Hospital rebranding 'will cost less than $100,000'

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The hospital has announced 50 Carleton and Toronto-based OVE Design have won the contract to rebrand the city's hospital. The hospital said the cost will come in at less than $100,000. File photo.

The hospital has announced 50 Carleton and Toronto-based OVE Design have won the contract to rebrand the city's hospital. The hospital said the cost will come in at less than $100,000. File photo.

Jul 29, 2010- 3:38 PM

OVE Design and 50 Carleton tapped for job after bidding process

By: Heidi Ulrichsen - Sudbury Northern Life Staff

Sudbury Regional Hospital (HRSRH) has selected two private-sector firms that will help it to “rebrand.”

Rebranding is the process by which a service associated with one brand is marketed with a different identity.

After a competitive bidding process, OVE Design and 50 Carleton have been selected to assist the hospital with the initiative.

OVE Design, based in Toronto, is described on its website as “one of Canada's leading branding and strategic design firms.” Sudbury-based 50 Carleton is a marketing and advertising agency.

A media statement put out by the hospital July 29 said that “while it is not the hospital's practice to disclose bid pricing, the HRSRH can confirm that the exercise will cost less than $100,000.”

The two firms have “extensive branding experience and have worked with many large health care organizations, including Cancer Care Ontario, London Health Sciences Centre, Royal Ottawa Hospital and Canada's largest health care institution, University Health Network,” the media statement said.

“They were also selected to assist with the City of Greater Sudbury and Laurentian University's branding initiatives.”

The exercise will get underway in August, and will take six months to complete.

A brand advisory group has been established by the hospital to help guide the process. The group membership represents key stakeholders from various sectors, including health, education, business, municipal and regional representatives, the media statement said.

Sean Barrette, a hospital spokesperson at the time, told Northern Life in May that the rebranding exercise may include changes to the hospital's logo and name.

He said the hospital hopes the initiative will ultimately help with the recruitment of medical professionals.

“It's important for the (hospital) to have a positive image at the local, provincial, national and international level,” Barrette said.

“There's a lot of reasons for this. One of the reasons would be the recruitment of physicians and specialists. Nurses, pharmacists and other allied health professionals also need to be recruited. We're also looking for researchers...

“We'll also be looking for grants and other funding opportunities. A rebranding of an institution can help you with all of that.”

Barrette said rebranding is common when an institution has undergone significant changes, as Sudbury Regional Hospital has in recent years.

“We've involved into a full hub for northeastern Ontario, a full academic health sciences centre, and we've just moved onto one site,” he said.

“This institution is undergoing a complete sea change. This is really the right time to undergo this kind of initiative.”

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17 Comments

  • Concerned_1 8/2/2010 7:26:31 AM - Report Abuse

    This is an acute care hospital. Why was it necessary to re-brand? Is this a follow-up to the over-sized glossy mag that was distributed to households following the opening of the one-site?
    I'd much prefer to see the money go to the patient's care, reduction of wait times, sensitivity training, integration of the various hospital teams or whatever else is necessary to alleviate the anxiety of the patients and their families.
    And, of course, I can't imagine this only costing $100,000 - but, time will tell.

  • Dan Nooyens_1 7/30/2010 7:16:26 PM - Report Abuse

    Well let me just say I pray I do not have to use this hospital after reading and hearing the horrors of how us people of Sudbury are treated. Outrages parking fees also. What next are they going to raise parking fees more to pay for this rebranding, well!
    “It's important for the (hospital) to have a positive image at the local, provincial, national and international level,” Barrette said. Too late. The citizens of Sudbury are fed up with all this waste of money and bureaucracy.
    If you the citizens of this city are fed up then it is time to change it! Elections are coming in the fall and its time we vote for a council and mayor that will help its citizens.

  • johnboy44 7/30/2010 11:49:59 AM - Report Abuse

    NL please ask Sean Barette for a budget update on this re-branding in three months. I doubt $100,000 would barely cover one person working full time on a six-month project.

  • andre400 7/30/2010 10:33:04 AM - Report Abuse

    Way to go skndstry... you never fail to disappoint us when it comes to hospital matters. You are always fighting their corner! Maybe if you had some of the negative experiances that a lot of people have had, then you would not have such a holier than thou attitude.
    I have had perfectly good healthcare from other places in Europe and other parts of Canada thankyou.
    I know elderly people, young people in fact a whole variety who have had bad experiances from this new one site hospital so don't say to me i do not know what i am talking about! Believe me if i had something to say that was good about the place i would. Credit where credit is due!
    Also this is not about the doctor's and nurses, cleaners etc, it is about the board and the numerous people who have milked this project for all it is worth. All the money wasted on this project over the years is ridiculous! How come other places manage to build such projects on schedule and within budget? There are CEO'S and the like who are doing better jobs than this bunch and they are on smaller salaries!
    Ah well, nice work if you can get it!

  • skndstry 7/30/2010 9:43:14 AM - Report Abuse

    Yes, I am okay with them spending $100k on rebranding, because I have an understanding of marketing. This isn't about YOU. In your arrogance you are convinced that you could do a better job of running the place, you second guess the decisions of experienced, qualified professionals, and you can't see that just because your perception of the hospital is negative, there are thousands of people who owe their lives to the people who work there, from head office to the cleaning staff. You think that because YOU believe something, and you are supported by a bunch of anonymous malcontents on an internet message board, that EVERYBODY must feel the same as you do.

