Setting Attendance Records and Spotlighting Dental Health Issues with the Illinois State Dental Society
Promoting Mission of Mercy and Advancing the Case for Dental Care Reform
Challenge:
In 2024, the Illinois State Dental Society (ISDS) partnered with Krantz Strategies to promote Mission of Mercy—a large-scale, two-day dental clinic offering free care to underserved residents. The challenge was twofold: drive strong attendance to the Peoria event and elevate awareness of the systemic barriers to dental care across Illinois.
Many Illinois residents face significant obstacles to regular dental care due to cost and insurance limitations. While Mission of Mercy provided immediate support, ISDS also sought to use the event to highlight broader advocacy efforts, including the need for dental insurance reform and improved Medicare reimbursement.
Goals:
Attract more than 1,300 attendees to receive free dental care at the Mission of Mercy clinic
Demonstrate ISDS’s commitment to addressing oral health disparities
Raise awareness about the need for policy reform in dental coverage and reimbursement
Objectives:
Deliver at least $1.5 million in free dental care to over 1,000 patients
Generate widespread media attention around the event and ISDS’s advocacy
Drive social media engagement to amplify visibility and mission alignment
Strategy:
Krantz Strategies developed a comprehensive, multi-channel communications campaign that positioned the Mission of Mercy event as both a public health solution and a catalyst for policy change. The plan prioritized media outreach, digital storytelling, community partnerships, and volunteer-driven amplification.
Tactics:
Social Media Campaign: Deployed organic and boosted posts, created a dedicated events page, and shared frequent updates to drive attendance and awareness
Media Engagement: Secured earned media placements and coordinated TV and radio interviews with ISDS leaders Dr. Timm Schwartz and Dr. Randall Markarian
Volunteer Engagement: Developed a social media ambassador toolkit to help volunteers share impact stories and encourage community participation
Radio Advertising: Partnered with Cumulus Media to air 300 ads across popular radio stations and streaming platforms
Patient Storytelling: Set up a thank-you card station onsite, later transformed into a flipbook for volunteers, capturing the emotional impact of the event
Key Results:
Over 1,300 patients received $1.6 million in free dental care at the Peoria Civic Center, meeting and exceeding care objectives.
Achieved significant visibility through earned media on outlets such as WMBD, 25 News Now, and Good Day Central Illinois, reinforcing ISDS’s role as a leader in dental health advocacy while bringing attention to the broader issue of dental care reform.
Combined efforts from social media campaigns and the volunteer ambassador program achieved a reach of over 10,000 accounts with 3,060 post engagements, amplifying the event’s visibility and messaging.
This campaign showed the power of aligning strategic communications with real-world impact. Through collaboration, thoughtful storytelling, and targeted media engagement, ISDS and Krantz Strategies delivered on both immediate community care and long-term advocacy goals.
Mission of Mercy became more than a two-day clinic. It became a platform for public education, community engagement, and policy influence, laying a strong foundation for ISDS’s continued leadership in advancing oral health equity across Illinois.