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Azura Vascular Care
A medical giant builds a new brand for its fragmented network of vein clinics.
Building strength around a national network
Susan McKeown was trying to create unity. As Vice President of Marketing at Fresenius Vascular Care, she’s responsible for strategy across the organization’s network of 66 clinics in 25 states. Most had come to Fresenius by way of acquisition, and each retained their own names, remaining largely autonomous. As a result, the network was a fragmented collection of individual brands. The longer the clinics went without a name and identity to connect them together, the longer McKeown knew Fresenius Vascular Care was missing out on a big opportunity to build national brand awareness and the strength and association of multiple, connected experiences across geographies.
"Our new brand will unite all of our centers, reflect the full breadth of our capabilities as healthcare providers and joint venture partners, and set the stage for continued growth of the business, which includes leading the next generation of renal-focused ambulatory surgery centers. "
Blue is the warmest color
For the new brand to live, it needed to be adopted by the clinics. And the only way a practice operator would even consider replacing their existing brand, which they’ve invested so much time and so many resources into building, is if they feel excited about the alternative. So, in addition to a name that would advance broader strategic objectives, McKeown needed one that would spark enthusiasm among stakeholders and inspire change.
“Azura” hit every mark. By expressing the idea of blue so directly, it tapped into a sense of calm, like the feeling that might wash over you while listening to the ocean waves. When patients receive medical treatment for conditions like peripheral arterial disease or varicose veins, it’s important they feel relaxed and reassured—two emotional inputs that drive confidence and trust. In the use of the “A” and “Z” together, Azura communicated the notion of beginning to end, which connected to the increasingly integrated approach health care is moving toward.
Connecting clinics and consumers
With the name and identity in place, the focus shifted to ensuring the clinic experience advances the new brand through standout signage and interiors. Most patients visit clinics regularly to receive treatment for their chronic conditions, so the goal is to move away from the sterile, isolating environments so often associated with healthcare, and toward an entry experience that feels warm and welcoming. The modern, bright and aspirational aesthetic will make clinics a place patients actually look forward to visiting.
"Our new brand was chosen to inspire everyone’s vision and reaffirm our dedication to delivering the best patient outcomes and customer experience possible."
66 clinics
Azura’s network of clinics extends across 25 states from coast to coast, as well as Puerto Rico.
60,000 team members
Azura’s parent company, Fresenius Medical Care North America, employs care providers who treat nearly 200,000 patients in all 50 states each year.
Nearly 20% of the population
Almost one in five Americans have some form of vascular disease.
Over 50% of women over the age of 50
The majority of older women suffer from varicose veins—which can be treated with minimally invasive procedures.
