It's Colonoscopy Time
It's Colonoscopy Time

No, friends, colonoscopy time is not like peanut butter and jelly time, or Miller time, or even Hammer time. In the words of a very wise e-card that I once got, "It's like going to the dentist...it's nothing like going to the dentist." How do you know when it's your colonoscopy time? Simple:

When you get an e-card like this one. I received one today from a "concerned friend." Apparently my colonoscopy time has come. Could be life saving; will definitely be...memorable. I have this misguided fantasy that the colonoscopy tech will bring me flowers and buy me dinner, but like all the other techs I've been with, I know this one will only be interested in one thing: my anus.

Anus aside, this e-card is part of a campaign for Regence, a large health insurance provider in the Northwest. The site is called MyRegenceECard.com and allows auidence members to send custom tailored e-cards to friends and family on a series of health issues, some of which may be hard to talk about...like colonoscopy. This campaign allows Regence to non-intrusively collect names of possible new customers as well as be a substantive part of the conversation about health maintenance.

With cost of acute and emergency care extremely high for insurance providers, Regence is very smart to encourage its audience to get necessary but unpleasant checkups on a regular basis. Even if it means putting tubes where no tubes belong.

Comments

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August 18. 2008 7:46 AM

pingback

Pingback from hastalacreative.com

» Blog Archive » Gently remind them about the colonoscopy

hastalacreative.com

August 15. 2008 2:18 PM

miguel

Touché "shout from the street," touché.

miguel

August 14. 2008 4:13 PM

Shout from the street

Miguel, the video cards aren't just for dudes that need their asses checked. The cards cover a range of health issues.

The anti-smoking card is particularly effective. I sent one to a friend today. A friendly reminder from a, uhm, friend can make the difference between someone sticking with it or caving in and having that cigarette.

Shout from the street

August 14. 2008 4:06 PM

miguel

While I love this campaign I wonder about audience. Who is forwarding these around? Is it really the concerned wife of a 49-year-old that has been putting off his "time with the tube?" More likely, I imagine users are younger people (read less likely to benefit from such a screening) forwarding it to one another with snickers. That said, raising the procedure's profile generally not only benefits insures bottom lines but also all of our, well, bottoms.

miguel

August 14. 2008 1:47 PM

macintyre

Wow, what's next? Colonoscopy parties? I feel a little left out. As a Regence subscriber I've yet to receive my invite.

macintyre

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