When Paterson, N.J.-based St. Joseph's Hospital & Medical Center embarked on a multi-media consumer advertising campaign, the goal was three-fold:

• Identify the hospital as a "preferred health care provider."
• Create awareness.
• Brand the hospital.

The campaign, which broke in August in radio, TV, cable, print and outdoor, launched St. Joseph';s brand message with the signature phrase: "Opening Doors to Better Medicine." And it also contained an 800-number, directing listeners to call the hospital for more information.

The initial three-week radio flight aired on four New York area stations in August and September. A subsequent two-week flight aired in October. The radio featured physicians talking about the hospital and patients, emphasizing St. Joseph';s "advanced diagnostic technology, physicians and nurses at the top of their profession and its reputation for clinical excellence," combined with, "loving care, respect and trust."

"We thought it would break through the clutter," says Peggy Urso-Savarese, director, marketing communications, adding that radio generated the "best response" of all media..

The response was immediate and frequent for specific St. Joseph';s specialties such as its NOGA machine used to test heart patients who were considered too ill for treatment by other hospitals; and its neo-natal intensive care units (NICA) for high-risk babies.

While the majority of phone calls for these treatment options came from New Jersey, there were some from as far away as Brooklyn and New Rochelle, N.Y. When people called the 800-number, Urso-Savarese says, "they were given the physician particular to their problem, and many of these calls resulted in appointments.