In 2008, an opportunity arose from our partnership with Long Island Veterinary Specialists (LIVS) - their leadership called on us to assist in establishing an Institute dedicated to one specific condition called canine chiari-like malformation & syringomyelia.
The Challenge
As one of the first to identify the disease in dogs (along with colleagues in the UK and elsewhere) their chiari practice grew very rapidly. By now the doctors and staff were speaking all over the world at both Human and Veterinary conferences on the subject the COMS department was becoming greater than just a service within the already very busy hospital. The innovations that they were pioneering required such expertise and resources that it ultimately needed to be isolated as a separate entity which was intended to support medical and surgical activities as well as the research and documentation. This was no small feat given that LIVS is already one of the busiest specialty hospitals in the world – seeing more than 35,000 patients per year. The resources dedicated to running the hospital day-to-day needed to be carefully protected while at the same time creating an environment of collaboration and innovation for the Chiari activities. Slightly Mad was brought in to help manage the development of an entity to accomplish these goals.
The Reality Check
We immediately implemented our brand development methodology which we call the Reality CheckTM. During our Reality Check, we performed a series of activities designed to clarify and reveal the new entity’s position in the veterinary community, core activities, short and long term goals, position in the marketplace, full service offering, business goals and clarify their various constituent’s mindset. We interacted with doctors, hospital leadership and staff with the goal of creating a name and brand identity that was distinct for its mission but fit well into the LIVS brand architecture.
Our Solution
We named the new research organization: The Canine Chiari Institute We then developed a brand identity and mission statement for the institute as well a free standing website. The website was intended to be a vehicle for doctors, owners and breeders to share information and also a place where LIVS doctors and staff could post their latest research findings, speaking engagements and other notable activities. We designed and published a series of books and e-books. We created an online forum for veterinarians, breeders and pet owners to interact. We designed a social media stragegy including wiki pages, facebook and twitter. We design the banners that doctors use to present their findings at medical conferences. We design signs and posters to be used for outreach and awareness campaigns. We design and develop Powerpoint presentations for the researchers and doctors to use when giving talks at medical conferences around the world. We design custom medical animations to help the doctors articulate the details of the disease and treatment.
These are just a few of the things we do to support the institute and we will continue to support the great things that Long Island Veterinary Specialists does whether it includes attending a fundraiser, giving doggy baths or developing yet another research entity.
What is chiari-like malformation? A condition in which the rearmost part of the brain, the cerebellum, descends out of the skull through the opening at its base, crowding the spinal cord. Long Island Veterinary Specialists is one of the most experienced and innovative experts in the field of chiari-like malformation in pets. They have been a pioneer in developing ground-breaking medical and surgical procedures in the treatment of the disease in dogs and cats as well as identifying the similarities that exist between the human disease (Chiari) and the veterinary.
