“Children’s is Moving” Integrated Communications Campaign wins prestigious Silver Anvil Award

Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) highest honor recognizes efforts of Buffalo, NY-based Kaleida Health and The Martin Group in effectively introducing the new John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital

Yesterday evening during the Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) national awards gala at the Edison Ballroom, Buffalo-based Kaleida Health and The Martin Group received a prestigious Silver Anvil for their integrated communications campaign around the relocation, rebranding and grand opening of the former Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo. Known as the “Children’s is Moving” initiative, this 18-month communications effort helped introduce and educate local, regional and national audiences regarding the construction and completion of the new John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital located on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

Accepting the award on behalf of Kaleida Health and The Martin Group was Kaleida Health Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff, Michael P. Hughes.

“Moving a children’s hospital is a once-in-lifetime communications endeavor that requires both precision and the utmost collaboration between partners, vendors, staff members, patients and so many other stakeholders and audiences,” said Michael P. Hughes, Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff at Kaleida Health. “It was truly an honor to help lead this communications campaign and, along with our friends at The Martin Group, receive even more national recognition for the great work that was done.”

“Just getting to work on an exciting project like the Children’s is Moving Campaign—one that positively impacts and engages a large community, while helping our client—is an honor in and of itself,” said Tod Martin, President and Chief Creative Officer at The Martin Group. “To be commended for that work by PRSA is icing on the cake.”

Launched in December of 2016, Kaleida Health engaged The Martin Group for assistance in the development and deployment of a strategic internal and external communications campaign, focused on easing the transition for patients and personnel from the existing Children’s Hospital location, to a new, state-of-the-art $270 million facility. Kaleida Health also sought to maximize public exposure and positive perception throughout the move, which was a phased process spanning many months.

As the first standalone Children’s Hospital in the State of New York, with more than 35 outpatient clinics, 200 licensed beds, 28,000 admitted annual patients and 123,000 patients treated in the emergency department or specialty clinics every year, the facility move was required to maintain top-of-the-line care throughout the effort.

Recognized initially by the Western New York community for its catchy “Children’s is Moving” tagline, the campaign was an ongoing success, and included tactical items such as the unveiling of a new website (ChildrensIsMoving.com), a creative paid media/advertising campaign, an expansive social media strategy, and environmental branding throughout the greater Buffalo Niagara community. Between the start of construction work and the hospital’s official opening in November 2017, the campaign’s efforts resulted in an abundance of earned media coverage both locally and nationally, eliciting 541 media stories, generating more than 112 million media impressions across all incorporated social media platforms.

To learn more about The Martin Group’s work with Kaleida Health and the agency’s healthcare industry vertical, visit www.martingroup.co.

About Kaleida Health

Kaleida Health is the largest healthcare provider in Western New York, serving the area’s eight counties with state-of-the-art technology and comprehensive healthcare services. Its expert, compassionate healthcare professionals are committed to providing the best possible outcomes and experience for patients and visitors. More than one million sick or injured patients choose a Kaleida Health facility annually, including Buffalo General Medical Center/Gates Vascular Institute, DeGraff Memorial Hospital, Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital, and John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital.

Accredited by Det Norske Veritas (DNV) Healthcare, Inc., Kaleida Health also provides important services through two long-term care facilities, over 80 outpatient clinics, including school-based health centers, and home health care through the Visiting Nursing Association of WNY, Inc. In addition, Kaleida Health’s hospitals support residency training programs of the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, training more than 700 residents each year. For more information, visit https://www.kaleidahealth.org

About The Martin Group

The Martin Group is a leading integrated communications firm headquartered in downtown Buffalo with offices in Rochester and Albany, N.Y. The firm works with best-in-class organizations ranging from small businesses to global enterprises and has extensive experience in several categories, including sports, health care, financial services, food and beverage, education, professional services and nonprofits. In 2017, The Martin Group was named one of WNY’s Top Private Companies for the third consecutive year, and in 2016 was recognized as the 2nd Fastest Growing Company in WNY by Buffalo Business First. For more information, visit http://www.martingroup.co/.

About the Silver Anvil Award

Since its inception in 1944, the annual Silver Anvil Award—presented by the Public Relations Society of America—is the oldest awards competition for excellence in public relations and communication. The iconic Silver Anvil Award symbolizes the breadth of talent among industry practitioners while recognizing outstanding individual professional achievement. Entries are judged on their research, planning, execution and evaluation, while also considering factors such as creativity, ethics and budget. For more information, visit http://anvils.prsa.org/.