That was the potentially incendiary position we were in when Simplyhealth asked us to come on board to help reposition Denplan as Simplyhealth Professionals.

While a new brand structure made total sense in terms of giving scope for growth, we were acutely aware that this was a challenging project. Denplan were the original dental patient plan provider and the only one that patients asked for by name. As such, a fair degree of resistance – among both dentists and their patients – was likely.

For the official new brand announcement, we created an animation, which was shown at a press launch, along with a new brochure. The news was covered by a 24-hour press embargo, enabling targeted mailings revealing the big news to be sent out to dentists overnight. This carefully synchronised brand launch was a key part of the strategy to achieve buy-in from dentists, many of whom were long-standing clients.

Besides the animation, we created a whole raft of new brand launch collateral including an ad and DM campaign, brochures and letters – all using the tone of voice that we’d created for the transition. Besides drawing attention to the many benefits to emerge from the repositioning, the work communicated the fact that Denplan products were still available – just under a new identity.

One area of concern, was the removal of the familiar Denplan apple logo. By making it clear that the Denplan brand was way more than a much-loved image but about its reputation, culture and promise to its customers, we were able to present the rebrand for what it was – the coming together of two great businesses under one new name – the opportunity to build on their shared expertise and reputations.

We succeeded in smoothing the transition – getting dental practices and their patients from A-B while keeping people on board. And by tackling concerns head on and presenting the facts in a clear and compelling way, we succeeded in building confidence in the future – and a desire to take advantage of the new opportunities on offer.

By raising brand awareness of Simplyhealth Professionals, we’ve also helped them to retain their market-leading position as the UK's leading dental payment plan specialist.