Home Instead launched a rebranding around the same time as the American Society on Aging. The rebrand of Home Instead represents an evolution of the global organization and changes in the aging industry.
When Home Instead founders Paul and Lori Hogan started the company in 1994, home care was not yet an established industry. They came up with the name Home Instead Senior Care to communicate to the end user the type of services provided. Home Instead has now expanded its footprint to include more than 1,200 franchise offices across 14 countries, and established itself as a leader in the home care sector.
Home Instead had several key reasons to rebrand and change its name:
- Opportunity for future products and services: The rebranding prepares the organization for new products and services that can live under one branded house of Home Instead.
- Expanding the capacity to care: The rebranding allows the organization to consider offering multiple products and services to new market segments beyond high-acuity needs or more frail adults.
- Increased cultural relevance: Through extensive research, Home Instead found the word “senior” is not used or perceived in the same way in all global markets. Removing “senior care” from the name ensures that Home Instead is recognized consistently around the world. Additionally, as baby boomers age, the word “senior” is used less frequently as this generation redefines its perception of aging.
- Online search optimization: Lastly, Home Instead sees more Internet searches for “Home Instead” compared to “Home Instead Senior Care” among people who are aware of its brand.
Engaging in a name change and rebranding the company involved a significant investment and dedicated external and internal teams to ensure success. Externally, Home Instead worked with a leading global branding firm, which helped the organization to evaluate the look and feel of the new brand across the globe. Home Instead and the branding firm conducted focus groups in key markets to ensure continuity of the name and brand across cultures.
‘It is vital that the rebrand remained true to the mission, vision, values and culture of the organization.’
When the rebrand was ready for launch, the Home Instead marketing and communications teams designed and implemented a communications strategy to share the news with the franchise network and a multitude of external audiences, including trade and consumer media outlets.
It is vital that the rebrand remained true to the mission, vision, values and culture of the organization.
“Our tagline is, ‘To us it’s personal’ and we knew it was important to keep that part of our brand identity,” said Lakelyn Hogan, PhD, gerontologist and caregiver advocate at Home Instead. “We still want people who interact with our organization to experience the personal connection. To announce our name change and rebrand, our founders created a personal video expressing their excitement for this next iteration of Home Instead.”
Lakelyn Hogan, MA, MBA, is a gerontologist and caregiver advocate at Home Instead in Omaha, Neb.
About Home Instead Founded in 1994 in Omaha, Neb., the Home Instead franchise network provides personalized care, support and education to enhance the lives of aging adults and their families. Today, the network is the world's leading provider of in-home care services for older adults, with more than 1,200 independently owned and operated franchises that provide more than 80 million hours of care annually throughout the United States and 13 other countries. Local Home Instead offices employ approximately 90,000 CAREGivers worldwide who provide basic support services that enable older adults to live safely and comfortably in their own homes for as long as possible. Home Instead franchise owners partner with clients and their family members to help meet varied individual needs. Services span the care continuum—from providing personal care to specialized Alzheimer’s care and hospice support. Also available are family caregiver education and support resources. Visit HomeInstead.com. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
