Knowing when it’s time to rebrand is an important step in reshaping one’s business. Understanding how to do it properly is another thing entirely. Some brands, such as SubjectWell, have risen to the challenge.

As a global Patient Experience Platform focused on patient recruitment for clinical trials, SubjectWell has grown significantly since its founding in 2012. The pandemic, along with the rise of artificial intelligence and the increased complexity of clinical trials, called for a brand that not only better reflected its role in accelerated clinical research but also showcased who they were.

“We knew the brand needed to do more than look different,” Suzanne Harris, Senior Vice President of Marketing, shares. “It had to mean something different to our audiences.”

The Challenges of Adapting to Change

SubjectWell has been transforming how patients connect with clinical trials for nearly 15 years. What began as a novel idea would eventually grow into a trusted, global Patient Experience Platform that serves patients, sponsors, clinical research organizations (CROs), and clinical sites.

However, as competitors emerged in the market, the complexity of the work would increase.

“The pandemic underscored the urgent need for speed in clinical research,” Harris shares. “Meanwhile, precision medicine, oncology, neurology, and other therapeutic areas introduced increasingly challenging eligibility and regulatory requirements.”

During this period, digital technologies and AI emerged as powerful tools to drive market efficiency. This would mean that global studies, which quadrupled in 13 years, would drive significant growth in clinical research, necessitating clinical trial diversity reflective of the population’s varied demographics.

“We weren’t just recruiting patients,” Harris says. “We were helping people navigate hope, choice, and care. And we were doing it differently.”

Rebranding With Purpose

Given the shifting landscape of healthcare, SubjectWell needed a brand that not only put patients first but also stood out in the market, empowered sponsors, CROs, and other sites, and reflected the innovations the brand was creating.

This rebrand aimed to align SubjectWell’s visual identity, message, and voice to reflect its evolved goal: powering global clinical research through a seamless Patient Experience Platform. The plan was in place, but bringing this idea to life was a new challenge for this in-house team.

From Concept to Launch

Time was the company’s biggest challenge as their plans for announcement were scheduled just months before one of the largest healthcare events of the year. “Our newly formed creative team, together for less than six months, worked tirelessly — even through the holiday season — to ensure everything was ready,” Harris emphasized. “We learned to prioritize ruthlessly, focusing on the ‘must-haves’ for launch while pushing ‘nice-to-haves’ into post-launch phases.” Ultimately, the launch was a success.

The team debuted their new look and watched their work come to life with tangible wins in metrics. On the social media front:

  • Impressions were up 121%
  • Page views were up 143%
  • Reactions were up 194%
  • Unique visitors were up 169%
  • Followers were up by 120%

In addition, its share relative to competitors was up by nearly 40%. Since the rebrand, the team has been recognized by GDUSA and Clinical Trials Arena for its exceptional work.

While SubjectWell’s evolution came out of necessity, their determination to adapt swiftly in a changing market made one thing clear: through consistent messaging, authentic branding, and a human voice, brands can rebrand successfully in ever-changing markets without risking the foundations of their business.