Nebraska Medicine and UNMC

Bringing 10,000 people together as one

America’s healthcare landscape is changing. Consolidations are more common than ever because of ever-changing financial, technological, and regulatory environments. For the Nebraska Medical Center, Bellevue Medical Center, UNMC Physicians, and the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), uniting under one banner was the answer for providing sustained and enhanced service.

The newly integrated enterprise needed the branding strategy to establish its unique presence in a competitively crowded marketplace definitively. Daake led the rebrand with unity and transformation as the key drivers behind the creation of Nebraska Medicine.

We took an in-depth approach to fully understand the history and cultures of the three entities, as well as a led conversation about what the future holds, including vision and goals. At its core, the rebrand needed to focus on establishing a united culture, one that demonstrates a shared passion for clinical service excellence at a scalable size.

Through the rebrand, leaders rallied behind a single brand vision. This opened the door to shifting away from a destination brand to an extendable brand with global recognition. Existing brand equity was also considered, which led to the name, Nebraska Medicine, and the use of the brand promise: “Serious Medicine. Extraordinary Care.” Elements of the new brand identity support the brand promise and existing academic medical centers, bringing life to the organization’s authoritative, courageous, and serious personality. Retaining strong brand elements allowed for a smooth transition into a consolidated organization.

Work we did:

• Research
• Brand strategy
• Brand architecture
• Naming
• Brand identity
• Launch tactics
• Website
• Environmental branding
• Signage and wayfinding
• Motion graphics
• Advertising
• Business collateral
• Comprehensive, online style guides

When it became orange:

Late one night, we were in the room with the top handful of leaders, and there was a feeling that we should pause this work. We were seven months in, and they were considering not going forward. We persuaded them not to lose their nerve and continue on. It’s been one of the most successful things the organization has ever done to engage employees, unite factions, and signal a new era.