Crawford Healthcare
Getting closer to wound care nurses through trusted connections
When we first met, Crawford Healthcare was already a leading supplier of dermatology and wound care products. Thanks to their unique understanding of nurses, the company was growing rapidly and gaining market share. They asked us to develop a strategy that would help them move from category challenger to number two in the market and pave the way for further growth.
Interpret + Define
This was a company driven by a deeper understanding of the realities facing wound care nurses — compliance, costs, time pressures and non-healing wounds. They wanted to create an open dialogue that showed they were solving problems, rather than just selling products.
Insights generated through research helped us build our strategic response. At the time, wound care brands often focused on clinical attributes, such as lab results, absorption rates, mode of action and speed of kill. Which didn’t always resonate with healthcare professionals.
Our conversations with nurses showed that dressing selection was based on a multitude of factors, sometimes driven by cost of care, rather than clinical need. We saw an opportunity for Crawford to form closer partnerships with nurses and ‘sell to the wound in the room’ by showing their unique understanding and becoming a trusted partner.
Imagine + Create
To help Crawford sell products based on the overall pathway, we recommended they lead on their unique technologies, rather than focusing on individual brands.
This was the first step in helping Crawford Healthcare become a branded house. We then dissected their brand values and got to the heart of what motivates and differentiates them, to develop the internal brand proposition: It takes a team to prevent, heal or manage a wound and care for compromised skin.
This strategy informed the creative approach that helped Crawford Healthcare become seen as the company that supports nurses at every stage of the infection control or exudate management pathway.
Rise + Shine
We wanted everyone at Crawford Healthcare to get excited about their new direction before we shared it with HCPs. We created an illustrated brand book outlining the company values explaining the proposition: It takes a team to heal a wound or skin condition.
The existing logo was refreshed, and we revisited the brand guidelines to maintain consistency in the approach. It was important to develop a brand campaign that resonated with nurses and show that Crawford is always at the target audience's side.
Our photography was shot in a fly-on-the-wall, gritty style to make it feel as real as possible and features actual situations, such as a district nurse trudging through a muddy field to get to her next patient. Emotive headlines were inspired by real conversations with our nurse panel.
The campaign was supported with new sales aids and detail aids, showcasing product mode of action, clinical evidence, cost analysis and place on the exudate / infection control pathway.
To run with the press, we launched a social media campaign with the hashtag #itsanurselife. This encouraged nurses to share wound care challenges with our online community and forge closer partnerships with Crawford.
On the back of their successful repositioning, Crawford Healthcare sold to Acelity and, later, global advanced wound care company, 3M.