Dignity Health Rebrands: Say Hello to Human Kindness
by Jane Weber Brubaker
A helicopter hovers over a concrete embankment, floodwaters rising rapidly around the target of the rescue operation, a black lab, alone and struggling to keep his head above water. “Does everyone matter?” asks the TV commercial. The chopper drops a line and a rescue worker lifts the dog to safety. “Yes” is the ad’s response. The spot closes with the tagline, “Hello humankindness.”
Hello humankindness is a national brand campaign launched in July 2013 by Dignity Health, a health care system formerly known as Catholic Healthcare West. The name change to Dignity Health in January 2012 was the first step in a major overhaul of the organization’s corporate identity.
“In the past the thought was, all hospitals were local and didn’t need to have a strong brand,” says Mark Viden, Dignity Health’s director of digital strategy and brand management. “With the huge changes underway [industrywide], we realized we needed to make some changes, and one of those was to invest in the Dignity Health brand.”
One of the trends driving Dignity Health’s rebranding initiative is the rise of consumer choice in health care. “Consumers have become incredibly market-savvy, and the reputation of [the provider] plays a huge role,” says Viden. “The days of the passive patient are coming to an end.” Dignity Health aspires to become the consumer health care destination of choice.
