How our partnership is giving one marketing leader the support she needs to shine

Lunne has operated as an extension of client marketing teams. And while some things have evolved over the last 20 years, the way we support our clients when they need extra boots on the ground has remained unchanged. In fact, OhioHealth still turns to Lunne for help when its internal team is underwater, under pressure, or working under the wire. So we interviewed one of our current OhioHealth clients, Teratia Welch, marketing communications manager, and one of our most seasoned client service team members, Niki Calvaruso, associate director, marketing strategy, to hear about how our partnership has elevated their marketing programs and how Lunne locks arms with our clients to navigate the most complex marketing challenges.

OhioHealth is a healthcare system with 14 hospitals across the state. Teratia is responsible for marketing and communications at Berger Hospital in Circleville and Southeastern Medical Center in Cambridge. We discussed how she navigated marketing an established brand to a new audience and managing internal communications for the hospital. When her plate began to overflow, Teratia called us to partner and navigate this complicated process and provide project management and creative support.

Terita, What first prompted you to look for our support? Tell us about what made it clear you needed Lunne.

Teratia:

In November 2020, my responsibilities grew to include a new care site, Southeastern Medical Center. With this change, I was responsible for overseeing their integration into the OhioHealth systems as well as their day-to-day marketing and communications needs. Over time as my capacity for my other work became really stretched, it was clear I just couldn't keep all the moving parts and pieces churning. I knew I needed support. And luckily, Lunne has a long-standing working relationship with OhioHealth. So that seemed like the natural fit—to work with you guys to get some of that marketing support when it came to campaigns and brand advertising. We needed a more seasoned company that was very up-to-speed on the OhioHealth brand and reputation. And we knew we could get that through Lunne.

We were able to collaborate initially with some strategy and marketing efforts, and over time, things have just evolved. It has now stretched into communications, and media relations and even includes integration efforts for Southeastern Medical Center, which will continue for the next couple of years.

Niki:

So you're not getting rid of me easily, right Teratia?

Teratia:

Fine by me!

Niki:

Teratia and I have well-matched work styles and we can have real and open conversations. This is a full-fledged partnership. No one is too good to get any work done. And Teratia does a great job of not just throwing over the ticky-tacky things like "Hey, proofread this for me." Which we can totally do. But she trusts us with big strategy and these hospital integrations. To be able to impact things and help provide this great level of care is important. These communities are getting this boost from OhioHealth, and we're getting to be part of that.

Niki, Can you talk a bit about how we ensure that Lunne and our clients are set up for success?

Niki:

I think a lot of it is starting to understand our clients and having very open and frank conversations. I am your new hire—please onboard me as much as you can. And we know that clients sometimes come to us in a time of desperation and everyone is sweating. They're under pressure, and they're coming to us because they don't want to onboard a whole new person or because they can't get an approved budget for an FTE. So we make sure to meet people where they are and try to understand as much as possible.

Teratia:

Niki and I have a great cadence. We have weekly touch bases to go over everything in flight. We talk through where we are with those different projects or the timelines for different things. Niki attends a lot of the calls as well—some of the meetings with senior leaders at OhioHealth. I can't be a part of every single meeting and there are a lot of times where we tag team, or she solely attends them to gather all the necessary information. Between the two of us, we hit all the meetings and can share what we've learned back and forth.

Lunne has also been flexible and willing to work within our existing tools and processes. They are plugged into our project management system and can help everything move through our internal process.

Niki:

We also publish a weekly status report that's always up to date. And no matter how fast things are moving and how busy Teratia is, she knows she can always open that up and find out where everything is.

Teratia:

Honestly, Niki is always three steps ahead. We do have a kind of telepathy going on where we know what to expect or what should be done next. And if one of us hasn't already made a move or written a draft or made a connection, the other one is. It's a seamless relationship. I mean, it's one of those things where, you know, she's a valid partner professionally, but also a friend and somebody that's right there willing to help.

That's wonderful. So what would you say to someone in a similar postion-a marketer with an overflowing plate, limited time and resources, who needs support?

Teratia:

I think my advice would be "Don't wait." For me, I didn't want to burden people by thinking I couldn't keep up with stuff or that I was challenged with trying to keep a work-life balance. Bringing Lunne in was honestly a lifesaver. And I think it's evolved. We are working on strategic work together, and it isn't specifically like proofread this or, you know, can you do X, Y, and Z tasks. It's creating a solid framework for us. So I would just tell people to raise their hand and ask for that support.

Niki:

Sometimes even just a conversation about what is on your plate is a good place to start. You don't have to have a fully prepared list of things that need to be done. You don't need to have a super clear ask. Let us help you.

Teratia:

Overall Lunne has been fabulous, specifically Niki. I would not have been able to keep my sanity or muster through these past three years without her support, guidance, and understanding of the organization and the brand. It's been one of those relationships that's unmatched for sure.

As an extension of client teams, Lunne knows that sometimes you just need more support to make things happen. If you could use more boots on the ground, check out how we can help.