KHJ helped a healthcare system move forward while celebrating what made it so special in the past.
As a public health care system, Cambridge Health Alliance has been defined by its mission to provide great care for the most vulnerable patients. However, CHA also needed to appeal to the new younger, gentrified population moving into its neighborhoods.
KHJ was charged with leading the rebranding effort. First, we created an in-depth, collaborative discovery process that included roundtables, workshops, and an all-employee survey. Beyond just uncovering important insights, our customized approach was designed to build alignment at all levels of the organization. The internal discovery was complemented with external market research.
“We were inspired by public art displays in urban communities. Our illustration captures the spirit of inclusion at the heart of CHA.”
Adam Cramer—Managing Partner/Creative
The brand purpose we created, “Care to the people,” taps into the passion that has always been at the heart of CHA’s mission. More than a tagline, it’s a rallying cry that employees can unite around. And it’s a promise to help everyone live healthier lives, no matter who you are or what challenges you face, whether you’re a longtime resident or a newcomer.
We used a distinctive, powerful illustration style to bring the brand to life. Inspired by the public murals that reflect the rich diversity of Cambridge, Somerville and the other communities CHA serves, the imagery reinforced key messages: clinical excellence, inclusion, wellness, and whole-person care.
The internal launch included on-site events, branded giveaways, and a social media campaign that invited employees to share how they themselves bring Care to the people every day. The launch created rich content for CHA’s social channels for months to come.
For the external launch, we designed an integrated media strategy that included display ads, rich media units, bus kings, and billboards. The brand awareness campaign was so effective that it produced acquisition campaign-level metrics:
Over the course of just four months, the “Care to the people” campaign received more than 7.7 million impressions and 27,341 actions—reaching a conversion rate that was nearly four times the industry average.
