Case Studies

Brand Identity Case Study

Situation:
The adoption of a new brand identity for a Pittsburgh-based healthcare organization was driving its desire to better understand perceptions and attitudes among users and non-users of its services.   What were a patient’s first impressions of the organization?  Which key factors influenced this reaction?  What were the organization’s perceived strengths and weaknesses?  Who was its core customer base?  Answers to these questions would help define the organization’s distinct value proposition in relation to its current and desired image, and provide the insight needed to create a roadmap for reaching and building new audiences. 

Moreover, the organization wanted to gauge reaction to the use of a more symbolic brand name for its business, along with a stylized logo and a softer, friendlier tagline. 

Solution:
With extensive experience in branding—and re-branding—initiatives for healthcare and other industry segments, Campos Inc. confidently guided the organization through the qualitative research process from beginning to end.  A screening instrument developed by Campos yielded qualified participants for two distinct focus group sessions with a strong base of customers and prospects.  All focus groups were moderated by Campos at its facility in downtown Pittsburgh.

The use of stimulus materials—such as a group collage-building exercise—incorporated visuals to tap participant feelings and answer the question, “When I think of this association, what picture comes to mind?”   In addition, a mission statement and unique value position claim were read to all focus group participants in order to gauge their reaction to and endorsement of the organization’s critical positioning statements.  A follow-up collage building exercise with the prospect group helped Campos and its client measure the degree of change in perceptions and visual representation with enhanced institutional knowledge.

Lastly, all participants were shown three layout boards with color representations of the two logo designs being considered.  These visuals generated strong participant feedback relative to each logo’s visual impact, message(s) communicated, and appropriate/inappropriate fit with the association’s name.

Results:
The organization learned that perceptions differed significantly between customers and prospects on key institutional benchmarks such as top-of-mind awareness, excellence of core services, overall quality of care, and patient demographics.  While the organization enjoyed a strong and loyal customer base, prospective customers clearly misunderstood its mission and purpose.  Although its lack of name awareness and visibility were key drivers of these misperceptions, the organization was pleased to witness an immediate and marked change of opinions among the prospect group once its critical communications messaging (e.g. the positioning statements and the value claim proposition) were reinforced.

Each group, however, shared both positive and negative reactions to the proposed name change.  For some participants, the proposed symbolic brand name caused confusion and lacked an immediate connection to the implied meaning.  For others, the association’s current name inappropriately implied a negative association to a clinic or non-profit social services agency. 

Nonetheless, by analyzing the results of the qualitative research in association with its goal to identify and capture a broader patient population, the change to a new, more symbolic brand name and visual representation were confirmed.   Campos Inc.’s research findings and recommendations also guided future strategic planning that emphasized comprehensive communications in conjunction with the rollout of the new identity in order to minimize misperceptions and maximize the awareness needed to sustain and grow the organization’s future patient base.


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