Transform conference 2010 - Chris North from Further and Anita Knowles from Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

1. © Further 2010
Branding an Academic
Health Sciences Centre
More than intelligent design
(although that’s important too)

2. © Further 2010
What’s an Academic
Health Sciences Centre?
The Department of Health’s name for the collaboration
between a world-class research-led university
and leading NHS teaching hospitals.
Replicating in the UK the model collaborations
in such centres as Johns Hopkins in the US
and Karolinska in Sweden
Creating world-class centres of research,
teaching and care
Translating research from laboratory bench
to the patient’s bed

3. © Further 2010
Who is involved?
Four proud, long established, and famous organisations
With all the (small p) politics of great academic
and medical institutions

4. © Further 2010
Starting the process
Starting in 2007 aiming to complete the selection
and validation process in 2009
Perception research, naming, brand definition
and brand development very much part of the
development process
Linked to the development of governance
and working agreements
A small p partnership – not a takeover or a merger
The AHSC would therefore need to be both a supporting
brand, and also a leading brand in its own right

5. © Further 2010
A brand is a living entity…
the product of a thousand
small gestures
Not just a logo, name or visual identity, but an
organisation’s reputation and a commitment to certain
standards – an impression – a promise – an experience
– and a product
Brands are created in the minds of people
Existing and potential staff, customers, influencers,
media, regulators, competitors – in fact everyone who
comes into contact
…and your brand is delivered by every individual
in and from the organisation

6. © Further 2010
An Academic Health Science
Centre brand exists in an
academic, social, political,
economic, and increasingly,
international context

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The process we follow
• Stakeholder audit
• Research as necessary
– covering all main
audiences
• Evaluate current brand
• Set criteria for
evaluation
• Define brand
• Map brand expression
and values
– Proposition
– Personality
• Comms strategy
• Messaging
• Audience focused plans
• Appropriate tools and
channels
• Visual design
• Engagement
• Campaigns
• Design enactment
and delivery
• Evaluate
• Modify, refine and
develop as necessary
• Tracking research
Discover Define DevelopDeliver Determine

8. © Further 2010
Discover
Worldwide and UK research exploring the existing brand
equity of the partner organisations and a range
of alternative naming routes
• 50 international and UK depth interviews
Focus groups covering post-graduate students,
patients, stakeholders such as GPs, PCTs and
local authorities, governors and board members
Some surprising results regarding international
and academic perceptions
But clearly worldwide academic equity in the
King’s name
London, probably the most richly diverse city
in the world, also had value in its own right
And overall, it was clear that the driving purpose
of the new organisation would always be better
patient outcomes

9. © Further 2010
The name
Worldwide recognition
of leading research-led
university
The unifying descriptor
of the health and
biomedical schools of
KCL and the hospitals
(both acute and mental
health)
A working agreement
– not a merger – and
not technically a legal
‘partnership’
Kings Health Partners

10. © Further 2010
Define
The combination of
• King’s College London’s spread of health and
health related schools (social policy, ethics etc)
• Three of London’s greatest teaching hospitals
• One of the best mental health trusts in the
UK and the internationally famous Institute
of Psychiatry
Pointed to a uniquely
comprehensive offering
• better research, care, teaching and training
for the body and mind
• delivered in London, for the ultimate benefit
of the world

11. © Further 2010
A brand pyramid
Customers Proposition
What does it offer me?
Does it appeal to me?
Does it do in practice
what it promises?
Personality Practice
PositioningPositioning
Stakeholders,
internal & external
Competitors,
opinion formers
and influencers
Outside in
The things that influence how
we position for success
Inside out
Defining the proposition we believe
will best drive enduring success
What you stand for, what makes
you special and what you want
to be famous for

12. © Further 2010
What is in the brand?
Improving the speed,
efficiency and effectiveness
of health research
Translational
Research
Concentration on physical,
mental and emotional health.
And broader issues of
medical ethics, medical law,
Public health
Whole Person
Improving care, treatment and
prevention of healthproblems
for individuals and society
alike.
Medical
Advances
Working together in London,
a world city, to deliver he best
care for local patients in all
their diversity
London and
the World
Better health
and well-being

13. © Further 2010
Putting that into a narrative
Essence
Pioneering better
health for all
Mission
To advance health
and well-being by
integrating world class
research, care and
teaching
Vision
To be a world leader
in improving health
and well-being
Values
We put patient care at
the heart of everything
we do, attracting and
developing the best
people, collaborating
to translate pioneering
research into new
standards of healthcare
for London and
the world

14. © Further 2010
Message platform
Strapline
Pioneering better
health for all
Descriptor
King’s Health Partners
is one of the world’s
leading Academic
Health Sciences
Centres
Proposition
King’s Health Partners
brings together in
London the world’s
best in research,
care and teaching to
pioneer better ways of
advancing health and
well-being

15. © Further 2010
Design
Seeking Differentiation
• From NHS and medical norms
• From other UK AHSC candidates
Seeking distinction
• International impact
• Image impact
• Colour impact

16. © Further 2010
Maurice Wilkins and Rosalind Franklin, together with
Ray Gosling and other colleagues at King’s, made crucial
contributions to the discovery of DNA’s structure in 1953.
In 1950 they obtained the first clearly crystalline X-ray
diffraction patterns from DNA fibres. It was suggested
that the patterns indicated that DNA was helical (spiral)
in structure. Rosalind Franklin came to King’s in early 1951
and that summer she took the famous ‘Photo 51’ which
showed it.
The genetic heritage

17. © Further 2010
The visual inspiration

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The launch

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The challenge was how to combine a
proud and long history of academic and
hospital excellence with an exciting and
dynamic vision for the future – all in an
increasingly competitive world
We wanted to create a brand with real
‘wow factor’

32. © Further 2010
The solution involved
• Consideration of
all audiences
• Alignment with strategy
• Enactment across
all media
• Engagement by all staff
• Delivery before, during
and after
• Creative insight

33. © Further 2010
Eigtheen months on the brand has
had widespread approval, engagement
and recognition.
And it’s even won Transform’s top
branding award.

34. © Further 2010
Any questions?

35. © Further 2010
77 Kingsway
London WC2B 6SR
+44 (0) 20 7543 2000
www.furthercreative.co.uk
Chris North
T +44 (0)20 7543 2004
M +44 (0)7778 268 459
chris.north@furthercreative.co.uk
St Thomas’ Hospital
Lambeth Palace Road
London SE1 7EH
Anita Knowles
T +44 (0)20 7188 1554
M +44 (0)7879 466 770
anita.knowles@gstt.nhs.uk