Orlando is where I have a few clients but I really don't get too involved in the local politics/issues. With that, I don't know all the details about the simmering battle between two children's hospitals but I did find one aspect interesting. In one corner your have Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children & Women, the established player in the market, in the other corner you have Nemours Children's Hopsital, the new 'kid' on the block (bud pun I know). Nemours is trying to make the case that Orlando needs another children's hospital, while Palmer is attempting to protect their turf.
What I find funny are their two billboards along Interstate 4 in downtown Orlando.
Palmer's billboard says they are 'Built for Kids' while Nemours says they are 'Dedicated to children'. Obviously Palmer can make their claim and Nemours can't since Nemours hasn't been 'built'. On the flip side Nemours focusses on their single dedication to children rather than 'Women & Children'. Which is better?
I'm not sure who copied who, but either way I think the similarities make both billboards look silly.
Visitor Comments
Nemours is an established name in the non-profit children's health world. They were established as a trust of Alfred DuPont, the disabled heir to the DuPont fortune, an advocate for children's health. So they are only new to Orlando, not to the market. And there is certainly a good case to be made for non-profit, charitable children's healthcare center give that nearly 30% of Orlando's children live in poverty. I have nothing against Arnold Palmer, aside from all of the behind-the-scenes scrambling to ouster the Nemours bid. I believe the numbers are there to support the Nemours hospital, so I welcome competition to the market. Personally I doubt that my family will be a consumer of either of these hospitals' services, given their focus on at-risk children, and our preference for Florida Hospital.
Posted by: jharr | April 28, 2006 9:23 AM
I agree with you that the similarities make both billboards look silly – especially since they are both on Interstate 4 in downtown Orlando. The proximity of the two billboards makes it hard for the audience to differentiate between the two. I wouldn’t be able to remember which hospital is dedicated to children and which one is built for children. They need two unique messages to keep people from being confused. Nemours Children Hospital should have considered this branding issue since Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Women is the established brand.
I think that the Palmer billboard is more kid-friendly because of the color choices and logo. The white background makes the message stand out more. The other billboard uses reverse text making it hard to reach.
It’s important to research your competition before entering a particular market segment. These two hospitals have such similar communication platforms that consumers are likely to associate the two together. This is exactly what competing hospitals do not want to happen.
Posted by: Sarah Solomon | April 30, 2006 2:46 PM
They certainly are looking silly
Posted by: Lina | October 11, 2006 2:55 AM
Because you don't seem to know what Nemours is, it's worth a mention that its not a general children's hospital. It's where kids go when they need extremely specialized care that average children's hospitals aren't built for. They don't compete with other children's hospitals, those children's hospitals actually refer their most severe cases to Nemours. They aren't even a for-profit company. Philanthropist Alfred DuPont left his fortune to establish Nemours so that ill children could have specialized care, and that any child be treated regardless of ability to pay. There's a lot more to consider than a billboard competition.
Posted by: kim | January 2, 2009 4:14 PM