Category: Healthcare/Medical

Client Overview

The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) Office of Oral Health plays a vital role in improving community wellness by addressing preventable oral health issues. For this initiative, ADPH aimed to promote awareness and encourage positive dental health behaviors across maternal, child, and underserved populations throughout Alabama.

As part of its broader mission to close gaps in public health access, ADPH partnered with Propellant Media to plan and execute a high-impact awareness campaign that could reach communities often left out of traditional outreach. Our focus was on delivering relevance, education, and measurable outcomes.

Campaign Challenge

In Alabama, access to dental care is uneven—especially in rural counties and low-income communities. Many caregivers are unaware of preventive measures or local resources available to them. ADPH needed to bridge this knowledge gap and motivate action without overwhelming or alienating their audience.

Our task was to create a full-funnel advertising strategy capable of both scale and precision. We had to make oral health information accessible, engaging, and culturally relevant—reaching the right people at the right time, whether online or in their daily physical environments.

Strategic Philosophy: Behavioral Targeting with Cultural Relevance

Our approach to this campaign was grounded in the idea that public health engagement is as much about trust as it is about visibility. We combined behavioral audience modeling with insights from prior government and healthcare campaigns to inform our targeting, messaging, and delivery.

Instead of using broad public service announcements, we deployed segmented, behavior-based advertising that resonated with specific audience types—mothers, fathers, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. Each tactic was chosen to reflect how different communities consume information and make health decisions.

By focusing on cultural nuance, accessibility, and omnichannel reach, our strategy aimed to generate not only awareness, but also real behavioral change in communities that need it most.

Targeting Strategy: Who We Reached and Where

Our media strategy was built on layered audience segmentation and geographic targeting. We developed custom personas and used both platform-level and third-party data to locate high-potential users and communities across the state.

We targeted:

• Mothers (ages 18–45) interested in maternal health, family care, and public health topics
• Fathers and male caregivers actively involved in child rearing
• Healthcare professionals such as pediatricians, OB/GYNs, and WIC staff
• Underserved populations in rural and low-income zip codes

To support message consistency, we combined statewide digital reach with physical proximity targeting—serving ads near WIC offices, pharmacies, pediatric clinics, and community centers.

This layered strategy ensured maximum message frequency across environments where health decisions are most likely to happen—whether in homes, cars, clinics, or on mobile devices.

Media Mix and Budget Allocation

Propellant Media executed an omnichannel campaign designed for both awareness and conversion. We leveraged digital, streaming, and traditional media to ensure we reached all segments of the target population.

The modeled media budget totaled $100,000 and was allocated across the following channels:

Each media channel was chosen based on its ability to connect meaningfully with its intended audience while allowing for data-driven optimizations throughout the campaign lifecycle.

Creative Execution and Messaging

Effective public health messaging must be clear, credible, and emotionally resonant. Our creative approach focused on community-driven storytelling, simple health tips, and visual clarity tailored to diverse audiences.

We developed:

• Short-form video ads with pediatric dental tips and testimonials from Alabama families
• Static and animated display banners emphasizing preventive care practices
• Facebook and Instagram carousel ads promoting resources and dental appointment reminders
• Billboards featuring visual messaging designed for commuter routes and rural exposure

Creative assets were informed by audience testing and feedback from prior healthcare campaigns. Content was optimized for accessibility and mobile engagement, ensuring that no matter the device or platform, the message would be understood.

This creative system ensured consistent messaging across formats and platforms, reinforcing behavior change through repetition, emotion, and localized relevance.

Modeled Performance Benchmarks

As a publicly funded campaign, our success metrics prioritized awareness, engagement, and cost-efficiency. We benchmarked performance against both internal Propellant Media standards and public health advertising norms.

These benchmarks allowed us to make informed mid-campaign decisions and provide ADPH with transparent reporting to demonstrate return on investment and public impact.

Execution Timeline and Delivery

The campaign followed a streamlined six-week delivery schedule designed to balance speed, accuracy, and optimization:

Week 1:
Audience research, creative development, platform setup, and analytics implementation

Week 2:
Full campaign launch across all digital and streaming platforms

Weeks 3–4:
Performance analysis, A/B testing, and media optimization based on real-time insights

Weeks 5–6:
Creative refresh, scaling of high-performing segments, and preparation for reporting

This delivery schedule ensured efficiency without sacrificing strategy or quality. Each week built upon the last, allowing us to capture early momentum and optimize toward final KPIs.

Team Structure and Capabilities

Propellant Media deployed a multidisciplinary team to ensure every element of the campaign was handled with expertise. Our team brought together strategic planners, creative directors, media buyers, and analysts with deep experience in government and healthcare marketing.

This structure allowed for seamless execution, consistent client communication, and full accountability across planning, delivery, and optimization.

Technology Stack and Tools

To ensure high performance and actionable insights, we utilized a suite of advertising and analytics tools tailored for public health campaigns:

• Google Ads (Search, Display, YouTube)
• Meta Business Suite (Facebook/Instagram Ads)
• Simpli.fi (Geofencing, OTT/CTV)
• StackAdapt (Programmatic Audio and Display)
• Google Tag Manager & GA4 for tracking and attribution
• Real-Time Dashboards for live reporting and stakeholder transparency

This technology stack supported accurate targeting, campaign responsiveness, and data-driven storytelling—key to achieving the goals of a statewide public health initiative.

Comparable Campaigns and Experience

Propellant Media’s experience with similar campaigns made us an ideal partner for ADPH. We’ve helped public health and government clients across the country amplify their reach and impact through digital transformation.

Relevant examples include:

• CDC – SPINE Program: Nutrition equity education for Black mothers across five states
• Florida Blue: Statewide healthcare enrollment campaign targeting African-American communities
• Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta: Sickle cell awareness fundraising among Georgia families
• Craig Hospital: Omnichannel nursing recruitment through geofencing, OTT, and testimonial video

Each campaign reinforced our belief in precision-targeted, culturally conscious advertising—and provided valuable learnings we applied to ADPH’s outreach.

Conclusion and Results Outlook

The ADPH Department of Oral Health campaign illustrates what’s possible when digital strategy meets health equity goals. Through integrated creative, channel diversity, and community-specific messaging, we empowered thousands of Alabama families with actionable oral health information.

Balancing strategy with compassion and analytics with accessibility, Propellant Media created a campaign that drove engagement while delivering meaningful public health value. The performance benchmarks show strong projected returns, and the strategic infrastructure is now in place for future phases of outreach.

For government organizations and healthcare providers seeking to educate, influence, and uplift at scale—this is what success looks like.