Concussion launched a campaign for The Medical Center of Plano that positions the facility as the health care authority in the Plano area. In addition to creating a logo that the client would like “… to become as ubiquitous as the Nike Swoosh,” Concussion created advertising that stands out from the smiling patients, smiling physicians and smiling nurses that make up health care’s sea of sameness ads. While it’s early in the campaign and we have yet to collect the hard numbers that quantify success, we relish the physicians’ excitement and the client’s eternal quest to see the logo on everything!

Problem

Through research focusing on attitudes and behaviors regarding The Medical Center of Plano (TMCP) and its competitors, employees and physicians, Concussion was able to pinpoint areas for growth and improvement.

Some key findings from the research:
• Doctors, employees and consumers felt the then-current advertising did not achieve awareness and was perceived to be nonexistent
• Being the first hospital in Plano carries some value with consumers in the primary market
• Community involvement is important to consumers
• Physicians felt like consumers didn’t know which services TMCP was known for because there was a lack of advertising for specific departments

Solution

These insights helped initiate an important shift in brand position. Concussion transitioned TMCP from a friendly “caregiver” brand to the authoritative “ruler” brand.

The first step was to update the logo, taking it to a red shield, symbolizing power and authority. With the new logo came a slight tweak in the hospital name. By adding one word – The – we were able to create an even stronger position. The shield logo and typography embody the qualities of TMCP’s history, authority and strength.

Once the brand strategy was determined and the new identity was completed, it was time to reconnect with the community. We launched the “In Front. In Medicine.” campaign in June 2010. The campaign focused on a few of our most well-respected and decorated doctors standing proud, confident and ready for any situation that came their way. We highlighted the four primary service lines represented by each doctor: Cardiology, Neurology, Women’s Care and Emergency Services. We also had a more general hospital-focused ad for the doctors who were not in one of the other categories.

In addition to our media campaign, we launched TMCP’s Facebook account to foster an online community where fans of the hospital could get information on current events, ask questions and learn more about the hospital.

Our research also told us that the Internet is the number one place people go for information when researching hospitals and medical care, so we are focusing on upgrading online offerings. In July 2010 we launched the new HeartLink microsite and are in the process of developing additional specialty microsites to further convey service offerings.

Evaluation

While the campaign has just begun, early indications point toward a successful branding initiative of transforming The Medical Center of Plano from just another caregiver into The Medical Authority.