Dr. Oz: America’s Doctor

Time frame: February 2009-Present

Introduction

In 2009, DKC worked with HARPO Studios and Sony Pictures Television to launch the most highly anticipated daytime TV program of the year, ”The Dr. Oz Show,” hosted by Dr. Mehmet Oz, which began airing in syndication nationally in September 2009. At a time of economic crisis and stress for America, people needed to focus on integrated health and wellness, broadly defined, more than ever. From aging Baby Boomers to Millennials going into the workforce and starting families, the time was ripe for a groundbreaking program like ”The Dr. Oz Show.” An overarching objective for the campaign was to brand Dr. Oz as ”America’s Doctor” and have him facilitate the national conversation on health and wellness that he began during his years on ”The Oprah Winfrey Show.” That objective included communicating that an hour of medical television could be informative, educational, clinically sound, but most importantly, entertaining.

Strategy

DKC’s strategy was to position ”The Dr Oz Show” as a new, pioneering breed of TV programming: part news show, part entertainment, part empowerment for all. This positioning would emphasize how Dr. Oz’s broadcast and online programs, along with his ongoing medical work, integrate to create a powerful resource for millions of Americans. To complement this work that directly promoted the show itself, DKC also branded Dr. Oz as ”America’s Doctor,” the authoritative voice on all health matters. DKC created a national conversation around health and wellness, bringing these issues out into the open and talking about what we can do to become healthier as a nation.

Tactics

DKC spent the months prior to the launch setting up media opportunities for Dr. Oz timed to the debut of the show. We focused on reaching out to national top-tier consumer media, capitalizing on Dr. Oz’s existing cultural relevance and the accessibility of the show to widespread audiences. In addition to traditional media outreach, we secured keynote speaking appearances at venues such as the Aspen Institute Health Forum presented by TIME Magazine, a high-profile opportunity that was the news event of record on health in the summer of 2009. This dovetailed with feature coverage in TIME, and an ongoing editorial relationship with the magazine. DKC also helped secure a contributor relationship with outlets including AARP, USA Weekend, and O, The Oprah Magazine to include articles written by Dr. Oz.

After the show launched, we devised and executed major PR strategies around marquee episodes, such as the episode hosted at the Houston Free Clinic, a nationally historic event where nearly 2,000 people over the course of a day received medical attention. We publicized the day with major media placements, and achieved national broadcast coverage throughout the entire day-long event. The show aired in mid-October and was advanced with major broadcast tune-in press, including a 20 minute ”Larry King Live” interview, as well as advances on ”Good Morning America” and MSNBC.

Results

By September, anticipation for the show among consumers and the industry had reached a fever pitch, with notable placements including four separate appearances on ”Good Morning America” and discussions with the hosts of ”Nightline” and ”The View” on health topics and the launch of the show. DKC also booked Dr. Oz as a guest on ”The Late Show with David Letterman,” ”Jimmy Kimmel Live,” and ”Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.” High-level print coverage included features in TIME, People, USA Today, Reader’s Digest, O, The Oprah Magazine, Glamour, Health, Women’s Health, Men’s Health, Good Housekeeping, Prevention, Delta Sky, TV Guide and cover stories in Natural Health and Broadcasting and Cable. Media impressions for the campaign totaled over 362 million. The show’s launch rocketed out of the gate with a steady five week ratings climb, and ranking as the most popular non-news program in many key markets and the #2 talk show in most large markets. Additionally, as the ultimate recognition of excellence, Dr. Oz took home the Emmy for ”Outstanding Talk Show Host” at this year’s 37th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards.