US Family Health Plan – PR Case Study

Situation
Our client, the US Family Health Plan, which delivers Department of Defense-sponsored healthcare benefits to military family members and retirees in six areas of America, wanted to raise its profile among health plan members, prospects, key government leaders and the general public.

Approach
MMI partnered our client with The National Military Family Association (a non-profit, Washington, D.C.-based advocacy organization) to have them jointly declare 2007 as “The Year of the Military Family” and create a related, joint video public service announcement (PSA) campaign: “Now is Our Time to Serve.” The evocative and powerful campaign, produced on a dime, was designed to generate goodwill for both organizations by showcasing their efforts to “support, befriend, remember and appreciate” America’s military family members.

MMI handled all aspects of production and provided the PSAs to TV stations throughout our client’s service areas. Also, in an innovative use of a traditionally paid advertising medium, we successfully negotiated for the made-for-TV PSAs to air free as part of the pre-movie programming at AMC, Cinemark and Regal theatres in selected markets. The PSAs took the place of unsold ads.

Results

  • Total viewership during the PSA series’ seven-month run topped 7.3 million people.
  • The Department of Defense subsequently adapted the PSAs for use in its own public outreach.
  • The PSA series won the only Emmy Award presented across America in 2008 in the category of “Local Public Service Announcements.”
  • The campaign was adopted by the Department of Defense, and Congress later designated 2009 the “Year of the Military Family,” in part because of this campaign.

MMI also conducts ongoing media relations, organizing media tours and executive briefings, for the overall program aimed at publications reaching service members and their families. MMI’s ongoing efforts have frequently landed articles in the Military Times publications (circulation 200,000) and high-profile military association trade magazines. The US Family Health Plan has been a client for more than 10 years.