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Repositioning a
Cancer Center

A full refresh of naming, web experience, and campaign messaging — built to make care feel clearer, more accessible, and easier to trust.

Project at a Glance

  • Renamed and repositioned the cancer program to improve clarity and trust
  • Rebuilt the website experience with a clearer structure and updated patient-facing content
  • Created an integrated campaign across print, digital, and clinic-facing materials
  • Partnered with cross-functional teams (clinical leaders, web/CMS, comms, and stakeholders)
  • Delivered a cleaner “path to action” for patients exploring treatment options
Core idea: When healthcare information is hard to navigate, people don’t “try harder.” They bounce. This project was about removing friction at the exact moments patients need clarity most.
Organization

Salem Health — Cancer Center

My role

Marketing lead (strategy, messaging, web direction, campaign assets)

Focus

Brand clarity, patient education, web UX, campaign execution

Channels & tools

Website/CMS, content, print, digital, on-site materials

Measurement

Engagement signals and qualitative feedback (metrics varied by channel)

Background

Salem Health’s cancer program needed a clearer story. The name and web experience weren’t doing enough to communicate what services were available, how patients could access care, and what made the program distinct.

The goal was to reduce confusion and increase confidence — especially for patients and families navigating one of the most stressful moments of their lives. This meant aligning brand language, patient education, and the web experience so everything felt cohesive and easy to follow.

healthcare provider holding a patient's hand

Challenge

Brand ambiguity
The existing name and messaging didn’t clearly communicate what the Cancer Center offered.
Web friction
Patients had to work too hard to find services, next steps, and educational content.
High-emotion decisions
This audience isn’t browsing casually — clarity and tone matter more than clever marketing.
What made this tricky: We weren’t just “selling a service.” We were helping people feel oriented, supported, and confident enough to take the next step.

Objectives

  • Clarify what the Cancer Center is and who it serves
  • Improve discoverability of services and patient education content
  • Create a cleaner, more modern website experience
  • Launch a cohesive campaign that aligns web, print, and clinic-facing materials
  • Support patient retention and engagement through clearer navigation and messaging

Audience reality

Designed for real patient questions

We built content and structure around the things patients actually ask when they’re scared, overwhelmed, and trying to make decisions quickly.

  • “What services do you offer?”
  • “What happens next if I call?”
  • “Where do I start?”
  • “Can I trust this care team?”
A doctor consulting a patient

Strategy

The strategy was simple: reduce uncertainty at every step. We did that by aligning three things: name and positioning, web UX and content, and campaign execution.

Guiding principle: “If a patient lands here for the first time, can they understand what we do and what to do next in under a minute?”

Provider reviewing treatment plan with patient

Action

Part 1

Renaming and repositioning

I led messaging and positioning work to better reflect the scope of the program and improve clarity for patients. This included naming direction, core messaging themes, and language that felt informative (not salesy).

Part 2

Website rebuild (structure + content)

I redesigned the Cancer Center’s web presence with a clearer structure, updated patient education content, and an easier path to key information. The work focused on navigation, page hierarchy, and readability.

What changed

  • Clearer pathways to services and care teams
  • Improved readability and scannability
  • More supportive, patient-friendly tone
  • Better alignment between web content and campaign messaging

Part 3

Integrated campaign rollout

I developed a multi-channel campaign to reintroduce the Cancer Center with cohesive visuals and consistent language. This included digital and print materials designed to work together, not compete with each other.

Part 4

Stakeholder alignment + quality control

Healthcare content requires accuracy and trust. I coordinated review cycles, ensured messaging remained consistent, and helped keep the work moving across stakeholders with different priorities and timelines.

Key execution move: We treated the website as the “home base,” then built campaign assets that naturally guided people back to that clearer, more supportive experience.

Results

Clarity
Improved
Patients could find services and next steps faster
Web experience
Modernized
Cleaner structure, better readability, stronger patient flow
Campaign cohesion
Aligned
Consistent messaging across web, print, and outreach materials

Note: This case study focuses on the strategy and execution. If you want, we can add a short metrics block later (even 2–3 stats) once you decide what you’re comfortable sharing publicly.

Lessons Learned

  • Clarity builds trust. In healthcare, clarity isn’t just UX — it’s emotional support.
  • Web and campaign must match. If the message changes by channel, confidence drops.
  • Patients scan, then decide. Structure and headlines matter more than long paragraphs.
  • Alignment is a deliverable. The work moves faster when stakeholders share the same “north star.”