Problem

Spire Healthcare, a private hospital group, aimed to reposition itself as an accessible and attractive alternative to the NHS through its inaugural national brand campaign. Previously, the group had relied on decentralised local campaigns managed by individual hospital marketing departments. The core challenge was to shift from fragmented local efforts to a unified national brand campaign that effectively raised awareness among target demographics about specific hospital specialities and services in their respective areas.

The campaign's primary reliance on print media, aimed at an older demographic, presented inherent complexities. Additionally, the need to tailor direct mail flyers to each of 40 hospitals, allowing for chosen key art and event promotions, added significant logistical and design demands.

Process

As Design Team Leader and Lead Creative for this national rebrand, I led the creative and design aspects of the campaign's rollout. My role involved close collaboration with the central marketing team to develop campaign assets, specifically focusing on the complex print media rollout.

I personally liaised with regional marketing teams across EMEA during the 2021 Covid-19 lockdowns, navigating time zone differences and securing individual media plans, translations, and approvals. A key challenge was adapting the original creative concept, which only accounted for one key visual, language, and banner size. As lead creative, I provided critical direction to successfully adapt the campaign across all necessary key visuals, languages, disclaimers, and sizes. I also supervised my design team in the meticulous distribution of 40 localised direct mailers, national out-of-home advertising, and regional press placements, ensuring consistency and brand integrity.

Solution and Results

The introduction of these new, unified brand materials proved highly effective, resulting in a measurable increase in enquiries for all Spire hospitals across the UK. The campaign successfully repositioned Spire Healthcare, achieving national brand visibility while delivering crucial localised information to the target market.