Launching On-Demand Healthcare During a Pandemic
- ClientBioReference Laboratories, Inc.
- IndustryHealth & Wellness

Background
When one of the nation’s leading labs, BioReference Laboratories, Inc. (BioReference), reached out to Code and Theory, the world was reeling from the COVID-19 outbreak. With patient anxiety at an all time high, the pandemic highlighted the need for healthcare providers to expand their remote and at-home healthcare and diagnostics offerings. BioReference already had a mobile blood testing prototype that would bring lab sample collection services to patients on demand, but they needed Code and Theory to name it, brand it, and introduce it to the world.
What it took to earn trust and move fast when care went remote
As care rapidly shifted out of clinics and into homes, BioReference faced a high-stakes challenge: launching an on-demand service that felt medically credible and genuinely human from day one. With anxiety high and expectations for clarity even higher, they needed to move fast without sacrificing trust.
To bring Scarlet to market in that moment, BioReference focused on how the service was introduced and experienced—using clear messaging and a cohesive brand approach designed to meet patients and providers where they were. The goal was simple: make a complex, clinical offering feel approachable, dependable, and ready when people needed it most.
Key Takeaways
Clear positioning builds trust fast when patients are anxious and care moves outside the clinic
Pair medical credibility with a human tone to make complex services feel approachable
Design for patients and providers at once to reduce friction across the full care journey
Modular, digital-first systems help new healthcare offerings stay consistent as needs change

Solution
First, we defined the brand positioning and key messages and gave it a name: Scarlet. The name Scarlet confidently reflects BioReference's expertise in blood testing, while bringing a human touch and consumer-friendly feel to the brand. Our positioning addressed the needs of both patients and healthcare providers, centering around Scarlet’s key benefits of ease, simplicity, safety, and seamlessness. We then created a logo and identity system that brought the brand to life and built a cohesive brand experience across their ecosystem, including the website, launch emails, sales materials, and internal communications.
Strategic Brand Design
Scarlet’s identity is an extension of its positioning, highlighting the benefits of ease, simplicity, and seamlessness. It embodies Scarlet’s on-demand testing offering, utilizes distinctive elements that stand out in the category, and balances friendliness and professionalism in a modern way.

Designing for Tomorrow
We crafted designs that not only encapsulated the service today, but BioReference’s vision for the future of patient-centric healthcare and diagnostics.
Audience-first
We considered the distinct needs of Scarlet’s core audiences: patients and healthcare providers. Our communications were built to excite and educate them every step of the way.
Made for Digital
We provided digital-first designs in a modular system that demonstrated Scarlet’s modern offering with every tap, swipe, and click.
Named the service Scarlet and defined positioning and key messages for patients and healthcare providers
Designed a logo and identity system to bring Scarlet’s on-demand blood testing brand to life
Created a cohesive website experience to introduce Scarlet and explain the on-demand blood testing service
Produced launch communications including emails, sales materials, and internal communications
Let’s get to work. Start a conversation.
newbiz@codeandtheory.comCode and Theory is a proud member of Stagwell Group. Stagwell is the challenger network built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world’s most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our 13,000+ specialists in 34+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for their clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com
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