StrongWell – Brand Development & Integrated Marketing
Launching a stigma-free substance use support brand hinged on precise, effective messaging.
Key Performance Indicators
Growing program footprint across the Southeast
YoY program enrollment increases
Situation
Business-to-business healthcare brand 180 Health Partners developed an innovative approach to getting substance-exposed expectant mothers the coordinated care they need. Healthcare providers, insurance companies and community organizations were immediately interested in the program, but mothers themselves were more difficult to reach.
Solution
iostudio helped 180 Health Partners create StrongWell, a welcoming, relatable brand that speaks to a generation of moms who use social media as a key mode of communication. Participants might first encounter StrongWell through in-office videos, an informative one-sheet or simply a word-of-mouth recommendation, so each entrypoint had to convey the program’s empathetic and encouraging spirit if moms were going to feel comfortable enough to reach out and later download an app that would keep them connected to their care team and fellow moms.
Impact
The most important aspect of StrongWell’s branding strategy was the precision of its messaging. Through interviews and research, iostudio learned that mothers living with substance use felt they were typically spoken to as if they were somehow broken—even by people and organizations who were trying to help—and that connecting with a community of like-minded women with similar experiences could help empower them as individuals.
As one StrongWell mother put it: “You are not a number; you are not a statistic. Don’t let these bad moments in your life define you. But let them build you up and make you who you are meant to be. … With StrongWell, I knew I could do it, and you can too.”
For StrongWell, making a good first impression was everything.
All of our research, including interviews with providers, mothers and family members, indicated that meeting mothers where they are on their journey to recovery was the key to driving enrollment in the StrongWell program. The visuals and messaging had to strike a chord immediately with women who might have grown accustomed to being talked down to or counted out. StrongWell’s aim is to empower these moms—so making the effort to understand and speak to them was paramount. It was also important to make the program mobile-friendly, as audience members typically turn to their mobile phones for web browsing.
included social media posts,
in-office videos and one-sheets.
StrongWell moms captured joy,
hope, and confidence.
uplifting quotes from participants and
care team members.
but relatable and real.
StrongWell moms shared their stories in honest, compelling videos.
App activity turned out to be a clear indicator of personal progress.
A smooth UX allows StrongWell to monitor the relationship between screen time and progress. Any obstacles or user journey road blocks would interfere with that metric. However, the app was easy to interact with, so more moms felt comfortable communicating with it. And 180 Health Partners reported that the more active their moms were on the app, the better their recovery progressed. They felt supported and capable, and they wanted to share their successes with their care team and their fellow StrongWell moms.
StrongWell's message transcends marketing.
While it was technically marketing work that we were doing when we collaborated with 180 Health Partners, StrongWell was about so much more than conversion rates and funnels. We were reminding every woman who interacted with the brand that she was strong, capable, and worthy of love and support. Let us help you communicate with your audience.
How We Made It
Building this brand required becoming familiar with not just the struggles and triumphs encountered on the journey to recovery, but the struggles and triumphs of a mother on the journey to recovery. The more we learned, the more we understood how crucial it was to reach our audience with exactly the right message and keep them engaged through ups and downs.
Complete Brand Development
Once we felt confident in our understanding of StrongWell’s mission and the needs of their audience, we crafted visual components—which included everything from color palettes and fonts to custom photography overlaid with hand-drawn illustrations—and developed the brand’s written voice. Then we compiled it all in a thorough guide, making it easy for 180 Health Partners to maintain consistency and keep messaging on track in a variety of scenarios.
with colorful overlays and playful
hand-drawn illustrations.
to evoke optimism, strength, and energy.
Combining custom photography, color palette and illustrations
Visually, StrongWell’s branding successfully communicates their identity: dependable and trustworthy, approachable and supportive, empathetic and loving.
logo from scratch
Highly Accessible Digital Platform Development
The StrongWell Virtual Community must feel safe and secure in multiple ways.
opportunities for participants to relate
to one another and provide support
throughout the day.
interface encouraged app interaction.
navigable, with no obstacles to daily activity.
architecture are complex, even
within the simplest apps.
Deliverables
- Brand Development
Logo
Iconography
Hand-drawn illustrations
Custom photography
Brand guide
- UX/UI
Persona profiles
User journey (web and app)
Digital design system
Custom design
Functional prototype
- Digital Platform Development
Mobile app
- Marketing Collateral
Program one-sheets
Business cards
Trade show assets
- Video
In-office videos
High-stakes messaging requires thorough, thoughtful research and a desire to make a difference.
We love to partner with organizations and brands that make a positive impact on the world—and that kind of work requires knowing how to speak to audiences who are making life-changing decisions. Does delivering your product or service involve in-depth research and exceptionally precise messaging? Let’s talk about it.