness a front-and-center concern for business owners. KPMAS devised a thought leadership campaign that addressed the business leader as a cultural influence and connecting employee mental wellness to a healthy business culture. KPMAS positioned itself as an expert guide on the essential components of a healthy workplace culture and invited the prospect to explore our content. Topics included psychological safety in the workplace, creating a culture of health, and corporate citizenship/volunteerism. KPMAS partnered with WTOP and WAMU, Washington, DC radio stations that business leaders tune into. Both stations served radio spots, and WTOP booked our VP of Human Resources for an interview on psychological safety in the workplace.
‍
We built our messaging around the following Jungian archetypes to capture the mindsets of the target business leader (CEO, CFO, CBO, CHRO):·      
Hero: sees their business as an extension of themselves and seeks to win in the marketplace·      
Ruler: sees organization and “running a tight ship” with solid processes as the secret to success·      
Sage: has a “work smarter, not harder” approach to running a business

‍Key Message Themes
KP will provide you with the means to turn your employees into your best competitive advantage to win in the marketplace. You’ll consider us your “best-kept secret” to outdo your competition.·      
KP will help you create and maintain the foundations of a smoothly-running, healthy company.·      
KP is a company that is built on innovation in health care. We can also help you innovate how your company works and functions to give you a competitive edge.
KPMAS produced articles that served as the competencies to support the messaging.

Digital Direct Response Campaign (2022-2023)
With this sub-campaign, KPMAS focused on the functional benefits of affordability, plan customization, and ease of administration; KPMAS deployed targeted digital assets to attract attention and generate leads.

Key Messaging Themes      
KP has a suite of plans that can be easily customized to the needs of your business.
KP is an easy company to work with
KP provides a high-value product for a competitive price, backed by a unique care delivery model that is both high-quality and convenient to access

AirportWi-Fi Sponsorship (2022-2023)
‍KPMAS partnered with the Washington Metropolitan Airports Authority (MWAA) to sponsor free Wi-Fi access for passengers at IAD and DCA airports. The content was customized based on the peak travel times for business travelers.

Key Messaging Themes    
KP has a suite of plans that can be easily customized to the needs of your particular business.
KP is an easy company to work with
KP provides a high-value product for a competitive price, backed by a unique care delivery model that is both high-quality and convenient to access

KPMAS also leveraged testimonials from local business owners supporting our messaging.

Total Budget: $1,600,000
‍
Media Channels
Local media sponsorships (WTOP, WAMU, I-95 Magazine, Washington & BaltimoreBusiness Journals, Regional Airports)·      
Programmatic digital display with retargeting on visits and High-Value Actions
Social media (Facebook/IG, Reddit)
Pre- and mid-roll video
CTV (retargeted channel)
Prospect email
NativeContent ads
Campaign Website
‍
‍‍Performance
‍KPMAS regularly surveyed the prospect market for their recall of messages, and their perceptions of KP as a result of exposure. Listed below are related messages and their positive perception among those who recalled an ad from KP.

KPI

Winter, 2021

Spring, 2023

Percentage Change

Ad Recall

80%

79%

-1%

Willingness to consider KP for coverage

81%

92%

+14%

Favorable Opinion of KP's Care

77%

91%

+18%

Favorable Opinion of KP's Coverage

74%

85%

+15%

KP is one of the area's most recognized health care systems

87% (June, 2022)

93% (Spring, 2023)

+7%

Creative

A new approach to direct response:
KPMAS MEDICARE MARKETING (2020)

Summary
Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States (KPMAS) developed a regional campaign aimed at boosting membership among Medicare-eligible prospects. Following the Jungian personality archetype model, KPMAS created value propositions for each of the top psychographic segments within the regional footprint. We then cross-walked the psychographic data with available demographic data to build our target audience. The campaign was wildly successful, increasing enrollments by 50% YoY. KPMAS' growth was significant enough to balance out the Medicare membership increase shortcomings from its sister regions and helped push the enterprise into positive membership growth territory, increasing market share by 15.1% in a single year.
‍
Background
In the Mid-Atlantic Market, Medicare is a high-value direct-to-consumer play that represents over $1B in annual revenue. The pandemic of 2020 caused significant retraction in the commercial line of business, meaning the region would rely even more on the growth of the Medicare line of business to maintain overall financial health.  As in the commercial space, Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States (KPMAS) suffers from low awareness and comprehension of its model, and these headwinds are amplified by the market’s propensity to the PPO model and long-term relationships with their current physicians.  

