Balancing unification and utility
In December of last year, The Mount Sinai Medical Center formally launched its new brand platform to better communicate our distinctive, energetic and creative identity to everyone who touches Mount Sinai.To characterize Mount Sinai as a complex enterprise would be an understatement. We are a 160-year-old organization in New York City, employing 20,000 people across a hospital, medical school and vastly different biomedical research facilities.
What is our identity? Mount Sinai is an unrivalled source for groundbreaking research, excellence in education and compassionate clinical care. It is essential that everyone who represents Mount Sinai — physicians, scientists, clinical staff, students and employees — have a common understanding of who we are and what we stand for.Historically, our approach to marketing and communications has been decentralized. This, combined with the belief that various practice areas should have unique identity and logos, allowed "a thousand flowers to bloom." The result: a lack of consistency in how Mount Sinai expressed itself visually.
For leadership and the Boards of Trustees, the introduction of a new brand identity required balancing the need for centralization and clarity with the operational independence necessary for the various divisions and practice areas to thrive.
We supported the implementation of a master brand strategy. We believe that one brand, one look and one voice will be a key advantage in engaging our patients and the medical community in a landscape made even more competitive, as hospital systems merge and grow, the demand for highly specialized interdisciplinary care expands and comprehensive health insurance reforms begin to roll this year as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
An internal process demanding external expertise
As chief communications officer, I felt my internal team would benefit from working alongside external experts on the development, launch and implementation phases to ensure our new brand identity was a success. We worked with Siegel+Gale for identity planning and design and with the Infinia Group for a visual system and implementation.Here are elements key to our program's success — to help others on their respective journeys to sharpen their brand message.
1. Leadership matters. The full attention and engagement of institutional leaders — including the CEO, dean of the school of medicine, hospital president and the Boards of Trustees — cannot be overstated in achieving maximum results. Rebranding is a strategic yet deeply emotional exercise.
The onset of change can often cause trepidation among those who want to hold onto a familiar identity. In our case, extensive research revealed that Mount Sinai had evolved as an institution since its last major identity design more than a decade ago. The data was conclusive: the vast majority of those interviewed thought a new brand would better position the organization to meet future market challenges and the expectations of diverse constituents.
Senior leaders were fully involved throughout the process, providing invaluable support, insights and guidance. Their presence demonstrated the significance and importance of the entire effort. Without their commitment, the entire process would have been more politically charged and less productive.
2. Planning matters. The number of applications for the brand's new visual identity was enormous: from lab coats to stationery, to ambulances to signage at multiple locations. Early in the process, it was clear we needed a strong understanding of logistics and preparation — and a solid implementation plan.
The development of an implementation plan sent a message of fiscal responsibility, assuring the inclusion and buy-in of various stakeholders. We established priorities for a disciplined, phased rollout spanning two fiscal years. While many of the key branded assets were converted on day one — external building signage, for example, and our website, mountsinai.org, — the plan provided a clear pathway for implementation.
3. Brands matter. Our view from the outset was that a successful branding program would not only change how we look and communicate, it would also affect how we act.
Changing a brand identity provides a unique opportunity to focus on the cultural and behavioral aspects of an organization — not only to clarify mission, vision and values, but also to communicate those elements in ways that resonate with every employee, not just those in leadership or managerial positions.
For our internal launch, our goal was to create 20,000 brand ambassadors with a clear understanding of why this was more than just a new coat of paint. We launched a digital brand center accessible to all employees featuring "Our Brand Story."
Days ahead of our public launch, we explained to our employees how the rebranding initiative builds on all the exceptional work we have done and the accomplishments we have achieved. We distributed 20,000 introductory brochures as employees arrived at work that week to address why we were undertaking the program. We provided answers to frequently asked questions. A unified culture does not happen overnight, but paving the way through a new brand identity demonstrates a commitment both internally and externally to a new direction.
4. Utility matters. We live in a time of resource constraints, and given all the changes in the healthcare industry, it was vital that our project was not seen as just a cosmetic exercise. We communicated the practical utility of a brand identity change, its impact on marketing and communications and its influence on how employees interact with one another and with those we serve.
A brand council governed by department directors, physicians, nurses, allied health professionals and students was established to provide high-level project direction, keeping key individuals informed throughout the process and providing opportunities for feedback.
The digital brand center was simultaneously created to provide universal access to brand assets, templates, tools and brand education. This reinforced the idea of centralized management of our brand, while dispersing responsibility for its use and effectiveness.
In the first week, more than 2,000 people viewed the brand center, with over 500 files downloaded by employees who use branded assets in their daily activities.
5. Infrastructure matters. With so many channels available to communicate and market today, we made the decision to bolster our digital infrastructure to serve the organization's needs today and into the future. Our digital brand center, constantly updated by a dedicated team, keeps our messaging and presence clear and consistent and serves as a management system for branded assets. When technology is properly deployed, it realizes its promise of increased marketing efficiency and operational effectiveness.
6. Flexibility matters. A project of this nature demands a high degree of flexibility. As surprises and roadblocks arose, all parties understood the need to adapt at a moment's notice. Even with the fiscal, political and emotional realities of implementing our new brand, the underlying integrity and intent of the project was never compromised. It took diligence to find solutions to problems, but working within our project framework and plan, we were able to keep moving to our fixed launch date.
7. Partners matter. Brand conversions do not happen on their own, or in a vacuum. They may be internal directives, but rarely can they be achieved without outside help. It is critical to find the right partner to help guide the process and avoid common mistakes. We were fortunate to work with the New York-based brand consultancy, Infinia. Their implementation team worked closely with our marketing and communications staff throughout the planning, launch and implementation phases of the project.
These are the key success factors to emerge from the whole experience — through planning, the launch and currently, the implementation. Our process and timing was right, making it easy for our internal audiences to embrace change. The brand, its related content and applications strike an authentic note as an extension of who we are, what we mean to people and what we can be in the future. We believe that our patients, employees, students and other external constituents feel more confident in a brand that is clearer, simpler and more consistent — one that reflects the Mount Sinai experience itself.
Leonard Achan, RN, MA, ANP is vice president and chief communications officer at The Mount Sinai Medical Center. He can be reached at leonard.achan@mountsinai.org.
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