Baltimore?s Harbor Hospital will use location-based mobile technology in its new mobile communication initiative.

The hospital teamed up with mobile ad network Millennial Media, Baltimore, MD, to execute the three-month promotional program. The campaign tries to maximize its impact in the proximity of the hospital by targeting smartphone users across a number of platforms.

?Mobile is a highly effective way for a regional advertiser to find and entice their local customer," said Marcus Startzel, senior vice president of sales at Millennial. "But in order to be as successful as possible, the advertiser must utilize cross-platform reach.?

Harbor Hospital ? part of MedStar Health, a nonprofit healthcare system ? is a century-old institution that serves Baltimore and three surrounding counties.

Facilities include 259 beds and over 500 physicians across 30 specialties, including orthopedics, cancer and diabetes care and cardio-pulmonary rehabilitation.

Cross-platform reach
The campaign targets handheld users in 20 Baltimore ZIP codes near Harbor Hospital, primarily in the downtown area.

Consumers with a variety of smartphones can interact with Harbor Hospital?s promotions when they visit certain mobile Web sites while in the campaign?s geographic proximity.

A banner ad from the hospital will appear on the page, prompting them to click through for emergency care information.

Banners lead to a landing page where participants can use Google Maps to enter their location and find the quickest route to the hospital.

The landing page also features click-to-call functionality for a direct line to the emergency department.

Mobile devices compatible with the campaign include BlackBerry, iPhone and Palm smartphones, as well as those running on the Windows or Android operating systems.

Campaign organizers viewed functionality on several different handsets as a linchpin for the success of the initiative, and therefore focused on ensuring cross-platform compatibility,

?When you target an audience in a tight geography like this, it is important to address all handsets and carriers," Mr. Startzel said.

?If you try to target only one device or OS, you will likely limit your impact,? he said.

Safe harbor
The campaign is part of a broader effort by Harbor Hospital to raise awareness of its services.

The May-July initiative dovetails with other media solutions to increase knowledge about the hospital and its services.

?The main thing is to come up with new and innovative ways of reaching people,? said Jean F. Bunker, assistant vice president of marketing, community relations and philanthropy at Harbor Hospital. ?No other hospital is [using smartphones to educate] in this area, so we?re excited to be on the vanguard.?

The hospital also targets Baltimore residents through print, online and out-of-home advertising, and uses promotional coffee sleeves and coasters to increase awareness in Baltimore cafes, restaurants and bars.

Still, those involved with the campaign may be most encouraged by its mobile component, and by the prospect of advanced location-based targeting.

?The marketing team at Harbor Hospital was extremely savvy to include mobile as a key component of their comprehensive cross-channel campaign, said Mr. Startzel.

?We are definitely excited to work with the Harbor Hospital team, as mobile technology has changed the way all industries ? in this case, healthcare providers ? can reach and engage their potential audience.?