A strong healthcare brand creates a unique identity and fosters an emotional connection with its audience. To be effective in a competitive market, healthcare providers must reach beyond clinical excellence to show that they understand and can meet the needs of the local population.

The following article by Shannon Curran, Chief Marketing Officer, and Laura Roberts, Chief Client Officer, was originally published on Swaay.Health.

Telehealth and retail clinics give patients more options for where they receive care than ever before. That means providers aren’t just competing with other healthcare brands in their region. They’re potentially competing with national brands, like Teladoc and Headspace. Insurance coverage remains the most important factor in choosing a healthcare provider. But patients increasingly weigh other factors, such as word of mouth and convenient access when deciding where to go for care. In this landscape, the role of a brand is vital—not just for differentiation but for building awareness, trust and loyalty.

A strong healthcare brand creates a unique identity and fosters an emotional connection with its audience. It communicates who the organization is, what it stands for, and the value it provides to employees, patients and communities. However, to be effective in a competitive market, healthcare providers must reach beyond clinical excellence to show that they understand and can meet the needs of the local population.

So, what do the most successful healthcare brands have in common? They balance clear messaging, authenticity and a focus on the individual patient experience to build trust in an increasingly crowded space. Some of the things we look for at Unlock Health include:

• A differentiating and aspirational brand position
• Clear messaging that ladders up to that brand positioning
• Compelling storytelling and memorable visuals
• Measurable ROI

Creating a New Employer Value Proposition for Nebraska Medicine

The Together. Extraordinary. employer brand campaign is a manifestation of Nebraska Medicine’s new employer value proposition. It demonstrates how healthcare providers can leverage their internal employer brand to inspire and engage current and future employees, while also connecting with their patients. The power of this effort was the truly the collaboration between Unlock and multiple Nebraska Medicine departments, including marketing, HR, IT and DE&I.  By embracing authenticity, storytelling and alignment with the organization’s mission, the internal and external campaign celebrates the contributions of healthcare workers who are the backbone of Nebraska Medicine today and in the future.

This innovative approach to healthcare recruitment has delivered measurable results, highlighting its effectiveness. Early outcomes include a 36% increase in external applications and a 15% reduction in voluntary turnover, reinforcing the brand and campaign’s impact on employee engagement and long-term organizational success.

Building A Brand Blueprint for University of Iowa Health Care

Our work with University of Iowa Health Care to redefine its brand positioning and create a cohesive identity that resonates across the state is another great example. Although UI Health Care had a brand position, there was an opportunity to streamline workflows and unify the different departmental strategies under a shared vision.

The priority was to create a cohesive narrative that ensured each team communicated with one clear and consistent voice, reinforcing the brand’s identity and mission. Unlock Health conducted workshops, developed a messaging matrix for diverse audiences that each team could work from, and crafted verbal principles to ensure the brand reflects its mission to serve all Iowans, even beyond direct healthcare delivery.

Beyond a compelling new brand position, Unlock Health introduced a consistent, system-wide approach that ensures every marketing and communications effort reinforces the brand platform, messaging, and key principles – building clarity, trust, and long-term equity with every touchpoint.

Redefining Healthcare Innovation and Accessibility in Wisconsin

The Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Health Network (Froedtert & MCW) represents a more traditional brand strategy and campaign. Froedtert & MCW wanted to maintain its position as the top provider for consumer loyalty in Wisconsin, particularly in the Southeast region, while also driving growth in its Cancer Service line. The campaign needed to emphasize “care-close-to-home” messaging, highlighting the accessibility of Froedtert & MCW services throughout the state. Additionally, the strategy needed to align with and support Froedtert & MCW’s long-term strategic plan, ensuring the campaign was scalable and sustainable for years to come.

Since the campaign’s launch, Froedtert & MCW’s homepage and Cancer Care landing page has generated 89,000 and 72,000 views, respectively. Qualtrics data also shows that Froedtert & MCW has maintained its position as the lead over competitors in their marketing in advertising recall and has increased their percentage in unaided awareness.

The question now is: What will your brand do to raise the bar in 2025?