In today’s rapidly changing market, maintaining strong brand health is more critical than ever. For UCHealth, the leading health system in Colorado, Brand Health Tracking with Protobrand’s AI + Behavioral Science method has led to improved KPIs, a stronger association with key attributes, and a team that is empowered for long term success.

From Merged Systems to a Unified Brand

UCHealth, Colorado’s leading healthcare system, didn’t start as large as it is now. Formed in 2012 from a merging of three distinct health systems, it had to overcome the challenge of aligning three different brand identities.

The system sought to build a brand that unified the organization and inspired trust both internally and externally. Initial research showed some recognition of the UCHealth name, but little else. By 2017, they launched a cohesive brand built on foundational insights.

A Dip in Brand Metrics, without Understanding

Post-launch, UCHealth saw measurable success. Their brand health tracker showed strong performance, and they emerged as a leader in their market.

“We got a little comfortable,” Kim Vecchio, Sr. Director Brand and Advertising admitted in a presentation at the Quirks event Chicago. But even more, internal changes, a shifting market, and rising competition began to expose cracks in their strategy. KPIs started slipping, and the organization’s existing brand health tracking lacked clarity to pinpoint why.

UCHealth wanted to position itself not just as healthcare, but as a lifestyle brand, a lofty goal. When it came to brand tracking, “We needed that deeper dive.” said Vecchio. “It’s one thing to say, Yeah, you’ve got top of mind. But what are people really thinking about us?” 

A Highly Sensitive Tool – Methods and Benefits 

In 2021, UCHealth switched over to Protobrand’s method of deeper behavioral science insights. Protobrand’s philosophy emphasizes identity fit between the brand and the consumer, an important element to understand when looking to build a lifestyle brand.

Protobrand’s methods also access subconcious processing, or system 1 thinking, using methods such as metaphor elicitation. Metaphor elicitation enables consumers to better articulate how a brand or product addresses their deep-seated emotional and identity symbolism needs, beyond the functional.

As John McGarr, SVP Client Delivery at Protobrand notes in the Quirks Chicago presentation, when behavioral science methods translate into a brand health tracker, there are some real advantages.  Not only is there constant rate of learning and emergent learnings as leading indicators, but the tracker leverages data and meaning produced by humans when they are in their most natural, story telling state of disclosure.

John further describes Protobrand’s brand tracking as a highly sensitive instrument – one that, when cultural moments happen, the data reflects. When the murder of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson took place, for example, UCHealth’s tracker data responded in real time. As culture evolves, the brand tracker is a useful, highly attuned tool to measure changes in meaning over time.

Use and Results for UCHealth

For UCHealth, the change to an AI + behavioral science approach yielded significant benefits. Extending the behavioral science methods into ad testing helped  assess creative against brand and creative strategy, and optimize creative. The resulting campaign went on to achieve the highest KPIs since the launch of the brand.

When it came to key brand attributes, the team achieved strong association and leading in two key qualities. 

If your brand is experiencing a dip in KPIs and conventional approaches don’t diagnose why, it may be time to explore what Protobrand’s approach can do to lead you back towards success.

Get in touch to learn more about brand health tracking today