Transforming a fragmented fertility brand portfolio into a single, evidence-based patient experience designed to drive confidence, differentiation and growth.
CREATE Fertility is a fast-growing fertility provider operating IVF clinics across the UK. Backed by IVI RMA Global, the world's largest assisted reproduction group, CREATE was tasked with accelerating growth and increasing market share in a highly competitive and emotionally complex category.
Using the Cognition Brain methodology, we combined behavioural science, patient insight and strategic creativity to develop a new platform for growth.
Healthcare
UK
Unifying two fertility brands through behavioural science-led strategy and design.
Following the acquisition of CREATE by IVI RMA, a significant challenge emerged. The business was operating under two separate brands, CREATE Fertility and abc IVF, each with distinct identities, messaging and audiences. Despite sharing ownership, the brands often appeared side-by-side within clinics, creating confusion for patients and diluting the overall proposition.
To understand how to successfully unify the brands, we undertook an extensive programme of behavioural research. Through in-depth patient interviews, stakeholder workshops and a review of psychological literature relating to fertility treatment, we explored the emotional and practical realities of the IVF journey.
Our research identified four fundamental psychological needs that consistently shaped patient decision-making:
These insights became the foundation for the brand strategy, messaging framework and patient experience design.
Using these behavioural insights, we redefined CREATE's value proposition around a more personalised and supportive fertility journey.
The new positioning recognised that fertility treatment is about far more than clinical outcomes. Patients are seeking expertise, but they are also seeking reassurance, understanding and confidence at one of the most significant moments in their lives.
We developed a new brand narrative that brought together the strengths of both CREATE Fertility and abc IVF under a single, coherent identity. The positioning was tested and refined through patient focus groups and quantitative research to ensure it resonated with both existing and prospective patients.
The visual identity was equally grounded in behavioural science. Drawing inspiration from biophilic design principles, we created a distinctive brand system designed to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety by incorporating natural forms, calming visual cues and human-centred design principles.
The result was a modern fertility brand capable of supporting growth while creating a more reassuring and emotionally supportive experience for patients.
To ensure successful adoption across the organisation, we developed a comprehensive brand rollout programme.
This included a detailed messaging framework, tone of voice guidance, visual identity system and a comprehensive Brand Playbook designed to support consistency across every touchpoint.
The new identity extended beyond marketing communications into the clinic environment itself, helping to create a more cohesive and reassuring experience from the first interaction through to treatment.
By aligning strategy, messaging, design and patient experience around a single behavioural framework, CREATE was able to successfully consolidate its brand architecture and establish a stronger platform for future growth in the UK fertility market.
Patients undergoing fertility treatment are not simply evaluating clinics. They are navigating one of the most uncertain and emotionally demanding experiences of their lives.
Our research identified four fundamental psychological needs that shape decision-making throughout the IVF journey: agency, belonging, vulnerability and safety. Patients want to feel in control of their choices, supported by people who understand their experience, reassured during moments of uncertainty and confident in the care they receive.
The most effective fertility brands therefore do more than demonstrate clinical expertise. They help people feel informed, understood and secure at every stage of treatment.
This insight provided the foundation for CREATE's new brand strategy, enabling the organisation to build stronger emotional connections with patients while reinforcing trust in its clinical expertise.
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