Growing Health Care System Solves a Branding Challenge By Keeping It Local

“Health care is changing—and so are health care brand campaigns,” says Daniel P. Stevens.

“Building a strong health care brand in an environment that is undergoing drastic change is challenging: the switch from fee for service to value-based care; the emergence of accountable care organizations; the consolidation of hospitals—the list goes on. Sure, these shifts bring forth changes in the way that hospitals function, but how do these changes impact brands?”

Stevens, System Marketing Director at UNC Health Care System, says his organization “found success in celebrating each entity’s uniqueness, coupled with the system’s collective strength, to create unity and awareness.”

In 2010, UNC Health Care (UNC HC) consisted of UNC Hospitals and UNC School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, Rex Hospital in Raleigh, Chatham Hospital in Chatham County, and a variety of clinics across the state. Within five years, UNC HC had expanded to include eight hospitals—which added thousands of employees to the system.

“As a result of this rapid growth,” Stevens says, “old and new employees didn’t have a clear understanding of what it meant to be part of the UNC HC system. And external audiences didn’t know about the value that the statewide system provides through cutting-edge research and clinical expertise.”

To solve this problem, UNC HC created one unified brand that included hometown pride, local perspectives, and a healthy respect for each entity’s uniqueness. Read the full story for all the details: Embracing Collective Differences to Build One Cohesive Brand.

Best regards,
Matt Humphrey
President