Why rebranding requires a human-centered approach: For B2B health CEOs and CMOs leading change

What does it mean that Orange Square embraces a human-centered approach?

In order to talk about that, I think we need to talk about the opposite of a human-centered approach, which is a corporate-centered approach. This is where a lot of companies operate from. It makes sense. I’m not blaming you. It’s okay. But corporations have a culture, right?

A lot of times you’re setting goals and thinking it’s a financial goal or something you’re trying to reach. So when a company has an initiative, what happens is it goes through a process: initiation, planning, execution, delivery of whatever you’re making, and then measurement and refinement. The problem with corporate-centered goal setting is you aren’t finding out what the audience wants until too late in the process because you didn’t check in with that audience.

I wrote a whole book on this called Shift: Leading Change with Human-Centered Innovation. You can check it out on Amazon.

So what does it mean that Orange Square takes a human-centered approach? It means that we’re centering people in everything we do. It could be your customers, your teams, your partners.

In a rebrand, we’re looking at all aspects of your business and every single kind of audience you have, internal and external.

We are focusing on the real challenges that any of these audiences are facing. We dig into the right problems, which means we have a problem-finding mindset. I think that often what happens in business is everyone’s so anxious to get to producing something that they define something quickly, get excited that it’s defined, and move straight into problem-solving. I would implore you to really take some time and have a problem-finding mindset.

This probably comes from my background as a designer, because what we were taught is if you solve the wrong problem, you get the wrong answer. I know we’ve all had that experience.

So a human-centered approach means defining the right problem clearly.

This is where you understand what it is, then connect ideas to solutions, prototype, and test. You can think about what the possibilities are. It doesn’t mean that business goals are bad, but it means that you’re going to waste time and money if you invest in all those steps before understanding that you haven’t solved the right problem.

That’s what makes our approach to rebranding stand out: In every aspect, we take a human-centered approach.

5 things health leaders need to know about rebranding: Start your brand transformation right

So why is a human-centered approach especially important when you’re working with B2B health-related companies?

This is something we really focus on at Orange Square.

And there are five points:

  1. It helps you mitigate risk. In health, trust is fragile. Placing people’s needs first in business decisions reduces stakeholder distrust and market resistance. It accelerates adoption and market growth.
  2. It shortens your sales cycles and accelerates market entry because you understand and address the real motivations of the key decision-makers and market influencers you work with.
  3. It increases competitive advantage and differentiation. By aligning your offerings around genuine customer needs, your solutions resonate more strongly. It makes it easier for your customers to choose to buy and to support your brand.
  4. It drives internal alignment and productivity. In organizations guided by a human-centered approach, employees see the real human impact of the work. That in turn increases morale, productivity, and retention — all critical for operational efficiency and cost control.
  5. It fosters long-term growth and stability. Because you’re focusing on problem finding, you stay focused on your clients. You’re aligned with the market’s shifting expectations because you’re paying attention. You’re protecting your strategic investments and positioning your business for sustainable, resilient growth.

Why rebranding in B2B health is really a transfer of trust

So why is it that rebranding is high stakes for health-related companies?

Well, because in this sector, rebranding isn’t just a visual refresh — it’s a transfer of trust. I’ve learned over the years that that’s really the business we’re in. We’re in the trust transfer business. In rebranding health organizations, they’re held to a higher standard. You know this. It’s important.

Many leaders assume that trust will carry over, but it doesn’t. I know that inside, you know what the trust is. But in a rebrand where things are changing, you have to be intentional. You have to earn that trust again, and it has to be reinforced.

That’s where we come in. Our human-centered approach at Orange Square is a structured framework that helps ensure that this trust is preserved and strengthened throughout the transition.

How to make rebranding less risky: What health CEOs and CMOs need to know

How does Orange Square make the rebranding process less risky?

Well, we de-risk rebranding by aligning your brand strategy with your business strategy. That means every brand decision supports your larger goals, like funding growth or expansion.

We also help you define your unique position in the markets. We bring clarity and definition from your competitors. We want you to stand out.

We want you to be who you are. With the right architecture, your brand identity structure will be clear, easy to comprehend, and will make sure your company’s strengths are visible both internally and externally.