‍Target Audience
Medicare-eligible prospects in the KPMAS footprint.
‍
Campaign Objective
Lift appreciation and understanding of the clinical capabilities of Kaiser Permanente, thereby building brand equity for KP.

Strategy
Amplify KPMAS’ positive rate position with promotion of the functional benefits of the KP care model and product benefits to drive enrollments.

Activation
Developed positioning based on a survey of the Mid-Atlantic audience’s key value drivers as defined by Jungian archetypes: Sage, Innocent, Lover, and Magician. Determined high-propensity audiences by aligning segments to key KP competencies. Created messaging and media strategies based on audience segments’ motivations and media habits. 

Key Executions
Developed the Medicare Special and Annual Enrollment Periods (SEP/AEP) omni-channel campaigns that focused on a digital-first approach. Cross-walked psychographic profiles through audience segmentation platforms to pinpoint prospects at the address level. This allowed for physical and IP address targeting for a variety of digital deployments. Aggregated county-level densities to inform mass-channel media strategies. Leveraged the high-value consumer product consumer journey to provide native ad content topics aligned to our audience segments’ value drivers positioned to satisfy the prospect’s needs to research options.  

‍Total Budget: $2,600,000
‍
Media Channels
Programmatic digital display with retargeting on visits and High-Value Actions
Social media (Facebook/IG, Reddit)
Pre- and mid-roll video
CTV (retargeted channel)
Prospect email
Campaign Website

Performance
Despite the pandemic’s effect on prospect switching, AEP2020 enrollments increased 50% year over year, cost per enrollment declined by 73%, and the campaign is estimated to have created over $1.75B in LTV, with an annual ROAS of 36:1 ($93.6MM in generated annual revenue from $2.6MM in advertising spend). Regional market share increased from 6.6% to 7.6%—a 15.1% increase in a single enrollment period.
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The Mid-Atlantic was the only of the eight Kaiser Permanente regions to show such growth, and created enough enrollments to offset the losses in other regions, creating a net positive result for the enterprise overall.
‍

Creative

CONTENT STRATEGY COURSE DEVELOPMENT(2016-Present)

Background
In 2015, Georgetown University embarked on creating a course for the Integrated Marketing Communications division. The objective was to highlight the growing significance of content in driving marketing growth.

‍Strategy
I designed the course to demonstrate the alignment between content marketing and the fundamental principles of traditional marketing. This entailed understanding the target audience, identifying the brand's attributes, and catering to the market's value drivers and purchasing motivators. 

‍Activation
To enhance comprehension, the course included comprehensive modules on developing robust personas. Additionally, I introduced a storytelling methodology that empowered students to create consumer-centric narratives for practical application. As part of the curriculum, students reimagined the messaging of renowned brands through the personas they had crafted.

‍Key Executions
‍Students were tasked with developing personas, value propositions, brand positioning statements, message maps and frameworks, as well as content prototypes. Their content marketing plans were evaluated based on the logical and strategic coherence exhibited.

‍Performance
The course consistently received consistently high ratings from students. In recognition of my contributions, I was honored with the prestigious 2020 Tropaia Award for Best Faculty in the Integrated Marketing Communications division.
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CAPITAL ONE HOME LOANS BRAND DEVELOPMENT AND 
AWARENESS CAMPAIGN (2012)

Overview
Capital One Home Loans sought to increase awareness of its products and services in cities outside of the branch footprint. A $1.7M ad buy in two large markets (Boston and Atlanta) was proposed to test response and awareness over an 8-week campaign. 

Strategy
Convince the market that Capital One understood the pain associated with getting a home loan and made the process easier and hassle-free. 

Activation
Based on my visual system for Capital One Home Loans, the campaign featured heavy-hitting atmospheric graphics in reds and yellows coupled with emotional headlines and up-front benefits. Layout was clean and simple as a visual representation of an easy mortgage process. 

Performance
Significant lift in response from test markets. In the Atlanta market, the response rate beat control by 7-to-1.
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