CompanionDX Labs - Website (2011)
Objective:
As a start-up company, Companion DX needed an easily accessible and scalable way to reach its primary audience – the doctors who would order the tests Companion DX provided. And it had to be clear in presenting it solutions in their benefits the right way. The site also needed to leave room for agile future expansion of product offerings and audience segments and give the impression that the company was at the bleeding (but hopefully not dying) edge of their field.
Strategy:
The site would facilitate delivering specific subsets of information to different audience segments and allow for easy expansion. Since it’s a new type of offering, we wanted to show the solution in action and emphasize specific benefits. And it provided a platform for future marketing efforts. Web banners, direct mail, trade ads (I’m talking to you, Skin Rash Monthly) and skywriting could be pointed at this versatile site.
Implementation:
Built a website segmented by doctor specialties, applicable drugs and types of tests offered. This allowed doctors to avoid combing through unnecessary material and to quickly and easily assess the benefits of Companion DX’s offerings to their specific area of practice. It also helped doctors recognize a major benefit of using Companion DX’s tests—not getting sued—important if you intend to retire with a respectably sized yacht and a western European butler.
Results:
The strategies employed took Companion DX from a company with no online presence at all to one with a category standard-setting site with 300+ unique visitors per month amongst a highly specialized audience. During this time, the number of tests performed (one of Companion DX’s primary metrics) increased exponentially. We can’t be certain how many doctors they’ve helped avoid getting sued, but we like to think every yacht we see in Galveston Bay is a success story.
CompanionDX Labs - Brand Identity (2011)
Objective:
Companion Dx is a pioneer in a revolutionary new field of medicine known as pharmacogenomics—the practice of using genetic testing to ensure medication will be effective on a specific patient. In essence, pharmacogenomics helps protect both patients and practices from prescriptions gone bad. The company was just getting off the ground—and needed an identity from scratch.
Strategy:
The new identity had to satisfy a number of needs. Like conveying what they did, and also what made them different. It also needed a credible, progressive look that spoke to the core audience of physicians (who actually order the test) and general consumers, who influence demand for tests. Finally, it needed to allow for many different tests and niche specialists. The strategy was to focus on the problem Companion Dx services solve (risk to patients) in a way that would relate to target buyers.
Implementation:
We created a progressive brand identity that communicated both the genetic sciences and the sensitive business of prescriptions. We evolved the company’s logo to be more dynamic, gave everything a high-tech look with genetic biomarker accent elements and pushed the edginess up several notches. At the same time, we were careful not to cross the line and create something that wouldn’t be credible to conservative buyers who might not be convinced of the relevancy or value of the service.
Results:
The business is barely off the ground, and yet Companion Dx is THE dominant brand not just in town—but in this part of the country. The commercial pharmacogenomics services provider is conducting hundreds of tests every week and already becoming a recognized brand in the heart of the Texas Medical Center. The research, strategy and identity we created set the tone for what has become a leading presence in its field—garnering national attention from the medical community.
