Helping Austin see the care already here
project overview
Ampersand rebranded and repositioned Seton Brain & Spine Institute as Central Texas’s destination for advanced neurological care, using a quality-led brand strategy to shift perception, retain patients, and drive growth.
Challenge
How do you close a perception gap when the quality is already there?
Seton came to Ampersand with a clear yet complex ask: rebrand and reposition the Seton Brain & Spine Institute while aligning the work with a longer-term vision to elevate the entire Seton Family of Hospitals.
Though the quality of care at SBSI matched leading institutions in Dallas and Houston, Austin ranked significantly lower in consumer perception. Too many patients were leaving the market in search of what they believed was better care elsewhere. Capturing just 2 to 3 percent of that lost market share represented a $30 million revenue opportunity.
solution
We made quality the center of the brand
Ampersand conducted a comprehensive market analysis and strategic brand audit with Public Strategies. The insight was clear: Seton’s broader reputation had begun to soften as competitors gained ground, but SBSI remained a strong line of service with the potential to create a halo effect for the larger system.
We built a new brand platform around superior quality across every facet of care, including people, protocols, outcomes, and patient experience. From there, we prioritized a phased rollout by line of service, beginning with spine care as the highest-volume entry point, then expanding into stroke and epilepsy.
The creative moved away from expected healthcare softness and toward a more confident expression of expertise. Refined typography, clean design, and clear messaging highlighted multidisciplinary care, board-certified specialists, advanced procedures, and nationally recognized outcomes available right here in Austin.
Print, radio, digital, and out-of-home worked together across Central Texas to reach both patients and referring physicians.
results
A regional specialty center became a stronger reason to stay local
Even before the full systemwide rollout, the SBSI line of service saw measurable impact. The number of patients traveling outside of Austin for neurological care dropped significantly, and inpatient admissions from outside counties rose 24.5 percent.
The campaign helped establish Seton Brain & Spine Institute as a recognized regional leader in brain and spine care, reversing patient leakage and laying the groundwork for a broader repositioning of the Seton Family of Hospitals.
