Bitterroot
Stepping Out of Stealth Mode with a Strong Corporate Narrative
- Biotech Website Design & Development, Corporate Messaging, Visual Identity
The Challenge
Bitterroot Bio is applying the learnings of immune-oncology to the cardiovascular disease space.
As the company emerged from stealth mode with $145 million series A, the team needed foundational corporate messaging, logo, and visual identity that captured their scientific approach and unique culture.
The Solution
We designed a collaborative series of workshops to identify:
- Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
- Competitor messaging
- Audience personas and prioritization
- Brand positioning
- Brand personality
- Key messaging pillars
- Mission, vision, and values
Strategic foundation
Establishing the positioning and core brand attributes laid the groundwork for the core narrative.
Core Values
Tenacity, Optimism, Confidence
Brand Essence
Rewriting the future of public health
Core Belief
We will eradicate cardiovascular disease by changing the way it is treated
Corporate positioning
Combining expertise in cardiology and immunology, Bitterroot Bio harnesses precision immunotherapy to create therapies that have the potential to eradicate heart disease
Differentiator
World-class expertise in both cardiology and immunology
Differentiator
Potential to develop the first therapy designed to induce plaque regression and prevent future myocardial infarction
Differentiator
Discovery engine with potential for new multi-specific proteins to be engineered against novel targets
KEY MESSAGE Strategy
1. Establish the stakes
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and disability in both the US and globally, taking an estimated 18 million lives each year. And yet, fewer than 8% of drugs in development addressed cardiovascular conditions.
2. Introduce the translational approach
Both cardiovascular disease and cancer are triggered by an invasive influx of inflammatory cells. The genetic link between cancer and heart disease can open new channels for therapeutic progress.
We must rethink business models, collaborate across disciplines and further explore the link between cardiology and oncology in order to develop therapies that treat both leading killers.
3. Establish the mechanism of CD47 protein, Bitterroot’s key target
CD47 is a potent “do not eat me” signal that enables cancer cells to evade detection by the innate immune system, thereby avoiding destruction by first responder cells, such as macrophages. By evading detection and destruction by the immune system, these harmful cells join a growing plaque within the arterial wall.
The development of a novel, safe, and effective “anti-CD48” therapy opens the potential to slow or prevent the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. This offers the promise of a world without cardiovascular disease.
4. Create a corporate ethos that speaks to Bitterroot’s unique identity and culture
Bitterroot’s namesake was inspired by the cofounders’ connections to Montana—home to the Bitterroot River, mountain range, and the bitterroot plant. The multiplicitous nature of the namesake offered an opportunity to integrate these thematic elements into the messaging.
Results
Messaging was pulled through a corporate website, which received a Web Excellence Award.
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