Introduction

In the fall of 2020, our client (a private multidisciplinary clinic) decided to take things to the next level, expand the range of services and attract more clients by deciding to organize COVID-19 testing. It was necessary to develop a strategy for promoting the testing service.

Hypothesis

The business owners had a hypothesis that coronavirus testing would be in demand in Odesa, which could be done safely and comfortably. It was necessary to confirm or refute this hypothesis.

Objective

To develop and successfully implement a strategy for promoting the selected area (PCR tests) for clinics.

Results

1. Market, competitor, and target audience research.

We assessed the market situation, the relevance of coronavirus testing, the demand for the service, the level of competition, and the offers of other medical institutions on the market.

Based on the research, it was decided to include coronavirus testing in the list of clinic services, choosing PCR tests.

There are many different tests for SARS-CoV-2 in the world. In general terms, all tests can be divided into two types:

1) Those that check for the presence of the virus to determine whether a person is infected at the time of testing, i.e. at the present time. The most common is the PCR test.

2) Those that test for the presence of antibodies to determine whether a person was infected at some point in the past. An ELISA test is a representative of this type of test.

For the diagnosis of COVID-19, the most effective (at the beginning of the outbreak and now) is the polymerase chain reaction. Other types of tests, except for PCR, are not as widely used. Test results show that other available technologies for determining whether a person has a coronavirus infection are prone to a higher rate of false positives and false negatives than PCR tests.

At the time of the launch of the coronavirus testing service, there was virtually no competition in the market. It was possible to get tested for coronavirus in public clinics, two private clinics, and several private laboratories. But there was one significant problem that warned potential customers against taking the test: the possibility of contact with people infected with coronavirus during the test or while waiting in line.

We immediately worked through the target audience’s fears and determined the positioning, according to which it is possible to take a coronavirus test in this private clinic in a way that avoids contact with other patients. Taking the test in a private clinic, unlike in a public clinic, is safe. It is possible to make an appointment for a certain time, there is no need to stand in line, and there is no chance of contact with potentially infected people. At the same time, the staff adheres to all necessary safety measures, disinfects, uses special protective equipment, etc.

2. Promotion strategy

Due to the strict restrictions related to the coronavirus and carefully controlled by Google, advertising promotion (in order to prevent the spread of false information, profiteering from the pandemic, and abuse of power) was prohibited for all requests:

  • Coronavirus;
  • COVID-19;
  • PCR test;
  • testing for Coronavirus;
  • others that are directly or indirectly related to this topic.

Thus, only ads from the Ministry of Health were placed in the ad unit in search results, and various gov.ua websites and news portals were placed in organic search results.

Open media advertising and targeting were also banned.

In the shortest possible time, we developed a website page, posted information about the new service in various sources (social networks, Google My Business, etc.), and launched an advertising campaign in Google Ads.

The website page was designed and filled with information in such a way as to answer potential clients’ questions about the new service, the safety of testing, the process of taking a sample for a PCR test, and to emphasize the benefits of testing in this particular clinic.

Fig. 1 Coronavirus testing page

Source: https://complimed.com.ua/diagnostics/test-covid-19/

Fig. 1 Coronavirus testing page

Source: https://complimed.com.ua/diagnostics/test-covid-19/

Fig. 1 Coronavirus testing page

Source: https://complimed.com.ua/diagnostics/test-covid-19/

Posts were prepared for social media that briefly and clearly explain coronavirus testing and answer the most frequently asked questions and objections of the target users.

Fig. 4 Posts on social media

Source: clinic social media

In addition, such available tools as crowdsourcing, writing SEO-optimized blog articles, etc. were used for promotion.

The main traffic to the website was provided by the launch of an advertising campaign.

As mentioned above, at the time of the start of COVID-19 testing, any online advertising promotion related to the coronavirus was banned.

We decided to work out the arguments and write to Google Ads in support.

  • We were informed that our advertisement could not be published because it was blocked for the stated reasons.
  • We explained that the clinic possesses all the necessary documentation, holds a valid license, and is ready to provide it (which we did during the process).
    We emphasized that our goal was not to profit from the pandemic, but to inform clients about the availability of COVID-19 testing at our clinic. At that time, the PCR test was offered at a slightly lower price compared to other medical institutions.
    Given the rise in COVID-19 cases, we considered it important to inform the public about the opportunity to get tested safely and without contact with potentially ill individuals (by appointment only).

Within a week, we were able to get a special permit for the account to promote PCR tests through advertising.

The solution turned out to be very successful and provided a large influx of customers, and Google’s coronavirus-related restrictions ensured low competition in paid search and minimal bids. Thus, the testing campaign allowed us to get a large number of clicks and conversions at minimal cost.

The cost per click was less than 1 UAH, and the cost per conversion was about 16 UAH (less than $1). The cost of the service itself at the time was 1600 UAH (approximately $56). The ROMI of this advertising campaign was 4275%.

Fig. 5 Results of the advertising campaign for coronavirus testing

(first 2 weeks after the launch of the campaign)

Source: Google Advertising statistics

Having received permission for the company’s Google account, we still faced the problem of posting information on Google My Business. No reasons were given, and it was impossible to appeal the decision. Through the help desk, we found a way to contact the support service, which informed us that we could not publish news about our clinic’s services (PCR testing), and all publications received the status “Rejected”.

We resolved this issue and were able to post up-to-date information about the new service on the company’s website (added to the list of clinic services, published in the format of a Google news story).

Result

We conducted market research and developed a situational strategy for promoting PCR tests for a comfortable multidisciplinary clinic in Odesa. The strategy was implemented immediately (to avoid losing potential benefits and competitive advantage) and demonstrated excellent results. The most successful solution was obtaining a special permission from Google to launch contextual advertising for PCR tests: The ROMI of the advertising campaign was 4275%; the cost per click was less than UAH 1, and the cost of conversion was approximately UAH 16 (at a cost of UAH 1600).

Promotion also requires a quick response to current events and conditions, not just a long-term strategy. An annual strategy does not preclude responding to current challenges.