DIFFERENTIATING A BRAND

Challenge

Good brands, like good businesses, are dynamic. MOTION, a provider of physical, occupational, and speech therapies as well as sports medicine, hand therapy, and other related specialty services, is a high-energy kind of business. Their brand, though, didn’t quite have the same excitement.

The physical therapy industry is highly competitive, and success requires creating strong recognition with referring physicians, potential patients and talented therapists. Strong branding is needed to stand out, but most providers look alike, sound alike and offer similar services. In this sea of sameness, patients, referring providers and job seekers can’t tell one place from another. As one of the fastest-growing therapy providers in the nation, with 50+ locations across the northeastern United States and partnerships with major health systems, MOTION deserved a brand that was as powerful as they are!

Solution

Wax collaborated with MOTION to rethink the brand from the ground up. Our healthcare marketing monsters went to work, starting with the fundamentals and then infusing the changes through every part of the organization.

• Clear Positioning:Before you can brand it, you must first understand it. You have to discover the “whys” of the organization – why it exists, why people should choose it and why it is distinct from the rest. A position is more than just a slogan or a mission statement. It’s a clear articulation of the answer to the most important question: “Why?”

  After interviewing people from throughout the MOTION operation, doing some competitor research, and adding our own insights, we came to the conclusion that their “why” was being the best at helping people get moving again, whatever their situation. MOTION is all about going boldly forward.

• An Updated Logo:The MOTION logo had a lot going for it. The colors were bold, and the shapes suggested action. It was trying hard. Maybe too hard. We decided to evolve the look to make the logo cleaner and more modern. We simplified things without abandoning the style altogether. This new aesthetic takes the best attributes of the past logo and refines them for a youthful, energetic feel.
• A New Website:The former website wasn’t very user-friendly or optimized for speed and SEO. It was also challenging to update. We conducted a half-day workshop with multiple internal and external stakeholders to uncover the most important information, the most valuable pathways, and to prioritize audiences.

  Then, we designed and wrote a website that delivered the best experience for the primary users, with content relevant to both patients and therapists. Working with MOTION’s existing web development partner and their talented internal team, we delivered a site that elevated MOTION’s online presence beyond their competitors.

• Improved Internal Communications:The updated brand and voice were applied to internal communications, too. Messaging such as employee emails, training videos and Yammer campaigns used more personalized language, custom animations and other visually driven content to better communicate with team members.

  Physical spaces were enhanced with beautiful posters, improved wayfinding and standardized signage. These changes gave MOTION’s staff the ability to bask in the brand at every interaction because fostering pride of place is a proven tactic for enhancing morale and improving retention.

• Stronger Job Recruitment Efforts:Job seekers use resources like Glassdoor and Indeed to find out about prospective employers. To attract top talent, Wax updated MOTION’s various job platforms to better fit the brand’s modern messaging and position in the marketplace. Changes included new photography, bold design and refined copy to drive more traffic to MOTION’s job portal.

  This approach sets MOTION apart as the kind of organization that knows how to execute consistently across all channels – a subtle but effective way to demonstrate professionalism beyond what job seekers see elsewhere.

• Disruptive Marketing: To bring everything full circle, we knew MOTION needed a campaign that was energetic and unexpected while still retaining a tone of professionalism and expertise, and we delivered one. The #ChooseMOTION campaign juxtaposes eye-catching imagery and bold, playful phrases related to movement; then, once we’ve earned the audience’s attention, it pays off with a solution to a problem.

  The campaign was born out of an extensive development process involving audience analysis and persona mapping, creative workshopping with MOTION leadership, and focus group testing. It has been hugely popular with internal and external audiences.

Results

These efforts have raised the profile of MOTION not only with patients and referral sources but also current and potential employees. This new branding has become a part of the organization’s DNA, permeating how they look and speak to the world. MOTION is now positioned for accelerated growth and continued success in the marketplace.