As a marketer, you are more than aware that the stories of the individuals directly impacted by the organizations/companies you represent and their goods/services, are what allow our message to connect with the emotions of the intended audiences. Jim Tagye, Director of Marketing Communications at the Mercy College of Health Sciences presented at AMA Iowa's June special interest group. The nurturing of authentic relationships within the College has placed Tagye in a position to tell compelling stories. Tagye will share his experience working with Applied Art & Technology to create a powerful video story that has allowed the internal marketing team a way to leverage conversations with leadership related to the importance of developing future projects that can have similar impact. Mercy College of Health Sciences took a series of strategic steps before teaming up with Applied Art & Technology (AAT) who pulled the necessary elements together in such a manner that truly connected the college message with emotions. Creative license was given to AAT so they would not limit their focus on only the best video examples in higher education, rather deliver “the best” in the video industry as an aspirant. The result is a powerful video story to share that has been and will continue to be shared with key influencers and constituents. Results and metrics from a focused digital campaign serving up the videos, using attributes associated with online behavior in conjunction with Blue Compass was shared.

1. Through Their Eyes:
Humanizing Mercy College of Health Sciences
Jim Tagye, Director of Marketing Communications
AMA‐Iowa SIG 6/21/17
In Appreciation to our Partner & Host

2. Thank you for taking time to join us today!
• Lauren • Alex • Amanda • Zach
• Brandon • Inna • Kyle • Sally
• Megan • Scott • Erika • Heather
• Missy • Chantelle • Kelly • Michael
• Greg • Chelsea • Julian • Eric
• Brent • Brenna • Emily • George
Please let me know if I missed you, thanks again!

3. Hopeful Deliverables for You Today
• Gain insight on how to influence decision‐makers using strategic
metrics to secure funding for large scale projects.
• Learn how extended time spent in the environs of your client will
build authentic relationships.
• Listen to strategies on how to give license to creative partners to
push the concept and production to achieve excellence and focus less
on sector.

6. Mercy College created videos to:
• Reaffirm with internal audiences how they make a difference with students
• Provide resource for prospective students to relate to student profile
• Act as a tool for fundraising and donor relations

7. Persona Attributes
• Identified persona attributes associated with students:
• Impacted by healthcare
• Pursue career that aligns with personal passion
• 2nd career opportunity
• Traditional age student
• Burnt out in one health care professional, pivot to another
• 10 year MBA professional and wife compelled to follow her heart

8. Create Your Personal Vision
• Since health care stories elicit emotion, it was a natural to draw
upon these personal stories.
• Leveraged the Story 1st, Brand 2nd Formula.
• Understanding it would take time to:
• Teach internal colleagues (faculty) to watch for possible subjects
(student/alumni)
• Identify subjects whose story was compelling and willing to share
• Prepare subjects for interviews
• Capture imagery
• Edit/Post/Share

9. Get Leadership To See the Value
• Subjects were identified, prepped for copywriter, stories crafted.
• Media conduits were identified and served up to determine if
messages landed.
• Messaging started getting traction, strategic metrics were provided
to prove the value
• 1st test=Lift Iowa (Business Record Women Audience‐inaugural launching)
• 2nd test=College Blog (Mercy College e‐mail constituents)
• Final test=Vital People Print Publication (Mercy College constituents)

10. PROCESS
• Gave license to creative partners from the beginning
• Directed Applied Art to identify “Best in Class for Video”
• Allowed the creative team to stretch concept ideas
• They guided me to consider how message would land

12. “The Reverent” visual example (show clip)

13. PRODUCTION
Taking the time to nurture authentic relationships.
• Used the developed messaging to get understanding of subjects
• The crew built trust with the students during phone interviews
• Shooting b‐roll first led to better rapport before conducting the
interviews in the studio
• Set up studio to mirror Reverent example
• Created the “Element of Surprise” for subjects and captured on
video for emphasis.

14. Ashley’s video follows classic story arc

16. Show Kate’s video

17. Meet Kate
Kate has travelled the world and now has new appreciation for life …

18. Show Kate’s video

19. Show Kate’s video

20. Brett is gifted in many ways …
• Brett is as happy‐go‐lucky as they get

21. Show Brett’s video

22. Show Brett’s video

23. Behind the Scenes Clip – what you don’t see …
• “Why Me?” “You’re the only one that can tell this story.”
• Meeting Ashley’s ICU nurse, Sara, on the playground while filming
“B‐roll”
• Knowledge of Kate’s “cancer misdiagnosis” was uncovered by
producers in the greenroom, “minutes before shooting her studio
interview.”

