Breaking through in an increasingly commoditised sector

In a world where health systems are under pressure to slash costs, the wound care materials sector is threatened by commodity pricing. Yet Smith & Nephew can demonstrate how its combination of advanced wound care solutions and deep understanding of best-practice care can lead to better patient outcomes and system efficiencies. It isn’t either/or.

Passionbrand worked with the business globally to crystallise this duality in a value proposition designed to help its people gain a better rapport with the new kind of customer it needed to reach: procurement professionals and system managers.

We help reduce the human and economic costs of wounds

This became the underpinning for all Smith & Nephew’s individual wound care brands – the first time the portfolio had been united by a common point of view. The biggest and longest-established of these is Allevyn, an advanced foam dressing. Passionbrand worked with the team to relaunch the brand globally, bringing scale and humanity in a striking approach that explored the reality – and even beauty – of the wound-patient’s body.

The brand idea was ‘People First’, in recognition of the original product’s sensitive, real-time response to the level at which each individual patient produces wound exudate. Its link to the value proposition was trenchant, inspiring and backed with hard data: ‘Put people first and economies will follow.’ The relaunch achieved a 23% year-on-year growth for Allevyn.