Creative Strategy for Novo Nordisk
Creative Strategy for Novo Nordisk
2023
2023
Creating a scalable branded house strategy for Novo Nordisk’s therapeutic areas
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Challenge
As Novo Nordisk expanded beyond diabetes into six additional therapeutic areas (TAs), their Medical Affairs team needed a unified yet flexible brand strategy. Without a cohesive system, materials across therapy areas risked inconsistency, brand fragmentation, and resemblance to competitors. The challenge was to create a branded house strategy that maintained alignment with Novo Nordisk’s corporate identity while ensuring clear differentiation across therapy areas.
Approach
Leading the design and development of the branded house strategy, I developed a comprehensive creative framework in collaboration with medical writers, who assisted in competitor research. Working closely with the Senior Director of Digital Transformation at Novo Nordisk, I ensured the solution met strategic and business objectives.
Key components included:
Competitor Analysis
Conducted a deep dive into the Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) space, analysing colour palettes, iconography, and social media presence across major competitors, including AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, Sanofi, GlaxoSmithKline, and Pfizer.
Identified gaps and opportunities to distinguish Novo Nordisk’s brand presence while maintaining credibility and consistency.
Branded House Visual Identity System
Colour Strategy: True Blue as the primary anchor across all TAs, complemented by distinct secondary colours.
Typography: Standardised use of Apis typeface to reinforce brand consistency.
Imagery & Photography: Focused on authentic, real-life storytelling rather than stock imagery.
Iconography & Illustrations: Developed “iconostrations”, a unique style blending icons and illustrations to enhance brand storytelling.
Social Media Strategy
Designed consistent templates for LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter to ensure a cohesive visual presence.
Established TA-specific social media guidelines, including contrast and accessibility considerations.
Introduced TA-specific badges to improve recognition across platforms and materials.
impact
Created a distinct, scalable brand system that aligned all eight TAs under one cohesive identity.
Strengthened Novo Nordisk’s competitive positioning, ensuring their materials stood out against industry competitors.
Developed structured social media templates and guidelines that dramatically shortened post development time for medical communications teams.
Provided Novo Nordisk with a clear strategic framework, ensuring the branded house approach could scale as the company continued to grow.
This strategy now serves as the foundation for all future Novo Nordisk Medical Affairs communications, reinforcing the company’s leadership across multiple therapy areas.
Read case study
Challenge
As Novo Nordisk expanded beyond diabetes into six additional therapeutic areas (TAs), their Medical Affairs team needed a unified yet flexible brand strategy. Without a cohesive system, materials across therapy areas risked inconsistency, brand fragmentation, and resemblance to competitors. The challenge was to create a branded house strategy that maintained alignment with Novo Nordisk’s corporate identity while ensuring clear differentiation across therapy areas.
Approach
Leading the design and development of the branded house strategy, I developed a comprehensive creative framework in collaboration with medical writers, who assisted in competitor research. Working closely with the Senior Director of Digital Transformation at Novo Nordisk, I ensured the solution met strategic and business objectives.
Key components included:
Competitor Analysis
Conducted a deep dive into the Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) space, analysing colour palettes, iconography, and social media presence across major competitors, including AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, Sanofi, GlaxoSmithKline, and Pfizer.
Identified gaps and opportunities to distinguish Novo Nordisk’s brand presence while maintaining credibility and consistency.
Branded House Visual Identity System
Colour Strategy: True Blue as the primary anchor across all TAs, complemented by distinct secondary colours.
Typography: Standardised use of Apis typeface to reinforce brand consistency.
Imagery & Photography: Focused on authentic, real-life storytelling rather than stock imagery.
Iconography & Illustrations: Developed “iconostrations”, a unique style blending icons and illustrations to enhance brand storytelling.
Social Media Strategy
Designed consistent templates for LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter to ensure a cohesive visual presence.
Established TA-specific social media guidelines, including contrast and accessibility considerations.
Introduced TA-specific badges to improve recognition across platforms and materials.
impact
Created a distinct, scalable brand system that aligned all eight TAs under one cohesive identity.
Strengthened Novo Nordisk’s competitive positioning, ensuring their materials stood out against industry competitors.
Developed structured social media templates and guidelines that dramatically shortened post development time for medical communications teams.
Provided Novo Nordisk with a clear strategic framework, ensuring the branded house approach could scale as the company continued to grow.
This strategy now serves as the foundation for all future Novo Nordisk Medical Affairs communications, reinforcing the company’s leadership across multiple therapy areas.
Read case study
Challenge
As Novo Nordisk expanded beyond diabetes into six additional therapeutic areas (TAs), their Medical Affairs team needed a unified yet flexible brand strategy. Without a cohesive system, materials across therapy areas risked inconsistency, brand fragmentation, and resemblance to competitors. The challenge was to create a branded house strategy that maintained alignment with Novo Nordisk’s corporate identity while ensuring clear differentiation across therapy areas.
Approach
Leading the design and development of the branded house strategy, I developed a comprehensive creative framework in collaboration with medical writers, who assisted in competitor research. Working closely with the Senior Director of Digital Transformation at Novo Nordisk, I ensured the solution met strategic and business objectives.
Key components included:
Competitor Analysis
Conducted a deep dive into the Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) space, analysing colour palettes, iconography, and social media presence across major competitors, including AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, Sanofi, GlaxoSmithKline, and Pfizer.
Identified gaps and opportunities to distinguish Novo Nordisk’s brand presence while maintaining credibility and consistency.
Branded House Visual Identity System
Colour Strategy: True Blue as the primary anchor across all TAs, complemented by distinct secondary colours.
Typography: Standardised use of Apis typeface to reinforce brand consistency.
Imagery & Photography: Focused on authentic, real-life storytelling rather than stock imagery.
Iconography & Illustrations: Developed “iconostrations”, a unique style blending icons and illustrations to enhance brand storytelling.
Social Media Strategy
Designed consistent templates for LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter to ensure a cohesive visual presence.
Established TA-specific social media guidelines, including contrast and accessibility considerations.
Introduced TA-specific badges to improve recognition across platforms and materials.
impact
Created a distinct, scalable brand system that aligned all eight TAs under one cohesive identity.
Strengthened Novo Nordisk’s competitive positioning, ensuring their materials stood out against industry competitors.
Developed structured social media templates and guidelines that dramatically shortened post development time for medical communications teams.
Provided Novo Nordisk with a clear strategic framework, ensuring the branded house approach could scale as the company continued to grow.
This strategy now serves as the foundation for all future Novo Nordisk Medical Affairs communications, reinforcing the company’s leadership across multiple therapy areas.
Client
Client
Novo Nordisk
Novo Nordisk
Type
Type
Creative Strategy
Creative Strategy
,
,
Visual Identity Design
Visual Identity Design
SUMMARY
SUMMARY
As Novo Nordisk expanded into new therapeutic areas, their Medical Affairs team needed a unified yet flexible brand strategy. I developed a branded house framework—standardising colours, typography, iconography, and social media templates—to ensure consistency while maintaining differentiation across therapy areas.
As Novo Nordisk expanded into new therapeutic areas, their Medical Affairs team needed a unified yet flexible brand strategy. I developed a branded house framework—standardising colours, typography, iconography, and social media templates—to ensure consistency while maintaining differentiation across therapy areas.
Credits
Dan Cragg
Design and strategy
HCG Medical Writers
Content and strategy
Credits
Dan Cragg
Design and strategy
HCG Medical Writers
Content and strategy
Quote
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