Repositioning Ellis Medicine as a leader in healthcare reform

The Challenge

Formed after a major reorganization and consolidation of services mandated by the Berger Commission and NYS Department of Health, Ellis Medicine united three distinct hospitals to create a single healthcare brand that would provide acute care to a diverse community in and around the Capital Region of upstate NewYork.

Ellis was perceived as the third player in the market when ranked for the top drivers that influence consumers’ healthcare decisions (cardiac care, emergency care, cancer treatment and diagnostics). The organization was in need of a differentiated position and a fresh identity to gain market share in a competitive healthcare environment.

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Insightful Thinking

The public's poor perception of the state of healthcare, in combination with Schenectady's rich history of invention (the light bulb, etc.) and the massive changes forced by the Berger Commission, presented us with a once in a lifetime opportunity: to position Ellis as a leader in healthcare reform, a hospital system that is reinventing the way we care for the community.

Meticulous Execution

"Reinventing healthcare, one patient at a time" became the creative expression of this positioning. The idea acknowledges Ellis Medicine's leadership role, while at the same time recognizing the organization's patient-centered culture and reminding doctors, patients and donors what's in it for them. As a rallying cry it has brought unity to Ellis Medicine’s diverse staff and helped set the brand apart in a noisy,“me-too” healthcare market.

What makes this campaign credible to an audience that demands transparency and honesty is the candid interviews with real patients, doctors and staff. Presented in short- and long-format videos for television and the web, their poignant, often touching accounts demonstrate how Ellis delivers on the promise to improve the healthcare experience for every patient.

The brand launch led with owned media, exploiting the hospitals’ internal signage, brand- inspired interior décor, digital displays and web site to introduce the new brand to the 3,300+ employees, thousands of doctors, patients, family and visitors passing through Ellis's three campuses each day. An integrated, mass market campaign followed with creative executions for print, television, outdoor and online advertising. Service line campaigns for heart, maternity, neurology, emergency care and oncology were rolled out, featuring patients and physicians from each specialty area. The Ellis Medicine website was completely redesigned to reflect the new brand, and overhauled to accommodate the deep and changing content generated for the campaigns.