Columbia Allergy is the largest network of allergy and asthma clinics on the West Coast. Spanning California to Washington, Columbia Allergy is a pioneer in allergy care, creating breakthrough treatments for nuts and shellfish. In addition to patient-centered treatments for allergies, Columbia also incorporates services such as immunology and Traditional Chinese Medicine. With 15 locations and growing, Columbia Allergy is bringing its unique approach to more communities across the country.

The Challenge:

Keep Pace With The Competition

Despite a sterling reputation and unsurpassed clinical expertise, Columbia Allergy saw regional and national competitors growing rapidly. To compete, Columbia needed to transform and update their brand. We stepped in to help.

Unlike competitors who had invested heavily in their marketing, Columbia chose to remain focused on the fundamentals of their treatment and care, perfecting their approach and growing their clinical team. As a result, they had to play catch-up with more identifiable brands in the industry even as they had an excellent clinical reputation.

Luckily, Columbia Allergy also had strong patient loyalty and outcomes, as well as the status as a true leader and innovator in allergy care. This made ongoing rebranding and design work an even easier task for us.

The Solution:

Patients Come First, Always

Many allergy clinics prioritize multiple locations and a wide array of treatments as their key differentiators. While Columbia has those elements, too, we wanted to showcase what truly set them apart from the competition.

Throughout our conversations with the Columbia team, we returned again and again to a central theme: their strong commitment to personalized patient outcomes. Allergy and asthma treatment is deeply personal work, connecting to the way patients eat, interact with the world, and live their lives. The clinical team at Columbia understood this, and they worked hand in hand with their patients to create treatments that worked with their lifestyles.

As we considered different elements of brand positioning, we developed a central value proposition that spoke to their high level of care: Columbia puts patients first in everything they do. That means every clinical breakthrough, every new location, and every treatment plan was in service to the health and wellness of their patients.

We developed a central value proposition: Columbia puts patients first in everything they do.

We encapsulated this new approach in a new tagline, “Individual needs, personalized solutions,” which speaks to the brand’s patient-first priority. This positioning informed all aspects of our work together with Columbia.

The CREATIVE:

Through multiple phases, we worked alongside Columbia leadership to craft a brand that was both approachable and authoritative, with patient needs always placed at the center. This work included:

Brand Architecture

From brand positioning to taglines to mission statements, we worked closely with Columbia executives to craft a new brand architecture that spoke to their core values. By realigning their brand with their patient, we were able to highlight what made them different and why those differences truly mattered.

Naming Workshop

Columbia leadership wanted to ensure that patients recognized and responded to their brand name. During a series of naming sessions, we presented alternative name options and explored whether the Columbia brand had sufficient equity within the marketplace. Ultimately, we determined that Columbia was a strong and recognizable brand name that needed further support from a new visual identity.

Visual Redesign

When we began working together, the existing Columbia visual branding was dependable but outdated. Through a variety of different iterations, we looked at how best to showcase the Columbia values and story through a visual identity. We eventually created a new logo and brand color palette that spoke to their roots in the Pacific Northwest alongside positive associations of health and wellness.

Website Redesign and Relaunch

The original Columbia Allergy website was utilitarian and functional but lacked a high-level connection to the brand through either visuals or messaging. With a stronger brand positioning and visual standards, we were able to redesign and reformat the website from the ground up. This new structure made the site easier to navigate, more informative, and better organized, as well as visually appealing.

Search Engine Optimization and Content Creation

Even after the new site launch, we worked behind the scenes to continue to refine site content. With an eye towards search engine optimization, we launched an on-site blog and created informative content directed towards common patient questions. At the same time, we optimized each site page for search engine performance and tracked analytics to stay ahead of the competition.