Jan 31, 2017, 11:14 by Sara Foster

After two weeks of hype and hyperbole, we’re finally going to see some action Sunday night around 6:30 p.m. ET when the Big Game kicks off. Okay, we admit we’re a little biased. After all, our company is located in Atlanta, so yes, we’re rooting for the Atlanta Falcons this weekend! No offense to our friends in Boston and the Northeast, BTW. After all, it’s only a game, right?

With all the attention leading up to the pro football championship game, many brands are using the opportunity to put themselves in the public eye. In healthcare, we have to be a bit more discriminating and creative, as none of us has the $5 million-plus to pony up for a 30-second ad during the game. (If you do have such resources, we’d love to talk with you about your budgeting strategy!)

So what are some ways to capitalize on football championship fever without breaking the bank?  We decided to look around our own backyard and see what Atlanta-area healthcare organizations are doing in connection with the game. Here are some examples:

• The “awwwww” factor. Nobody does this better than Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA). CHOA pretty much broke the internet a few years ago with this tweet when NBA star Lebron James left Miami to return home to Cleveland. With the Falcons’ ascent to the NFL championship, CHOA found another “awwww” photo for Facebook. It was tweeted by the Children’s Miracle Network, as an extra bonus, with a poke at Boston to respond. (So far, we’ve seen no response.)
• Promotion of services. Northside Hospital in Atlanta has a large maternity service. In fact, Northside delivers more babies than any other community hospital in the metro Atlanta area. This video was posted on Facebook after the Falcons beat Green Bay in the NFC Championship game. It was preceded by a Twitter promotion.
• Getting patients and employees involved. Although Atlanta has a reputation as being a poor supporter of professional sports – it’s in the South, after all, where our religion is college football – people are jumping on the Falcons bandwagon. Local healthcare organizations are encouraging their patients and employees to support the Falcons, such as:
  • Emory Healthcare. Emory touted its physicians who are team physicians for the Falcons in a blog article and on social media.
  • Piedmont Healthcare. The Falcons’ “Rise Up” meme heads this tweet from Piedmont.
  • Grady Health also touts the “Rise Up” meme on social media.
  • The Shepherd Center hosted a tailgate party for patients and families prior to the NFC Championship game between Atlanta and Green Bay.
  • The Atlanta VA Medical Center took things a step further with a bet between the directors of the Atlanta VA and the Milwaukee VA on the outcome of the Atlanta-Green Bay game.

As we move closer to game time on Sunday, we’re sure the Atlanta healthcare community will step up their efforts even more. We’re looking forward seeing more of their creativity! And maybe even making a little bit of our own!

In closing, let’s be real. Very few of US healthcare organizations will have the opportunity to have a home-town team in a national professional sports championship or be in a city hosting one of these championships. But there will always be events that capture your local audience’s attention and your organization should be on the lookout for ways to leverage that attention for your marketing efforts. Like the Atlanta Falcons, your organization can Rise Up to the occasion! And oh yeah, Go Falcons!