Rebrands, Logos
Northwest Family Clinics
Project Overview
An Injection of Smart Thinking Drives Long-term Growth Strategy
Northwest Family Physicians was looking to drive growth in a market increasingly crowded with large healthcare providers that have slowly drawn patients away from this independent, deeply-rooted local practice. Northwest Family Physicians called upon Mercury, its longtime marketing partner, to help explore opportunities and design a plan to bring about long-term growth and success.
Family Medicine and Relationships
Northwest Family Physicians is a trio of physician-owned and -managed family medical clinics that have been serving patients in the northwest quadrant of the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area since 1951. They see patients of all age groups and provide acute care from two urgent care facilities.
Time for an Overdue Physical
The team of physicians who run the clinic felt inconsistent messaging and brand presentation at the three clinics was diluting the Northwest Family Physicians brand, causing the stagnant patient growth and dissuading new providers from joining the group.
New Name Speaks to Unity
Physicians are great at asking their patients questions, but what about brand related questions? Mercury hosted several “discovery phase” sessions that – using its proprietary Mercury Method branding exercise – helped the physicians answer these critical questions and provided direction for the rebrand.
Mercury believes that uncovering the true value of an organization is key to providing the direction for growth – internal and external. So, that’s where the process started. Rather than defaulting to tactical solutions that would yield only short-term results at best, Mercury spoke with patients, vendor partners and, of course, Northwest Family Physicians staff and determined “Whole Life Care” is a positioning that captures the value the brand brings to its audiences. At that point, it was easy: “Whole Life Care” became the tagline that re-established consistent messaging and brand direction across the three clinics. That consistency would breed deeper connections and relationships with both staff and patients and become the foundation for growing the business and attracting new customers whose care could begin and continue at Northwest Family Physicians.
Next, Mercury worked with Northwest Family Physicians to evaluate its current brand expressions and agreed the name itself was not squarely on message. It needed to be bigger, broader and communicate more unity and consistency across the three clinics. By replacing the word “Physicians” with “Clinics,” the new name – Northwest Family Clinics – creates that unity and establishes that patients can expect common services and quality of care across the three locations.
New Brand Identity Brings Cohesion to Multiple Clinic Locations
Mercury believes that uncovering the true value of an organization is key to providing the direction for growth – internal and external. So, that’s where the process started. Rather than defaulting to tactical solutions that would yield only short-term results at best, Mercury spoke with patients, vendor partners and, of course, Northwest Family Physicians staff and determined “Whole Life Care” is a positioning that captures the value the brand brings to its audiences. At that point, it was easy: “Whole Life Care” became the tagline that re-established consistent messaging and brand direction across the three clinics. That consistency would breed deeper connections and relationships with both staff and patients and become the foundation for growing the business and attracting new customers whose care could begin and continue at Northwest Family Physicians.
Next, Mercury worked with Northwest Family Physicians to evaluate its current brand expressions and agreed the name itself was not squarely on message. It needed to be bigger, broader and communicate more unity and consistency across the three clinics. By replacing the word “Physicians” with “Clinics,” the new name – Northwest Family Clinics – creates that unity and establishes that patients can expect common services and quality of care across the three locations.
New Doctors Welcome
To attract new providers, Mercury developed an engaging and personal video featuring current doctors and staff that offers an authentic glimpse into Northwest Family Clinics. It gives potential doctors insight into a clinic culture that makes “Whole Life Care” its driving strategy. The clinics are well along the path to full recovery: Two new physicians have signed on, and Northwest Family Clinics is on track for adding additional physicians to meet its goal.
Unity, Consistency Continue to Drive Growth
As other elements of the long range plan are put in play, the organization is further aligning its operations across its three sites. Efficiency and profitability are up, and so are energy and enthusiasm. The Mercury Method brand development process, based on discovery, partnership and the development and implementation of tactical components is giving Northwest Family Clinics the ability to adapt to changing market conditions while successfully driving growth both now and in the long run.
