Deborah Heart and Lung Center is a nationally recognized specialty hospital in New Jersey with deep community trust. But as they expanded into new specialty areas, leadership started questioning whether the brand — and even the name — still fit. They needed clarity on how the market truly perceived "Deborah" before making any big moves.
We led a comprehensive brand assessment to replace assumptions with research. We started with an on-site workshop with 16 senior leaders to align on mission, vision, and values. From there, we designed and fielded patient surveys, reviewed employee engagement data and market research, and audited the competitive landscape to find Deborah's true differentiators.
Our patient survey of nearly 1,000 respondents showed that 93% rated their care as high or very high quality, and patient satisfaction scores far exceeded industry benchmarks.
Our research revealed that “Deborah” had stronger brand equity than leadership realized. Patients overwhelmingly referred to the organization simply as “Deborah,” and trust levels were exceptionally high. One leader reflected, “Your research uncovered that the Deborah brand is stronger than I realized.”
The perceived need for a name change was largely internal — our research showed that patients and the community weren’t confused by the name at all. Our research gave leadership the confidence to keep the name, avoid a costly and disruptive rebrand, and focus instead on strengthening brand consistency and messaging from the inside out.
