BRAND POSITIONING

RUSH SIM
CENTER.

INTRODUCTION

The RUSH Center for Clinical Skills & Simulation delivers advanced, simulation-based training for interprofessional healthcare teams and practitioners across disciplines and experience levels. Housed in a 20,000-square-foot facility, the program is at the forefront of improving clinical education and patient care. Despite its exceptional offering—state-of-the-art facilities, expert faculty, and strong outcomes—its visibility did not match its impact. Awareness remained largely concentrated within the university ecosystem and regional networks, limited broader national reach, and its brand narrative lacked clear differentiation in an increasingly competitive landscape of academic medical simulation programs. I was brought in to articulate a compelling, differentiated position, translate complex technical excellence into accessible, persuasive messaging, and develop high-impact assets that could scale both visibility and credibility.

Research & discovery
Competitive analysis
Audience analysis
Brand positioning
Website design
Video storytelling & production

RESEARCH & DISCOVERY

To clarify the Center’s market position and growth opportunity, we led a structured discovery phase focused on competitive landscape, audience needs, and institutional strengths.

This included:

  • Conducting in-depth interviews with senior faculty, simulation leaders, and administrative stakeholders

  • Auditing peer medical simulation programs to identify patterns in positioning, messaging, and differentiation

  • Researching healthcare professional training gaps and continuing education priorities

  • Visiting the facility to observe live simulations firsthand and understand the experiential value of the program

This immersion revealed a key insight: while many simulation centers emphasize equipment and facilities, few clearly articulated the depth of realism, interdisciplinary collaboration, and psychological safety that define truly transformative training. These findings became the foundation for a differentiated brand position and narrative system.

BRAND POSITIONING & NARRATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Based on our research, we developed a distinct positioning framework that centered the RUSH Sim Center not simply as a facility, but as an immersive, high-stakes rehearsal environment for real-world medical performance.

Core differentiators included:

  • Truly state-of-the-art simulation technology

  • Hyper-realistic, detail-driven training environments

  • A safe space for clinicians to practice complex decision-making and make mistakes without patient risk

  • Interprofessional education that mirrors real hospital collaboration across disciplines

  • Instruction led by experienced clinical experts, in both healthcare and medical simulation

Rather than focusing on features alone, the narrative reframed the RUSH Sim Center as a critical bridge between theory and real-world performance—a place where professionals refine judgment, teamwork, and response under pressure. This positioning informed all messaging, web content, and multimedia storytelling that followed.

WEBSITE STRATEGY & DEVELOPMENT

At the time, the RUSH Sim Center operated as a hard-to-find microsite embedded within the broader RUSH University website, limiting discoverability and reinforcing the perception that it was a sub-program rather than a destination. I led the strategic separation and development of a standalone digital presence.

The work included:

  • Wireframing a new site architecture based on healthcare professional information needs

  • Reorganizing navigation around clear user pathways

  • Clarifying the distinction between university affiliation and independent program identity

  • Integrating high-impact simulation imagery to visually communicate realism and intensity

After defining structure and content, I built the website in Wordpress, translating strategy directly into execution and ensuring the full ownership of the platform. The result was a purpose-built site designed to attract, inform, and convert professional audiences.

rushsimcenter.com

VIDEO STRATEGY & PRODUCTION

To further humanize and differentiate the Center, we developed a complementary video storytelling strategy. We produced, filmed, and edited a suite of videos that:

  • Introduced the program through a concise, high-level promotional film

  • Showcased specific simulations in action

  • Highlighted the emotional and professional value of immersive training

The videos allowed prospective participants to see the realism and collaboration firsthand, reinforcing credibility and elevating the Center beyond static institutional messaging. These assets were integrated across the website and used in broader marketing outreach.