Waldo County General Hospital recently launched a direct mail and advertising campaign to increase community awareness of health center services and the availability of primary care providers in Waldo County. “Quality Care, Close to Home” is the main message of the campaign. Health Center resources include priority sick visits, on-site lab work, friendly staff, and programs for qualifying patients that can help to pay for doctor visits and prescriptions.

Hospital staff managed the implementation of the campaign working closely with Pica Design on strategy, photography, copywriting and design. Local photographer, Margaret McKenna, provided the photography for the campaign, which ran in local online and print news channels. The new campaign ties into the hospital’s new website (also developed by Pica Design), which helps track response to the new campaign.

Highlighted in the campaign were primary care doctors in Waldo County and the Hospital’s physician referral service. The Health Centers featured include: Arthur Jewell Community Health Center, Donald S. Walker Health Center, Lincolnville Regional Health Center, Searsport Health Center, and Stockton Springs Regional Health Center. A second campaign focuses on the Hospital’s Physical and Occupational Therapy programs. To view the Primary Care campaign artwork, visit: www.picadesign.com. To learn more about the Hospital’s service offerings, visit: www.wcgh.org.

Pica Design is pleased to welcome Wreaths Across America™, as a new Client. In early March, Pica was awarded a contract to provide web development services to redesign WAA’s new website presence. The new website is currently in development. Wreaths Across America™ is a non profit 501(c)(3) organization that was formed as an extension of the Arlington Wreath Project. The Arlington Wreath program was started by Morrill Worcester of Worcester Wreath Company in 1992 with the donation and laying of 5,000 Christmas wreaths to Arlington National Cemetery. To learn more about Wreaths Across America™ or support their organization, you can visit them at www.wreathsacrossamerica.org. To learn more about Pica Design’s web development services, visit us at www.picadesign.com or give us a call.

Pica Design is pleased to welcome RHR Smith & Company, C.P.A.s to our Client roster. In early November, RHR contracted us to provide Email Marketing services through Pica eNews™, a simple yet robust tool that allows RHR to create and deliver email campaigns on the fly. RHR Smith & Company, C.P.A.s is a full service, Maine-based accounting firm, which specializes in building client relationships. Their Development Services division offers consulting and other strategic expertise to clients. Its staff includes a former executive director with 20 years of experience in nonprofit management, and extensive knowledge in business and governmental organizations. To learn more about RHR Smith & Company, you can visit their website here: www.rhrsmith.com. To learn more about our Email Marketing Service, Pica eNews™, visit: success.picadesign.com/eNews.

What makes a great ad? We just raised this question at Pica Design when brainstorming new advertising ideas for VillageSoup. We decided to compile our thoughts and share them here on our blog. As you will see, our responses were varied, but they also overlap. A common thread is the understanding that great advertising grabs our attention, and we know a good ad when we see one. We invite you to delve into our responses and share your own thoughts by posting a ‘Reply’ under the blog.

+ a connection to the audience. If an ad connects with me–through humor or imagery or an element of surprise–it will be memorable. I’ll look up a website to learn more.

+ a concise message delivered in a bold and different way.

+ making the most of beauty. Beauty is inspiring and it’s memorable. If an ad inspires you, you remember it.

+ a great company, product or service. Then, it’s about clear communication and spot-on execution. So, it’s a great idea + useful design; that’s what makes a great ad.

+ authenticity, creativity, ingenuity and uniqueness.

+ few words. It makes the essential points and directs us to learn more.

+ a great marketing plan.

+ a great visual. I think one great visual is better than three not-so-great ones. Great advertising is simple and uncluttered.

+ knowing the difference between advertising and marketing.

+ standing out in a crowd.

+ immediacy. When an ad incorporates an offer to take advantage of right now, I pay attention.

How would you finish the statement, ‘A great ad starts with…’ ?

Need to jumpstart your marketing plans for 2011? Update your website? Develop a company logo? Redefine your brand? We offer a FREE one hour consultation at our design studio in Belfast. Call us today at (207) 338-1740 or email us at info@picadesign.com to schedule your meeting with our creative team.

www.picadesign.com

Pica Design is pleased to announce the new redesign of Waldo County General Hospital’s website at www.wcgh.org! Waldo County Healthcare, Inc. (WCHI) serves the healthcare needs of Waldo County residents through Waldo County General Hospital, five rural health centers, home health and hospice services, public health nursing, physicians’ offices and educational programs.

Waldo County General Hospital (WCGH) is a not-for-profit community hospital committed to providing excellent care for patients and their families in a friendly, caring atmosphere in line with its mission to be the BEST. Services are provided as efficiently as possible with an eye on the future and in collaboration with other community-minded agencies. All services are provided regardless of ability to pay in accordance with the hospital’s financial assistance policy.

In early March, Pica Design was selected to redesign and redevelop the hospital’s new website working within the brand standards outlined by MaineHealth. The goal of the new website design was to remain accessible and intuitive to a broad-range audience while incorporating the newest tools and technologies to allow the hospital to enhance their existing communications and open new channels of communication. In addition, the new website needed to offer the ability to allow Hospital staff to manage every aspect of the website. Over the past six months, we have worked closely with the Hospital’s administrative staff to implement and test all of the site’s new functionality, including:

• a search-as-you-type feature to help people locate Doctor specialties that are difficult to spell
• built-in web accessibility tools for the handicapped (for example, the site can be navigated without a mouse)
• a find-a-doctor feature for specific medical needs
• news features & resources: subscribe to RSS news feeds, newsletters (InPulse & Journey to Health), and the news blog

One of the bigger challenges for our team was to code the new website to work on every browser and keep the website as accessible as possible. Should a website break occur, the user has the ability to ‘Submit a Website Problem’ through a link located within the footer navigation.

In addition to developing the new website, Pica Design is providing hosting services as well as consulting on web and social media strategies to help the Hospital get the most out of its online presence. To learn more about Pica website development and social media strategies, contact us by phone at 207-338-1740 or email at: info@picadesign.com

What a better way to celebrate the holidays than to help spread peace through Blueberry and Strawberry Preserves. Peace Preserves, a Client of Pica Design, is a local business that was created to provide an array of unique fundraising items to nonprofit organizations and the retail market. Products were developed as a vehicle to express the simple message to “Spread Peace, Peace Works”. When you buy their products, you send funds directly to youth organizations who are working towards achieving peace in our world today. To learn more on Pica Design’s involvement in helping Peace Preserves to develop their brand identity and packaging, click here. To purchase Peace Preserves for gifts or for your holiday enjoyment, you can visit a variety of local establishments such as the Farmers Fare, the Belfast Co-op, Whole Foods in Portland or directly through the Peace Preserves website . Enjoy!

Join us for a nuts-and-bolts presentation on the benefits of websites for businesses. This is a great opportunity to ask questions about websites, network with other business owners and learn more about putting the Web to work for your business.

Event Details:

Thursday, June 25th

4:00 – 5:30 PM

Unity College Center for the Performing Arts

42 Depot Street, Unity, Maine

For registration and event information, call Julie Downer at UniTel: 948-3959;

or email jdowner@uninets.net

Sponsored by Pica Design, LLC, UniTel and Unity College in Maine

Thoughtful and clever marketing that does the trick. Good branding and great execution.