Aged Care Group
CP Communications manages a wide range of communications projects for Columbia, including respite care and low care promotional campaigns, and copywriting various brochures, websites, advertising and blogging. We have achieved an increase in Columbia’s click to website, 100% occupancy of the Willowood Centre through promotional initiatives, and increasing the enquiry rates for all other centres.
Columbia Aged Care Services is a private aged care group, offering residential aged care facilities across Sydney. As part of Columbia’s PR strategy, CP Communications created a blog to increase their ranking in Google and act as a tool to educate people seeking information on Aged Care issues.
Online PR
The Online PR strategy raised Columbia’s profile and credibility significantly in online and print forms. The effectiveness of the blog as a marketing tool quickly became evident with strong links developing between the blog and print advertising.
CP Communications noted that the hits on the Columbia blog increased on the days that an ad appeared in publications such as the Northside.
The blog was developed with the aim of education as well as sharing the Columbia story by creating an online community for Columbia. Within three months the blog hits outranked the website hits and were also a significant source of candidate attraction.
Media launch
CP Communications also managed the communication aspect of the closure and relaunch of the Willowood Centre. CEO Anne Tucker said the closure of Willowood was “obviously a very sensitive project and Catriona handled all of the media and communications with skill, sensitivity and professionalism”.
CP Communications was responsible for the launch of the new Willowood Centre by local Federal Member The Hon Dr Brendan Nelson MP. This included inviting industry and local media, developing a video of the rebuild, speeches and briefing Dr Nelson. In addition to the launch, CPC developed media angles for the sustainable aspect of the building.
The Willowood Campaign was covered in every industry publication, including InSite, Hospital Healthcare, AgedCare Australia, www.EnvironmentalManagementNews.net and both the Sydney Weekly and North Shore Times.
Advertising
CP Communications is responsible for all of Columbia’s advertising, both creative, design and booking. The advertising campaign has resulted in a full occupancy of the Willowood Centre, and increasing the enquiry rates for all other centres. A successful Google adwords campaign was also implemented.
Ethnic campaign
To attract residents from different cultures, CP Communications created a marketing campaign that included advertising in Chinese and Portuguese newspapers, Chinese radio and cultural open days. Brochures and postcards were translated and distributed to community centres and clubs.
The results
The online PR strategy developed by CP Communications resulted in:
- An increase in Columbia’s online profile and credibility
- Coverage in every industry publication including the Sydney Weekly and North Shore Times
- 100% occupancy of the Willowood Centre, and increasing the enquiry rates for all other centres
“CP Communications increased our profile within the community through creative and original strategies. They have strong organisational skills, vision and are always on the ball. This was a very sensitive project and Catriona handled all of the media and communications with skill, sensitivity and professionalism. Their dedication to perfection is absolute and I cannot recommend Catriona and CP Communications highly enough,” Anne Tucker, CEO, Columbia Aged Care