Reclaiming Spine Care Leadership
ABOUT THE PROJECT
PROJECT GOALS
Founded in 1912, Semmes Murphey is a premier neurosurgical practice located in Memphis, TN. With more than 300 patents and a renowned fellowship program, they are respected leaders in brain, spine, and stroke care. Due directly to their exemplary reputation and impressive legacy of innovation they have succeeded without needing brand investment.
Over the last few decades, aggressive and consistent marketing by orthopedic competitors has begun redefining spine care in the public’s mind as purely musculoskeletal, which has been systematically eroding Semmes Murphey’s market position. When competing clinics recently began poaching the clinic’s physicians and staff, leadership urgently needed to reclaim their narrative—and market share.
The challenge was multifaceted: counter damaging competitor messaging, differentiate their own comprehensive approach, rebuild internal cultural confidence after staff departures, and establish a patient-centric market position (rather than provider-centric). Most crucially, Semmes Murphey needed to educate the market that the proper approach to spine care includes both neurological and musculoskeletal treatment—a distinction only they can deliver with proven results.
PROCESS & SOLUTIONS
In order to respond as quickly and efficiently as possible, we designed a compressed version of our research, strategy, and design frameworks. The basis of this was a rapid, five-day immersion process which included key interviews with 15 Semmes Murphey team members along with a comprehensive competitive and market analysis. Six key findings emerged:
—Competitors were driving an incorrect/incomplete market narrative
—Only Semmes Murphey offered truly integrated spine care in the Greater Memphis market
—Internal confidence and culture needed to be healed and supported
—Semmes Muprhey has an ongoing unique outcome measurement program
—The internal viewpoint of the organizational structure was provider-centric
—The company’s 112-year old, extensive legacy of innovation is underutilized in the brand
Our key strategic insight was to claim the high ground by demonstrating three differentiators:
—112+ year spine care expertise and leadership (both musculoskeletal and neurological)
—A history of innovation that includes more than 300 patents
—Demonstrable superior outcomes proven with decades of outcomes measurement
This informed a service line platform: Whole Spine Care™. This new positioning, which summarizes a comprehensive system of care, places Semmes Murphey as the leading provider in Greater Memphis treating both musculoskeletal and neurological spine conditions. Importantly, it also shifts the polarity of the focus of the brand from being provider-centric to being patient-centric. And it reshapes market perception from orthopedically-focused to holistically-spine care treatment.
The creative framework balances rational and emotional territories. They are inspired by real patient stories, and are expressed through a cinematic approach to film and photography. Two stories were identified as the focus for launch:
—“Dance” which features a father’s journey to recover from a progressively debilitating spine condition so he can walk his daughter down the aisle at her upcoming wedding
—“Grow” which tells the story of a farmer overcoming decades of chronic pain so that she can take on the leadership of her family’s generational farming business
Implementations included an identity refinement, a learning-based microsite, comprehensive advertising campaign across multiple media, and an immersive lobby installation that showcases patient stories, treatment philosophy, and self-learning touchscreen experiences.
RESULTS
The Whole Spine Care™ platform successfully positioned Semmes Murphey as the definitive spine care specialists in Greater Memphis, elevating them above the competition from orthopedic clinics. By establishing and owning a new category of spine care, Semmes Murphey shifted market conversation to favor their comprehensive approach over competitors’ limited orthopedic offerings.
Client reception has been overwhelmingly positive, with leadership reporting renewed confidence in their market positioning and competitive differentiation. The platform has become a “north star,” uniting the organization around patient-centric care and showcasing its unique history and capabilities.
The campaign's authentic storytelling approach—focusing on real patient outcomes rather than clinical capabilities—has resonated with both internal stakeholders and target audiences.
Most significantly, the work established a replicable methodology for medical specialists facing commodity competition: own the category definition rather than compete within competitors’ frameworks. By trademarking “Whole Spine Care™” and building a comprehensive service line brand architecture around it, Semmes Murphey created a sustainable competitive advantage that competitors cannot easily replicate.
Semmes Murphey Clinic
