Helping the Local Community Interpret Health.

City of Reading – Advancing Health Literacy

A Case Study

In 2021, the City of Reading was awarded a grant by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health (OMH) to help the local community understand communications from their healthcare professionals.

Who was involved?

The primary objective of this grant was to alleviate the health burden of COVID-19 in the underserved community of Reading, PA, which was no light task.

Due to the enormous task ahead, the Reading Area Community College, Penn State College of Medicine, and Latino Connections were called to the helm as sub-awardees. Together, these teams organized surveys, conducted information sessions, and worked with local healthcare providers to find out what roadblocks prevented Reading citizens from understanding all the information healthcare providers shared.

What were the challenges?

Over three years, the project team performed research and enacted remedies involving many Reading residents. There were so many cogs, from the mayor to the local pharmacy, community leaders to the faith-based clinics, and not all were aware of the big picture to which they had contributed. The big picture needed to be communicated to the full task force.

Not only did the team want to relay their results, but they also wanted to fill a room with powerful influencers from the Reading community and inspire them to continue this work. The work that the team has commenced over the three years had to continue for the good of the community.

For these reasons, a breakfast conference was held in the DoubleTree’s ballroom in Reading and all the important people from the Reading health community were invited.

A good impression had to be made!

Our Solution

This is where Hayman Studio comes into the picture. We’ve been working with clients on community health-based marketing and communication projects for close to a decade. We were called and tasked with making this event memorable and impactful while communicating the results and successes of the project.

With a blank canvas and a bunch of creative minds exploding with ideas, the Hayman team devised a plan.

The hotel lobby and entrance to the ballroom had to pack a punch. We had a captive audience and wanted to make them stop and think, making each person realize why health literacy was so important to their community.

We created circular floor stickers that were bright red and 3 feet in diameter, guaranteed to attract attention. We added impactful statistics to each sticker.

Our favorite design piece had to be the massive 10-foot x 8-foot timeline, designed as an impact piece. It stood proudly demonstrating the length and breadth of the project.

Outside the entrance to the ballroom, we created six communication stations, each reflecting a different component of the project. Each station contained a mix of printed display and video content bearing key points, outcomes, and statistics.

Once inside the ballroom, we thought it was the perfect time to continue the messaging while our guests sat to enjoy breakfast. In the center of each table lay a circle with handy information such as the hotel Wi-Fi details and a QR code leading the guests to more information about the project.

Our video team was involved too. We identified three key groups, devised interview questions, and recorded interviews. One of the videos was used as an introduction to the main presentation, giving insight into the importance of health literacy from the perspective of the mayor, the director of Reading Community College, and a key figure from the Penn State College of Medicine. Having these community leaders speak passionately about Health Literacy added credibility to the team’s mission.

Another two videos were created to display in the entrance stations to capture attention as guests walked into the ballroom. They were interviews with key partners and the project team members.

Once the guests had read the dots on the floor, read the banners, glanced at the videos playing on a loop, and headed full speed toward their breakfast, we had one last opportunity to grab their attention before the speeches started. As the guests sat to consume their breakfast, we played an animated video containing the key statistics from the banner information on the huge projector screen.

This multi layered approach gave each guest maximum exposure to the material plus a real wow factor.

Results and Longevity of Materials

While creating these physical marketing pieces for the City of Reading, we consistently thought of the longevity of the assets. We wanted to ensure all items created could be used now and in the future. The videos can be used on social media, their website, or added to newsletters. Banners could be used at other events the City of Reading held.

“From start to finish working with Hayman Studio was an amazing experience. They have a great work ethic, they are professional, were attentive to our needs and provided the structure to bring our ideas into the final product. They used our vision and brought it to fruition as they helped communicate our work to the target audience through banner designs and video creation. Hayman is not a cookie cutter production, as they provided marketing solutions for the City of Reading, Advancing Health Literacy department. They provided consistent support, excellent communication and a comprehensive package from start to finish. You will not be disappointed with Hayman Studio!”

Dr. Paige Brookins – Director of Health Equity, City of Reading

What we did

• Design
• Videography
• Editing
• Animation