American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)
CRT/tanaka’s work for the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), a national organization that seeks to advance the physical therapy profession, has centered on a full-scale rebranding campaign designed to increase the relevance of physical therapists to consumers. After conducting research with consumers, physicians, health care professionals, insurers and APTA members, CRT/tanaka developed a new brand for APTA based on the mantra “Move Forward.” The agency created a family of print, video and Web materials to support the association’s brand platform and helped develop the metrics necessary to evaluate its implementation. CRT/tanaka also created and implemented a program to indoctrinate APTA members as brand ambassadors who will take the brand out to other members and maintain its integrity. To date, more than 150 APTA members have volunteered to serve as brand ambassadors. For phase two of the campaign, CRT/tanaka has created a tutorial for members to incorporate the APTA’s key brand messages into materials they can use to market to other health care professionals.
“MOVE FORWARD” CAMPAIGN
Challenge
CRT/tanaka was engaged by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) in 2007 to re-brand physical therapists, in order to increase their relevance to consumers.
As part of CRT/tanaka’s proprietary BRAND/liveSM branding process, the agency conducted research with consumers, physicians, health care professionals, insurers and APTA members. This research revealed that while physical therapists were viewed very positively, consumers had a narrow definition of their capabilities. They were more likely to access a physical therapist if they knew it could be beneficial to helping improve mobility and motion, avoid surgery or eliminate pain without medication.
Solution
CRT/tanaka developed a brand based on the positioning of “motion,” which is relevant not only to consumers, but also to internal audiences who are seeking to advance the profession, particularly with the focus on direct access. The mantra developed to support this positioning was “move forward.”
CRT/tanaka created brand guidelines and a communication strategy for implementing the new brand. The agency also was instrumental in developing metrics to evaluate the implementation of the brand.
Results
CRT/tanaka has created a family of materials to support the launch of the brand, including a Web site, www.moveforwardpt.com, to help bring the brand to life among members and consumers, and a brand video to support the launch at a major APTA conference in February 2009. Materials also included “BrandBeat,” a Web page dedicated to all branding information, including downloadable tools and guidelines. In addition, the agency created and implemented a program to indoctrinate APTA members as “brand ambassadors” who will take the brand out to other members and maintain its integrity.
