Project Wonder - The Art of Science at the Medical College of Wisconsin

Today, we delve into the captivating story behind an exceptional award-winning campaign. This extraordinary initiative, known as "Project Wonder: The Art of Science," has garnered well-deserved accolades, and we are thrilled to share its inspiring story with you today.

What began as a campaign driven by diverse motivations has blossomed into a remarkable triumph for the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW). The campaign aimed to spotlight the brand and its talented individuals - and boy, did it.

As marketing professionals, you understand the perpetual challenge of meeting leadership's demands to uncover new audiences, breathe freshness into your strategies, and conceive grand ideas.

How can science be made more accessible? How does one distill complex concepts into captivating campaigns? These questions resonate deeply within marketing, too (with a slight tangent), making the relevance of this MCW campaign particularly intriguing to all of us.

In this recap, we will unravel the concept behind "Project Wonder: The Art of Science," exploring how MCW took a bold and unique approach to showcasing the incredible talents of their rock stars to an entirely new audience.

But first, what is MCW?
 

MCW is an exceptional academic medical institution in southeastern Wisconsin, making significant contributions to healthcare. Their commitment to four key missions distinguishes them:

1. Clinical Excellence: MCW partners with trauma centers, providing outstanding patient care and services.
2. Cutting-Edge Research: As a leading private research institution, MCW ranks among the top U.S. medical schools, attracting renowned scientists and diverse funding sources.
3. Education Pioneers: MCW's medical, graduate, and pharmacy schools nurture over 1,500 students, training hundreds of physicians annually and producing a significant portion of Wisconsin's practicing physicians.
4. Community Impact: MCW actively collaborates with public and private organizations, positively influencing learning, research, and patient care at local, regional, national, and global levels.

MCW's unwavering commitment to excellence in these pillars positions them as a transformative force in healthcare, driving advancements and improving lives.

Project Wonder is an innovative initiative driven by the core principles of inspiration and continuous learning. It goes beyond traditional brand guidelines, treating MCW researchers as clients and presenting their scientific discoveries to an eager audience.

The project seamlessly connects science and art through mediums such as video storytelling, written pieces, photography, and captivating social media animations. These visuals are not bound by strict guidelines, allowing artists to express scientific ideas creatively while maintaining accuracy.

The impressive artwork showcases microscopic imagery and stunning representations of complex concepts. And to bring it all together, they have Greg Calhoun, a talented translator who takes those intricate research papers and transforms them into digestible writing pieces.

Project Wonder aims to catch the eye, spark curiosity, and push the boundaries of the science-art intersection, creating an ongoing sense of wonder and exploration.

MCW puts a lot of effort into discovering the hidden gems of research and shining a spotlight on them. For instance, they started by going on roadshows, meeting with department chairs and center heads across MCW.

During these roadshows, they also asked for artist recommendations. They wanted to know who the rock stars of MCW were and what amazing research projects were happening.

This initiative is because many of MCW's scientists are brilliant in their fields but struggle with communication and marketing. So, the team took it upon themselves to proactively reach out, meet with researchers weekly, and learn from them. They've been uncovering remarkable stories and discovering the incredible work happening within MCW.

One of the accolades Project Wonder is in the running for is the Paragon Award for Excellence in Marketing and Communications, presented by the PRSA of Wisconsin. The results are still pending, but it's amazing to see how their breadth of work and dedicated efforts have caught the attention of industry professionals.

The Healthcare Marketers Award has also awarded them the Silver Medal Award. They submitted Project Wonder as a social media campaign, and their innovative approach and impact on healthcare marketing stood out among the competition.

The campaign's success measurement is currently being developed as it is still in its early stages. The team is analyzing engagement levels and web presence to establish benchmarks for improvement.

Monthly analytics are a priority for the team to gain valuable insights. They evaluate content performance, including topics that resonate with the audience. They also assess multimedia elements that had a significant impact, such as attention-grabbing colors and concise, engaging videos.

Furthermore, the team explores various social media platforms to identify the most effective ones. This help make informed decisions on advertising investments and targeted audience reach.

While showcasing the probiotic piece, the MCW team found something intriguing. The science audience had a lower view rate compared to the art audience, despite reaching a wider science community. Surprisingly, the science-targeted content received 74% more impressions than the art-targeted content.

However, the art audience exhibited higher video view rates of 61% to 67%, while the science audience had a lower rate of 47%. This unexpected result led them to continue promoting science to bridge the gap with the art audience, generating interest and organic traffic from unexpected sources.

• Capturing Attention with Visual Appeal:
  To drive engagement, it is crucial to capture the attention of your audience within the first 2 seconds. Just like MCW realized in their campaign, visually appealing elements play a key role in captivating viewers immediately. Ensure your visuals are eye-catching and compelling to maximize audience engagement.
• Harnessing the Power of Researchers on Social Media:
  MCW's experience highlights the untapped potential of researchers as social media influencers. Don't overlook the researchers in your field; tag and involve them in your social media publications. By doing so, their colleagues will take notice, expanding your reach through their extensive networks and amplifying the impact of your message.
• Tailoring Strategies to Specific Objectives:
  While MCW's insights have been valuable, remember that the effectiveness of these strategies may vary depending on your specific content objectives. Consider your goals and target audience when implementing these tactics to ensure they align with your desired outcomes.
• Embracing Unexpected Opportunities:
  MCW's collaborated with Cardinal Street University (CSU) which resulted in an exciting opportunity to host a gallery. That unexpected physical space for engagement created an avenue for ongoing conversations and attracted diverse audiences beyond their expectations. The point? Be open to unexpected opportunities that can enhance audience engagement and extend your reach.

These tips provide valuable insights into driving positive results with your audience.
 

Scientists and researchers love the attention because it helps their research funding and boosts their presence at conferences. But here's the thing—they faced a challenge.

Most researchers prefer a straightforward, scientific approach without much artistic freedom. So, they needed to find a middle ground where they could effectively convey scientific information while also making it visually appealing and engaging for the audience.

What's interesting is that the researchers themselves had their own creative ways, just different from the abstract thinking of artists. Bridging this gap between scientific and artistic thinking became one of the most enjoyable parts of the project. They worked on getting the researchers on board with representing their work creatively, helping them see the value in this approach.

The project's success relied on having the freedom to work creatively and independently. And they had to trust each other. So much so, some colleagues didn't see the final piece until it was published on social media!

Working with scientists and analytical individuals brought its own set of challenges. Translating their technical language into visually appealing content required careful navigation and understanding. It was a leap of faith that paid off.

Here are the key takeaways from MCW's innovative marketing approach and their remarkable achievements in bridging the gap between science and art:

• Embrace the power of visual appeal
• Leverage social media and researcher networks
• Seek collaboration and community engagement
• Focus on excellence in key areas
• Communicate achievements and breakthroughs
• Continuously strive for improvement

MCW's experiences and strategies are a treasure trove of insights, really. They hold the key to driving positive results with our audience and making a real impact.

We're curious to hear your take on MCW's strategies and how you would tackle their challenge differently. Care to share?