Bensimon Byrne Appointed to Lead New Brand Platform for St. Michael’s Hospital Foundation

Bensimon Byrne has been chosen to launch a long-term brand platform for St. Michael’s Hospital Foundation – a bold, lasting initiative designed to engage supporters and amplify the Foundation’s impact. This call to drive meaningful action marks an opportunity for the agency to leverage its belief in the power of transformational brand building.

A win which also gives the Toronto-based independent a chance to expand upon its existing portfolio of high-impact brand work, such as Casey House’s ‘Stigmavir’ and White Ribbon’s ‘Short Life Stories’, this appointment, according to Joyce Ho, the Foundation’s vice president of marketing and brand strategy, was in many ways motivated by this extensive track record of successful campaigns across both the nonprofit and private sectors.

“Bensimon Byrne has built some of Canada’s most respected legacy brands,” she explains. “So, [during the pitch], what stood out was not only the team’s deep experience in healthcare and fundraising, but also its ties to St. Michael's Hospital and a nuanced understanding of the sector’s unique challenges and opportunities. Its work with organisations like Casey House and White Ribbon demonstrated its ability to craft compelling narratives that move people to care, to give, and to act.”

Just as important was the nature of the agency’s people. Highlighting Joseph Bonnici (chief creative officer), Laura Robinson (managing director) and Jennifer Bell (senior vice president, strategy) as prime examples, Joyce praises Bensimon Byrne’s collective energy, passion, and genuine excitement, as well as the fact that, simply put, its team cares, both about the work, and what St. Michael’s stands for.

“For us, that matters,” she continues. “That’s the kind of partnership we were looking for, and the kind, we believe, will drive results.”

To this end, it’s unsurprising to learn that the enthusiasm of the Bensimon Byrne team is indeed genuine. Calling the account a “dream” for the agency, Laura notes that it hits the intersection of two major passion points – meaningful work and the opportunity to support Canada’s healthcare sector – both of which are incredibly motivating in their own right.

“Purpose-driven work is a big part of our culture,” the managing director says. “So, applying our skills to something as meaningful as St. Michael's Hospital Foundation is a real privilege. Every day, I see our team light up while talking about the incredible work they’re doing for brands like White Ribbon and Nature Conservancy of Canada. That spark is something I want to nurture, because it fuels a real hunger for excellence.”

As for the healthcare aspect, Laura notes that as a Canadian agency, it’s hard to overlook the privilege of having access to that kind of service – a reality that gives the work a deeper sense of purpose. “Supporting such a fundamental need means a lot,” she adds. “It really feels like contributing to something bigger; something that fosters a sense of community in our city.”

Providing the Perfect Pitch

Finding the right agency for St. Michael’s Hospital Foundation was a nuanced affair.

Specifically, it was imperative to internal leadership that whichever company was ultimately selected be more than just a typical business hire, but instead, have a readiness to establish a collaborative partnership – something which forced the institution to be extremely discerning in its selection.

“Our team had already laid the strategic foundation for a new value proposition to engage donors and strengthen fundraising for St. Michael's Hospital, rooted in deep market research, stakeholder and leadership insights, an industry audit, and brand strategy testing,” Joyce says. “What we needed was an agency that could take us from strategy to execution, translating our vision in a way that resonates deeply with our audiences, and drives results.”

Bensimon Byrne immediately understood this. Aware that the Foundation had already done a lot of heavy lifting to get to its exact ask, the team decided to treat the process more like a series of conversations. Not only did it make the early phases feel more like a partnership, but by skipping the usual sales pitch, both sides were able to get a genuine feel for what the future might feel like.

“I remember our first kick-off call with Joyce and Madeline Stephenson (director of communications),” Laura recalls. “I was stuck in a record-breaking snowstorm in New Orleans, so it was memorable… but also because there was a shared sense of energy and respect. That only strengthened as we met Kevin Goldthorp (president and chief executive officer) and the broader team. Their evident passion and drive really fuelled our own. It let us get straight to honest conversations, and that made the process genuinely enjoyable.”

The other big factor which proved beneficial was the agency’s realisation that, ultimately, a hospital – St. Michael’s or not – is something that everyone has a relationship with. As such, while many were throwing their hats into the ring by emphasising their enthusiasm at the prospect of supporting the Foundation, the Bensimon Byrne team led with their observation that these personal connections were the true heart of this opportunity.

“It felt like everyone in the agency had a connection to the hospital,” Laura says. “From a surprisingly warm and welcoming first ER visit after moving from small-town Ontario to the big city, to countless birth stories, and a few truly life-saving moments thanks to the trauma team, it quickly became clear to us that St. Michael's Hospital had an incredibly relevant, seemingly untold story. So, we wanted to be the ones to tell it.”

This desire would only evolve as the team got to know its prospective partners better. In particular, after spending some actual time at the hospital and being exposed to its culture, it became abundantly clear to the agency just how important it was to generate public support.

“St. Michael's Hospital has this incredible mix of heart and drive,” she explains. “You feel it walking through the halls. There’s real clarity around what it stands for. You see it play out in the way the team acknowledges the dignity of everyone who walks through the door, and at the same time, how it pushes for progress relentlessly. It’s rare to find a place so values-driven and future-focused all at once.”

Teasers for the Future

While it’s still early days for this newly-announced partnership, both Joyce and Laura are happy to share a glimpse of what’s to come.

Confirming that the work will extend across all donor touchpoints, the former reveals the Foundation has multiple aims, including capturing attention, inspiring action, deepening connections, instilling pride, and driving transformational gifts, before adding that it’s about “building a community of new and loyal supporters, while laying the groundwork for sustained campaign momentum and future growth.”

Meanwhile, Laura discloses that already, a creative angle of approach has been found. “The one thing we all agree we expect is something unexpected,” she continues. “It’s no secret that the nonprofit hospital category has stepped up its game over the last decade, and to stand out in a sea of strength requires something fresh.

Of course, it’s going to take a lot of time, effort and dedication before that point is reached. As with every creative undertaking, there will be tricky moments, but both sides appear ready to face this process with determination and resolve, buoyed by their mutual sense of trust in one another.

As Laura puts it, “At Bensimon Byrne, we have a history of setting audacious, seemingly unachievable goals, and then crushing them. So, when it comes to the St. Michael’s assignment, the ripple effect of that ambition is so much higher-stakes that we can’t afford to not take big swings. And that’s exciting. Some of our strongest work comes from long-standing client relationships that we’ve been tending to for years. The partnership with St. Michael’s feels like it’s primed to be one of those relationships, and I can see it being a cornerstone of our creative culture for years to come.”

Returning the praise, Joyce notes that since the Foundation has one of the most loyal and influential boards and donor communities in the city, she’s eager to get started and deliver a brand platform worthy of the people who share in the institution’s vision, and belief that everyone deserves care in their critical moments, without exception.

“We have the privilege of witnessing the profound impact our St. Michael's health teams have on patients, families, and the broader community, every single day,” she finishes. “Now, with this partnership, we have the chance to express that impact with clarity, authenticity, and emotion. Together with Bensimon Byrne, we can deepen those connections and inspire new legions of donors and volunteers. We can create something that truly resonates and reflects St. Michael's Hospital’s DNA. And, we can unlock the kind of support that drives lasting transformation in healthcare.”