Behind the Power of Ten

“Healthcare marketing has historically been several years behind the curve of other industries. So, we position ourselves and our clients to embrace transformation and deliver the consumer experience that our clients strive to meet,” says Brandon Scott, Vice President of Digital, who joined Ten Adams in 2013. “We are deeply committed to our clients and how we can help them.

“Healthcare marketing has changed a lot since we first decided to specialize with a 100 percent healthcare focus,” says Kris Laufer, Ten Adams’ Vice President of Creative who also has been with the company for nearly 30 years. “Marketing as a health system versus an independent hospital is where almost all the focus is, regardless of the size of the organization.”

In 2021, Ten Adams celebrated the move into its new home in Downtown Evansville in the former Permanent Federal Savings Bank building, a testament to international-influenced modern architecture. Featuring an interior renovated by Core Contractors and brought together aesthetically by Y-Factor Interior Design, Ten Adams’ new office offers a sleek yet historic space to meet the changing needs of healthcare marketing. It’s a perfect analogy of Ten Adams’ mission to provide smart, modern solutions to one of the nation’s oldest professions.

“The biggest changes in marketing have happened in the last five to 10 years,” Laufer says, “but the one thing that has not changed is the importance of marketing to the organization’s internal audience, such as staff, physicians, and volunteers.”

At Ten Adams, the “Power of Ten” for clients remains simple: Relax, we know healthcare.

LETS TALK BRAINPOWER

Ten Adam’s Mission

As a full-service marketing firm, Ten Adams matches 100 percent of its strategizing efforts to 100 percent of a healthcare system’s branding. No asset is unexplored, and no tool is unused. And as marketing needs and trends evolve, so do Ten Adams’ strategies to deliver thoughtful, targeted messaging from all angles. Along the way, the team at Ten Adams invokes President Jon Headlee’s motto — “Be Helpful and Do Great Work.” That is the Power of Ten.

“The Power of Ten reinforces the level of value that our clients get from working with a group of people that are all focused in the same area — healthcare — and on one thing — results for our clients,” Headlee says. “That is powerful!”

“Healthcare marketers practice what I call ‘firefighter marketing’ — they spend a lot of time fighting fires,” says Jennifer Horton, Ten Adams’ Vice President of Strategy. “Healthcare marketers are pulled in different directions, so we help them decide how they manage their marketing expectations and their reputation and how they tell their story and strengthen that reputation. We help carry the water for them; we help them think strategically.”

Purposeful Marketing

“Healthcare marketing is so complex and challenging,” Horton says. “You have the part you want people to know about — basic marketing, such as telling the community, ‘We have a new doctor.’ Introducing people to new doctors and programs are pieces that keep hospital systems doing healthcare marketing.”

But there’s another component in healthcare marketing that’s more altruistic, she says.

“A recent project of ours was a mammography campaign. The campaign must be strong enough to convince women to stop waiting and get their mammograms,” Horton says. “Before the campaign, the health system was averaging 500
appointments per month. After the campaign, it was 1,500 appointments per month. We’re trying to get people to do cancer screenings — and early — to potentially save their lives.”

In order to shape a healthcare system’s reputation and distinguish it from other providers, Ten Adams
employs a range of services to push information out to consumers from every angle, producing fluid strategies
to flow through modern informational channels.

“To deliver these services, we continue to add experts to our team — including those who come from healthcare,” Vice President of Operations Nancy Daugherty says.

One such person is Horton. The South Dakota resident spent 20 years working inside the healthcare industry and running public relations and planning for hospital systems, and her insider knowledge has served Ten Adams’ clients well since she joined the company in 2015.

“As a healthcare provider, you need a partner to take some of the burden off you,” Horton says. “Ten Adams is committed to taking care of their healthcare partners and helping them succeed.”

“Digital advertising opportunities continue to develop and improve. Tactics that were previously limited to very large or national clients are now available for regional/ local advertisers at smaller investment levels. But traditional media tactics can still play a vital role,” says VP of Media Kim Wangler, who joined Ten Adams in 2009. “The synergy of marketing efforts across multiple media channels is key and consumer media habits are constantly changing and evolving, so we consider many approaches to maximize audience reach and brand awareness.”

“We have high expectations for ourselves, which are demonstrated in our work,” says Vice President of Creative Kris Laufer. “Quality is very important, and with each project, we continually look at how we can raise the bar.”

Staying Sharp on Trends

Over the years, Ten Adams has added strategists specifically to guide the company’s interactions with digital platforms — a tall order considering digital marketing opportunities change and shift with exhausting frequency.

“The focal point for our digital strategy is rooted in the path and not a product, paired with meeting consumer expectations. It forces us to keep a clean white board each day, and get better,” says Brandon Scott, Vice President of Digital.

“The typical healthcare decision maker is a woman 35-64. As that core demographic switches to the Millennial generation, the media strategy needs to adjust accordingly,” Wangler says.

“We are creative problem solvers — we love a challenge and how to solve it creatively,” Laufer says.
“Collaborating among ourselves, with vendor partners, and especially our clients, is very important to us.”

That vision and desire to proactively craft and shape the Ten Adams company culture helped attract Scott to Evansville from Atlanta. Having no ties to the River City, Scott easily could have said no when Ten Adams came calling for a talented Digital Strategist. But the company caught Scott at a career crossroads in 2013, and he says he “felt the opportunity to connect, contribute, and add value was in Evansville, Indiana.”

We’re a company of a lot of self-starters,” Laufer says. “The attitude is to jump in and roll up your sleeves. One thing you never hear is, ‘That is not my job.’ We all do what it takes to get the job done.”

As Ten Adams has added to its ranks, the Power of Ten remains driven by the team members steering the company.

“Every single person who has been a part of Ten Adams has made an impact on our culture — including those who came before me, those who have since gone, and those who are still here,” Headlee says. “As we continue

Having grown to nearly 40 dedicated employees, the Ten Adams team invokes that can-do spirit to produce positive results for itself and for its clients.

“At the end of the day, we want to be the best version of ourselves to best serve our clients,” Scott says. “Our ability to grow into this building, expand our footprint across the country, and cultivate meaningful relationships and results are simply a testament to the people we have.”