    I've got news for you. They don't. Most people I've talked to who have used the hospital have either had a good experience, or at very least were generally satisfied, with one or two minor complaints (like parking, which IS a minor complaint.)

    I have also used the services of the new hospital for myself, and for my family, and guess what? I had a good experience too. Maybe that's because my attitude wasn't CRAP like yours before I even walked through the doors.

    Amazing how well you are treated when you don't exhude negativity and treat people with respect. I'm sure most of you wouldn't know.

    As for you JBender, once again you offer up a pitiful excuse for a response that fails entirely to offer a cogent argument as to why you feel as you do.

    And all of you conveniently ignored and had NOTHING to say about the positive stories that ran recently. But no surprise there - you prefer a mob so you can feel vindicated in your errant opinion by the equally errant opinions of others.

    Your problem. Keep receiving lousy health care because that is what you expect, and that is what your perception is. You don't know how to be grateful, and it is sad.

  • D-Man 7/30/2010 8:44:53 AM - Report Abuse

    Some of the problem at our hospital stems from some of the staff, they're like zombies...don't know which way is up! They would rather sit there and stare at a computer screen rather than actually lift a finger to help someone. I'm not looking forward to needing their help in the future! This same problem exists with a lot of people today...my back is sore...I can't lift that...that's not my job...whatever, do some work and your back wouldn't be sore!

  • blueknight 7/30/2010 6:47:11 AM - Report Abuse

    Re branding you say? Sad when you can't walk past the hospital without going through a gauntlet of smokers. Why are staff allowed out to smoke in clothing that is clean to be covered in smoke.As a non smoker why should anyone be forced to inhale that crap...

  • andre400 7/30/2010 5:42:22 AM - Report Abuse

    By the way if we have "people of vision" running the place, I recommend a visit to Hakims to get their eyes checked out because we have had some real short sighted people involved with the hospital from start to finish!

  • andre400 7/30/2010 5:37:39 AM - Report Abuse

    No amount of money "rebranding" can alter the fact this hospital has been a joke from it's inception! Way overbudget, too small, countless other faults. This is not a tin of beans we are talking about....people know by experiance what to expect when visiting our "state of the art" hospitl. That is why you have people who prefer a long drive to Toronto to be treated for their illnesses... sometimes having to take the long journey south because we do not have the resources here to deal with their problem.
    So no anount of clever marketing is going to fix this hospital's problems...if people have any sense they will do their own research and come to their own conclusions about Sudbury's finest health facility.
    Whether it is 50 cents or $100,000 , it is still one dime too much spent on this white elephant. We are stuck with it now, but please don't insult our intelligence by spinning out this "rebranding" crap. You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear...
    Now waiting for skndstry comeback....now maybe he/she could have been hired for PR for the hospital! Never has a bad word for it, or those highly respected people who run it!

  • JBender 7/29/2010 11:10:22 PM - Report Abuse

    People of vision running the place skndstry?Now if that's not one of the funniest things I've seen you post in defence of this cluster$#@% of a hospital.Keep churning out the BS,I'm sure some will eventually believe you.A hundred grand in the grand scheme of things isn't much but that's not going to turn a sows ear into a silk purse.

  • Harry 7/29/2010 10:33:21 PM - Report Abuse

    So you're OK with spending $100,000 on rebranding?

    It's only taxpayers money, right?

  • skndstry 7/29/2010 7:45:22 PM - Report Abuse

    I could say the same about your six little words Harry.

  • Harry 7/29/2010 7:19:27 PM - Report Abuse

    So wrong on so many levels.

    Why do we tolerate this stupidity?

  • mrsb 7/29/2010 6:57:10 PM - Report Abuse

    That is less than $100,000 that could have been spent on improving client services. You will never get rid of the poor attitude until you get rid of the people who perpetuate it. It is poor customer service that is the problem NOT THE NAME! Laurentian has been known for poor customer service since it's inception. Changing the name to Sudbury regional hospital did not change that. The managers were told at the outset that the emergency department was too small as was the ambulance bay. They didn't listen ten years ago and it's unlikely they will listen now. Get rid of the people who think this is an image problem and hire people who give a darn about their clients.

  • Yarrum 7/29/2010 6:16:48 PM - Report Abuse

    Just get rid of that cross and that will satisfy me.

  • skndstry 7/29/2010 4:49:31 PM - Report Abuse

    LESS THAN 100 GRAND!!! LMAO!

    And you've still got a bunch of boneheads with no vision crying about it.

    I am quite sure the people who run the place are well aware of what is going on "on the floors". I'm also glad we have people of vision running the place, because some of the people "on the floors" and many of the public would blow that amount of money in a few minutes just to make themselves feel better for a few minutes.

    This is a long-lasting investment. In the health care world, less than 100k doesn't get you much on the front lines.

  • concerned_4 7/29/2010 4:03:11 PM - Report Abuse

    what a joke! Lets waste some more money. Instead of worrying about the processes and protocols that patients must follow, lets blow some cash on a branding exercise! People in the ivory tower need to spend some time on the floors of the new hospital to appreciate the chaos that the staff deals with....organized confusion at best.
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