26. Your turn … Group Project
• Please look at the color of dot on your name tag
• Share your own “Humanizing/Storytelling efforts of clients” in your
group”
• How have these messages landed?
• What were your challenges?
• Generate 3 questions that persuade someone to share their
vulnerable story in the interest of others relating to their scenario.
• Example:
• What experiences led you here …
• What about the reputation of this service/company appeals to you …
• How do you think your story is different …

27. Focused Digital Campaign Results

28. Mercy College Stories | Phase I.
Raise awareness and familiarity of the stories and the
people in them. Build video clout by increasing the
number of YouTube views.
Online video now accounts for 50% of mobile traffic. ‐
HubSpot

29. Strength of Appeal | YouTube
User goes to
YouTube to watch a
video. Interrupted
by an ad, skippable
after 5 seconds.
Option 1 ‐ skip ad
after 5 seconds to
return to their video
Option 2 ‐ Keep
watching the ad for
at least 30 seconds
before skipping to
their video.
AD

30. View Rate | YouTube
● View = watched for 30 seconds or more
● Used as a performance metric
● Companies can usually expect a 15% view rate
for these advertisements
● Optimized each week based on the view rate for
an increase of 288%.
Starting View Rate (10/20‐11/2)
4.64%
Post‐Optimization View Rate
(11/3‐11/20)
18.03%

31. Optimized View Rate | YouTube
Ashley
Kate
Brett
Mercy College Advantage
Views Impressions View Rate
2,402 10,670 16.68%
2,212 12,258 20.76%
3,997 30,975 16.86%
5,105 31,749 17.92%
Optimized
View Rates
These are the view rates for the optimized in‐stream ads.

32. What does it mean?
The video resonated so strongly with viewers, that
over 6,000 decided to forego watching their intended
video to finish an entire Mercy College Stories video.
● Stories are meaningful
● They successfully engaged a wide variety of
audiences
● They are powerful enough to pull people back to
the website.
13,716 users stay and watch that
video ad for at least 30 seconds.
6,117 users stayed to watch the
entire video.

33. Brand Awareness | Facebook
Facebook users scroll
through their feed and
see a promoted video.
Option 1 ‐ Continue scrolling
after less than 3 seconds of
the video has played.
Option 2 ‐ Continue
watching the video for
10 or more seconds.

34. Views | Facebook
● View = watched for 10 seconds or more
● Used as a performance metric
● Less time (compared to 30 second view), but
more brand exposure
● Brand name and logo next to post
● Ashley’s story had the greatest engagement
and social response
10 Second Views
50,207
30 Second Views
12,910
2,770 users stayed to watch the
entire video.

35. Views | Facebook
Brett’s Story
● Reached 45K people
● 22K views
● 18 shares
● 56 reactions
● 6 comments

36. Views | Facebook
Ashley’s Story (original version)
● Oct 14 ‐ Nov 3
● Reached 32K people
● 18K views
● 27 shares
● 72 reactions

37. Views | Facebook
Ashley’s Optimized Story (trimmed version)
Ran Nov 3 ‐ Nov 11
● Reached 12K people (30K total)
● 9K views (27K total)
● 2 shares (29 total)
● 40 reactions (112 total)

38. Views | Facebook
Kate’s Story
● Reached 36K people
● 25K views
● 1 shares
● 16 reactions

39. Views | Facebook
Mercy Advantage
● Reached 61K people
● 51K views

40. Comments
For those who watched the entire video on social media, the reaction was heartfelt and inspirational.
The Mercy College Stories had a strong positive impact on its viewers.

41. Mercy College Stories | Phase II.
Invite people back to the website to experience the brand that is
showcasing these stories. Optimize the website copy to rank in search
engines and to include call to actions and program information in
between videos.
Refine leads by tagging users who click to visit the site for remarketing
in Phase III.

42. Mercy College Stories | Phase III.
Recruit leads to the college more directly by remarketing
to them with “apply now” messaging and display ads.
Direct them to enrollment section of the website with
the overall goal of increasing applications to the school.

43. Analytics
Before Blue Compass began running ads. After Blue Compass stopped running ads.
Ashley ‐ 23 Views
Kate ‐ 13 Views
Brett ‐ 14 Views
General ‐ 7 Views
Ashley ‐ 47 Views
Kate ‐ 25 Views
Brett ‐ 49 Views
General ‐ 22 Views

44. Questions?