Taking out of sector learnings to help define a new identity

Boulcott Hospital was once a small clinic with a few clinicians. Richard Grenfell, the owner, decided to invest in an expansive development programme. Over time it has grown into a proper hospital with enviable facilities. It has also attracted over fifty specialists ranging from Orthopaedics, Ophthalmologists to Otolaryngologists. The facilities have undergone extensive development in the last five years, the campus now one of the most modern in New Zealand. There has also been a step up in the service levels. Boulcott hospital has recently been awarded one of the highest ever ratings from Telarc, and independent health ratings agent.

I was tasked with creating a new brand for the hospital. With all the improvements and change in customer service ethos, we decided that another service industry was worth taking a lead from – the hospitality industry. We proposed the Boulcott brand should echo that of a good hotel. The food, facilities and rooms would now do well even with Qualmark ratings. We decided the Boulcott brand should not included crosses or a caduceus, but look like the brand for a private hotel.

The grounds have extensive gardens, which include massive oak trees. That became the lead inspiration for the identity. The next thing was positioning; how would a hotel do this? We decided that the most memorable things about a hospital experience were the small things; the food, being kept informed throughout your stay and the service ethos. ‘Small things matter’ became not just the positioning, but the manner in which the hospital now lives out its daily function.