Winthrop Hall

Background

Winthrop Hall opened in October 2007 delivering research-backed treatment for drug and alcohol addiction in the UK. The management and clinical teams at Winthrop Hall aim to provide a centre of excellence for treatment at the purpose-built, 25 bed residential treatment centre offering discretion and standards of excellence at every level.

Winthrop Hall’s approach to the treatment of drug and alcohol addiction combines proven methods of rehabilitation within an individually tailored, continually assessed and constantly evolving programme. This gives every client the best chance of success.

Winthrop Hall’s beautiful surroundings, attentive staff and outstanding clinical approach, together with a vast choice of complementary treatments and activities create an exceptional environment for recovery from alcohol and drug addiction.

The challenge

Merchant Healthcare Marketing was approached by Winthrop Hall to develop an integrated marketing plan with the following objectives:

• To develop a compelling campaign, from a standing start, that is underpinned by Winthrop Hall’s credentials as a centre of excellence.
• To drive awareness of Winthrop Hall and its unique offering to multiple target audiences which included:

1. Senior executives
2. HR directors
3. Private clinicians including psychiatrists to GPs
4. Family and friends
5. Referral services, charities www.ukna.org www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk

The insight

In Britain, one in three people suffer from an addiction. Britain has the worst drinking problem in Europe. Binge drinking is increasing particularly among young people, and especially women. 5.9 million people in the UK drink more than twice the recommended daily guidelines on some occasions and this has impacted on our nation’s health.

There is an increasing drug problem in Britain. There are 350,000 serious drug users in the country using illegal and prescription drugs to feed their addiction. Cocaine use is more prevalent in Britain today than any other EU country. It is the most popular drug after cannabis with 800,000 users in the UK. At Winthrop Hall, the biggest group of individuals treated for drug addiction are cocaine users who began using the drug on a recreational basis and whose habit has spiralled out of control.

As a high-end treatment centre, Winthrop Hall combines luxury, comfort and care to ensure their clients feel at ease during their stay. The stylish interiors, outstanding facilities and beautiful grounds are all underpinned by clinical excellence.

It was vital that all marketing activity clearly positioned Winthrop Hall as a centre of excellence in treatment, service and environment.

The solution

From the very beginning, Merchant Healthcare Marketing has worked closely with Winthrop Hall to provide a toolkit of marketing collateral and strategic advice that embraces a ‘can do’ attitude that not only meets the marketing needs of Winthrop Hall but also permeates to the Winthrop Hall staff to help them support and meet their clients needs in their challenges towards recovery.

To date, activity has included:

Brand and marketing

• Brand identity for Winthrop Hall
• A brand manual for the application of identity to all internal and external marketing collateral that includes digital channels
• A 40 page ‘Guide to Recovery’ booklet for those affected by drug or alcohol addiction
• A high quality pre-launch corporate brochure
• Stationery including letterheads, compliment slips and business cards
• Exhibition stands and pop ups
• Launch invitations

Digital

• A luxury feel, content managed, interactive website providing both a public facing platform to allow interaction, information gathering and data collection for all Winthrop Hall’s target markets. The website was future proofed in planning and development to allow systems integration in later phases.
• Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) strategy and implementation
• Google adwords PPC campaign

Public Relations tactics

• A toolkit was devised for each target audience e.g. For Senior executives and HR professionals press, we prepared a biography of the principle investor Jon Moulton, a Q&A including questions about Jon’s involvement, a press release announcing Winthrop Hall opening, facts about addiction and an invite to the launch event. The toolkit for friends and family included similar material but more details about how to recognise addiction in a loved one, how to get them into treatment and details of the clinical staff in attendance at Winthrop Hall.
• A comprehensive communications strategy was devised with separate tactics for each target audience for example, to target friends and family we approached Radio 4 Women’s Hour.
• Positioning Winthrop Hall and its key staff as the voice of authority within addiction treatment. The aim was to eventually make them top of mind with all media, opinion formers and healthcare stakeholders who require an opinion or quote on addiction.
• Alliance building strategy – to help raise awareness of Winthrop Hall with charities, referral groups and city organisations.
• An online and offline press office were developed which now include an online portal to post all materials created for the different target audiences.

The result

Merchant Healthcare Marketing briefed press and invited key journalists to a series of launch events during August 2007, attended by HR directors from FTSE 100 companies, city firms, banks, advertising agencies and private GPs. Within six months of opening, Winthrop Hall is nearing capacity and is already planning to extend its current facility to allow for more clients. Merchant Healthcare Marketing has been a constant partner of Winthrop Hall, from conception to today and has made a significant contribution to its success.

Marco Martinez, Business Development Director at Winthrop Hall, had this to say of Merchant Healthcare Marketing:

‘Merchant Healthcare Marketing understood sensitivities around the brief perfectly. As a new drug and alcohol rehab centre, we wanted to get our message across to a target audience enduring a worst possible crisis. The solution initiated brand identity, web and other direct marketing activities – on time, within budget, and established client flows over and above plan. As a result, in less than a year, Winthrop Hall has become a leading, discreet services provider not only to clients, but to the specialist clinical sector dealing with this area of psychiatry in the UK and Europe.’