Streamlining Zoetis' Diagnostics Brand Architecture

Zoetis, a leader in animal health therapies, sought to increase their total market share by expanding their footprint within animal health diagnostics. The Zoetis Diagnostics brand director faced a complex portfolio comprising legacy products, acquisitions, and licensed products. Their legacy and acquired products had established brand equity that Zoetis wanted to preserve, while several of their licensed products had restrictions on their branding elements. Furthermore, the introduction of Zoetis Reference Laboratories, a new service line complementing their point-of-care diagnostics products, added complexity to their overall brand architecture.

The Orchard Health strategy team, under my leadership, was tasked with developing a cohesive brand architecture strategy. We collaborated closely with Zoetis’ MarComm and Diagnostics brand directors to identify the consumers for various brands within the portfolio. Our team focused on creating an easily implementable architecture solution with a planned phase-out strategy for their sub-brands.

We developed a strategy to create sub-branded "families" of diagnostic products, effectively tying together acquisition brands under a modified branded house architecture. The primary branding used the Zoetis masterbrand across all categories, then introduced primary their sub-brand VETSCAN for their point-of-care devices, using a simple word mark. Existing rapid tests were continued under the WITNESS sub-brand, and the i-STAT and AlphaTRAK devices were referred to as their “handheld devices” without a sub-brand.

The plan was to use VETSCAN and WITNESS as a bridge for consumers to easily identify products by category type, and then phase out the sub-brands over time. This would allow Zoetis to maintain the equity of their established brands while transitioning to a fully unified brand identity. To aid this, we developed differentiated campaigns for the products, leveraging the established Zoetis branding to reinforce ownership of the portfolio.

The implementation of the strategy was accompanied by a significant reorganization within Zoetis. The diagnostics division was incorporated into Zoetis' Pet Care group. Our approach allowed Zoetis to use their strong position within the larger animal health market, while directing a smooth transition for their portfolio acquisitions, and strengthening their reputation within the animal health diagnostics market.