A fresh look and corporate ID heralds new ideas and exciting strategies.
A change of view with Saint James Eye Clinic
Reviewing your brand identity or corporate ID can be a very exciting time, heralding in new ideas and strategies. Having these reflected in tangible elements, such as signage, vehicle livery and stationery can give your company a massive energy shot psychologically, as well as more accurately conveying your core values and services to your customers – old and new, shareholders and staff.
Saint James Eye Clinic in B’Kara, are constantly striving to improve their offer and this summer their new identity hit Malta in a big way. CEO Jean Claude Muscat tells TEMPLE a little about the project that has been part of the wider plans for this very prestigious and successful Maltese company.
What made you decide to review your brand identity?
Following research, we felt the need to communicate a friendlier and more accessible message that doesn’t give you the impersonal feeling of a ‘hospital’ (which is often associated with illnesses or more serious medical conditions), but without lessening Saint James’s professionalism and high quality.
The new logo allows the customer to appreciate that this is a specialised ophthalmic unit whilst reflecting a friendly and reassuring message about our services.
What factors influenced you when deciding to change your ID?
Firstly, we had to consider the wisdom of moving away from our very well established and recognised Saint James Hospital (SJH) brand. So, the same colour scheme and some elements from the original SJH logo were retained.
Secondly, would clients easily identify this as a subsidiary of the main SJH Group or would it confuse them due to the new logo? This had to be resolved before any decision going forward could be made.
Finally, the cost aspect to design, implement and establish the new brand image was a significant factor. We did not want a cosmetic change only. It had to deliver.
Once we had resolved the scale of the changes, we were able to begin planning the project. We put in place a staged process, a gradual transition from the main SJH logo, rather than a Big Reveal. In this way, we piqued people’s attention and gently led them into a new way of seeing us.
The core elements of the previous logo, which encompasses the whole group, were retained such as colour, font and the visually smart touches - such as the eyelashes which are a reproduction of the caring hands that are part of the main SJH logo.
Did you write the brief for the designers or ask them to submit ideas for you to build upon? How did this develop?
Yes, we first discussed and explained our aims and what message we wanted to deliver through this review. This was followed by a written description of our ideas and aims. The production company presented several options which eventually were perfected to the final image / logo being used.
The whole project was spearheaded by the business development team – dedicated staff working hand in hand with the design house in order to keep our values always at the heart of the changes.
How did this impact the day to day running of the business?
There wasn’t any major impact (and none was expected) in terms of business disruption. The rebranding initiative was undertaken keeping in mind the long-term plans for the specialised clinic both for the local (Maltese) market as well as for our plans to promote our services overseas, using a more specific logo that is easier to connect with when it comes to the ophthalmic sector and, especially, in terms of non-language-based messaging.
The project had a defined deadline which spanned 3 months from concept to finalisation. In addition to our clear vision for what we wanted, timeframes were adhered to which made the project run smoothly. Looking back, I can confirm that the team did a very good job with the pre-planning stage.
Final thoughts?
We are very happy with the final product as we feel that it reflects all we wanted to achieve:
A friendly brand image (the eye with large lashes which are part of a caring hand)
Retention of our original Hospital Group logo clearly showing the relation to the main company (Saint James Hospital Group). Reflection of the independence of this specialised unit – hence its own brand identity and logo. A highly recognisable message that it is an exclusively ophthalmic centre.
Finally, the new design reflects our brand ethos: excellence in what we do, forward thinking and innovative delivery with a highly personable service. A brand image that reinforces the absolute confidence in us that our clients have but in an ever more approachable and unintimidating manner.
All photography courtesy of Saint James Eye Clinic
For further information or to make an appointment, contact:
+356 2247 2630
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Copyright: Temple Concierge Ltd
Content Supplied by: TEMPLE Team
Images Copyright: Saint James Eye Clinic