Medical laboratory technologists and technicians are in high demand. Staff shortages are the top issue laboratories in Indiana face and the shortage is projected to grow. As Indiana’s workforce engine, Ivy Tech Community College partnered with Roche to address the shortage by elevating awareness of the profession and increasing enrollment in Ivy Tech’s Medical Laboratory Technology program.
Our Approach
To reach the target audience, we created a digital campaign consisting of an animated video and static social media ads.
We utilized animation for the video to highlight the vital role medical lab techs play and the career opportunities available. The story is told from the perspective of Paul, a graduate of Ivy Tech. He explains his daily tasks, how his work impacts the people around him, how he earned his degree from Ivy Tech and started his career, and how viewers can find out more information. The video also highlights an important point about Ivy Tech—the College partners with local employers to ensure graduates have exactly the skillset employers need.
Observing tiny detailed microbes through a microscope is one of many activities done by medical laboratory technologists and technicians. We wanted to bring this activity to life in the spot through the use of motion. We incorporated extreme zooms in and out as a way to transition between scenes. The illustration style resembles a risograph print where overlapping bright colors blend together to create a layered effect. This style added dimension to the spot, especially in the extreme close-up scenes of microbes interacting.
The video invites students to explore the possibilities of a career in Medical Laboratory Technology and how it may be a great fit for them if they like solving mysteries, working with a team, and helping people. Ultimately, the spot speaks to the important role Medical Laboratory Technicians serve in collecting samples and connecting laboratory findings to common diseases to provide vital information to patients.
In addition to the animated spots, we created static digital ads. Across all campaign collateral, we incorporated the layered illustration style, as well as messaging from the script, to create a cohesive experience.
The Results
Within the first month, the campaign had almost 5,000 clicks. To date, the campaign has generated 434 applications to Ivy Tech’s Medical Laboratory Technology program. Meta was responsible for over 400,000 of our 720,000+ impressions and had a cost per lead less than half the industry average. In Google Paid Search, our click through rate was nearly double the industry average. That’s a lot of awareness of the profession built and demand generated. Here’s to all the future Medical Lab Techs and their contributions to the healthcare industry.
