In 2010, OneVoice partnered with Philips to establish Innovations in Health, the third largest healthcare-focused group on LinkedIn and first LinkedIn group specifically dedicated to healthcare innovation and thought leadership.

This thought-leadership campaign enabled Philips to break into the business-to-business social networking space and establish meaningful and authentic relationships with key stakeholders. The program has been so successful that Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn, has praised the program for successfully driving professional conversations in the right context as a way to increase brand equity.

Today, more than 26,584 members strong, medical professionals and health enthusiasts use the group to discuss, share and foster peer-to-peer innovation. Since launch, group members have contributed to more than 4,399 discussions, 4,613 comments and 231,389 total page views. Topics vary from advancements in medical technology to clinical insight and opinion on research findings.

“Philips is building true engagement with an important customer base by creating meaningful communities on LinkedIn, communities which allow members to collaborate and share insights delivering real value. They’ve truly grasped the potential of what it means to be driving professional conversations in the right context as a way to increase brand equity and, as such, should be recognized as global thought leaders in this area.” - Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn

“[Philips,] thanks for your leadership and allowing me to be active in advancing the importance of innovations in healthcare.” – Group member

GOAL

To facilitate thought leadership and collaboration for the progression of global healthcare, especially within the fields of radiology, oncology, cardiology and women’s health.

OBJECTIVES
Establish the first peer-to-peer discussion group for medical professionals on LinkedIn
Position Philips as a thought leader in the global healthcare space, specifically within radiology, oncology, cardiology and women’s health
Develop and nurture relationships between Philips Healthcare and its stakeholders
Secure 15,000 high-quality members by the end of 2010

STRATEGY
Develop a global “InMail” e-mail marketing campaign to recruit healthcare professionals on LinkedIn
Facilitate highly-clinical discussion among key opinion leaders, clinical specialists and health enthusiasts
Encourage members to:
Spark discussion around topics important to them
Share and collect opinion on relevant trends and technology
Develop and nurture professional relationships
Tap into the minds of more than 25,000 peers about niche medical topics

Results
Recruitment:
Outstanding reaction: 14% Click-through success; 57% higher than industry average
Strong results: 77% of members recruited via “InMail” e-mail marketing; up to 93% within the clinical subgroups

Membership:
Wide reach: 121 countries represented by membership (United States: 40%, Netherlands: 19%, United Kingdom: 16%)
Quality members: 57% of members at manager level or higher, approximately 189 LinkedIn connections each and most often employed within the “hospital and healthcare,” “medical device” or “pharmaceuticals” industries
Targeted relationships: Popular job titles held by group members include: MD, Radiologist, Clinical Research Associate, Senior Scientist and Managing Director

Engagement:
High volume: 4,399 clinical discussions, 4,613 insightful comments and 231,389 total page views
High frequency: 19% increase in activity during 2010
High quality: of discussion as well as quality and depth of member-to-member connections and exchanges
Strong leadership: 112 topics and 71 comments posted by Philips team; generating 950 comments from group members
Valuable connections: Evolution from a group of individuals to a network of niche specialists; industry-wide pursuit of knowledge and collaboration demonstrated through dialogue