• by Tanya Gazdik , February 10, 2011

Banfield Pet Hospital, a nationwide network of more than 770 animal hospitals, is launching a rebranding campaign.

Portland, Ore.-based Banfield, which was acquired by Mars Inc. in 2007, is primarily located in PetSmart stores. The rebranding, from Bernstein Rein, includes a new logo, new colors, DirecTV in select markets, direct mail marketing and bag stuffers at PetSmart. There will also be a print ad in USA Today in April.

Jeannine Taaffe, Banfield Pet Hospital's senior vice president of sales and marketing, says the campaign reflects more of an "evolution" of the brand rather than a "revolution."

"Banfield was founded on a number of guiding principles that we wanted to build on -- pet owners already identified with what we stood for, but wanted us to be feel more approachable and relatable," Taaffe tells Marketing Daily.

The goal is to make the brand more contemporary, warm and accessible, while increasing brand awareness, she says.

"We hope to gain greater awareness with our core demographic as well as encourage trial," Taaffe says. "Our research shows that women are the primary pet owner bringing their pets to the doctor -- just as they are with children. This is a great audience to reach out to as they have significant influence in the pet category and in the home."

With the new campaign, the company is changing its name to Banfield Pet Hospital and eliminated the extraneous "the." The tagline is also changing to "Together for the Life of your Pet" to help convey the partnership the hospital wants to have with pet owners, she says.

"The logo, tagline, company name and photography all went through extensive focus group testing with current clients, potential clients, Banfield doctors and veterinary technicians as well as non-Banfield doctors and veterinary technicians and students. We left no stone unturned," she says. "Changing our colors to orange and blue allowed us to convey the message of fresh, clean, approachable and distinctive -- something that resonates well in the healthcare space."

The company has already received fantastic feedback from our associates and clients in the hospitals that have been updated with our new colors and brand, she says. Banfield currently has hospitals in 41 states and more than 2,400 veterinarians. The company will incorporate the brand into every new hospital that is built in 2011, currently 45 new hospitals are slated to open.

"We are also incorporating a 'mini-refresh' as we call it, into several hospitals in various markets across the country in 2011," Taaffe says. "In terms of a bigger brand awareness campaign, we will begin testing media in Q3 2011 with a larger rollout planned for 2012."