19
HCF TIMELINE
32
32 34
HCF's first-ever
advertisement
appears on
25 June 1932
46
16 June
The Metropolitan
Hospitals
Contribution
Scheme is
founded
Based in Adyar
House, Bligh
Street, Sydney, it
gains more than
100,000 members
and approximately
5,000 agents over
the next two years
HCF moves
to Asbestos
House, York St,
Sydney CBD
37
The first
service
branch
opens at
Asbestos
House in
1937
41
HCF House
established in
Hamilton St,
Sydney CBD
During WWII
an air raid shelter
is built in the
basement and
patrolled day and
night by 24 staff
volunteers
Name
changes to
Hospitals
Contribution
Fund of NSW
After the war
HCF extends
its cover from
metropolitan
Sydney to
the whole of
NSW
53
HCF
registers
under
the new
National
Health Act
52
47 50
NSW
membership
passes the
1.25 million
mark
75
Purchase
of Catton
Building in
Liverpool St,
Sydney CBD
HCF enters into joint
operation with MBF,
an arrangement that
lasts for the next
three years
HCF
relocates
to Catton
Building
Branch
offices now
established in
Melbourne,
Brisbane and
Hobart
HCF
extends its
operations
to Victoria
60 65 67
57
Name formally
changes to
the Hospitals
Contribution
Fund of
Australia
Installation
of HCF’s
first
computer
HCF’s Silver
Anniversary
Benefit payments
for the year total
over 3.17 million
pounds
HCF
launches a
combined
medical and
hospital
benefits
plan
64
66
86
HCF Life
Insurance
Pty Ltd
established
80
HCF introduces its
Multicover plan,
providing cover
for the medical
gap and for a
wide range of
complementary
healthcare services
HCF
introduces
Budget
Cover
78
Head office
moves
to a new,
permanent
home at 403
George Street
Sydney
92
HCF’s
ultra-modern
computer
network
now links
each branch
office with
operational
departments
The first
HCF
EYECARE
Centre
opens
Brochure
from 1984
84
Brochure
from 1983
HCF Regional
& Rural
Oral Health
Program
launches
87
The first HCF
Dental Centre
opens at HCF
House in
Sydney to treat
members with
routine dental
requirements,
leaving them
with zero out-ofpocket expenses
01
02
Dental and
EYECARE
Centres
have
opened
all around
Sydney
HCF
acquires
IOR
Australia
Pty Ltd and
its 49,700
members
from
Victoria,
Queensland
and South
Australia
2000
HCF Health and Medical Research
Foundation launches
This non-profit charitable trust is
established to encourage medical
research, as well as research into the
provision, administration and delivery
of health services in Australia
More for eyes,
More for teeth and
More for muscles
programs launch
My Home Doctor
launches
HCF merges with
Manchester Unity,
adding retirement
and aged-care
facilities to its
product offering
and increasing the
number of people
covered by health
insurance policies
by more than
179,000
12
HCF becomes the
first Australian
health fund to
achieve accreditation
to the International
Customer Service
Standard
08
HCF partners with
the Victor Chang
Cardiac Research
Institute
Global Reviews
names HCF the
leading Australian
health fund for
the second
consecutive year
09 11
My Health
Guardian
launches
HCF Life launches
low-cost sickness
and accident
cover,
thereby helping
tackle the
underinsurance
crisis
My Global
Specialist
launches
More for
feet and
More for
backs
programs
launch
HCF
rebrand
launch
13
HCF signs its
25,000th member
to the My Health
Guardian chronic
condition program
past
So why change our branding?
HCF has always moved with the times.
It's one of the secrets of our success.
Just as we're extending our services into
areas such as preventive health and access
to specialised knowledge enabled by
advances in digital technology, we need
to keep abreast of contemporary values in
brand perception.
Just as our name and acronym stand for
stability, reliability, quality and a culture of
continuous improvement we also need to
communicate our progressive and expansive
outlook to new and potential members and
to future generations.
We also want to express our business style in
our branding. We want to show that we are
warm, accepting and down to earth but also
professional, caring and highly efficient.
We firmly believe our new logo, with
its evocative heart shape, honest,
straightforward lettering and warm,
vibrant colour is a great reflection of our
past, present and future.
At HCF we're the
guardians of a proud
legacy: more than
80 years of providing
the highest standard of
health care support as
Australia's largest notfor-profit health fund.
present
A lot of thought, creativity and refining of
ideas has gone into developing the new HCF
branding and the aim of this brochure is to
let all our people know the thinking behind
the decisions and to trace the steps of the
process. It wasn't simple but the end result
is, which is what you try to achieve with a
brand that speaks to its audience.
HCF’s mission is to satisfy the
needs of Australians for access to
affordable, high quality health care
when and where they need it, personal
protection, and peace of mind.
I hope you enjoy 'unpacking' the process
and that it helps reinforce to you what we're
all about as an organisation.
We do have a lot to live up to, but we also
have unlimited potential. Our new branding
symbolises our willingness to move forward
and to reach out to new members while
acknowledging those whose loyalty has
brought us this far. It's great to have you
along for the journey.
Our vision is to be the leader within our industry for:
• choosing a health fund
• achieving better health outcomes for members
• highly efficient, low cost operations
• being good people to do business with
• setting the standard for financial and ethical responsibility.
future
• Integrity
• Customer focus
• Personal accountability
• Strong leadership and teamwork
• Innovation
Of course we're proud of our history and
achievements. We're Australia's largest notfor-profit health fund, and we're growing
fast too. We consistently win awards
for our levels of customer service
and professionalism.
An important factor in HCF’s success is our commitment to
our staff. HCF remains dedicated to providing an inclusive,
supportive and respectful work environment where learning
and development are encouraged.
Welcoming environment
We recognise our talented and diverse workforce as a key
competitive advantage. Our business success is a reflection of
the quality and skill of our people.
We understand the importance of reflecting the diversity
of our customers and markets in our workforce. HCF
acknowledges that the broad ranges of background,
experience and capabilities in our talented workforce mirrors
and complements the diversity of our membership base.
Culture of caring
Our people are loyal and committed, and this is
demonstrated by the tenure of our staff and in the
Our people are at
the heart of HCF
and our business
success is a
reflection of their
quality and skills.
outstanding customer service provided by our hard-working
employees. We have a 25 Year Club made up of 46 staff
members who have each recorded over 25 years with HCF.
“I enjoy the challenges, and working for HCF has enabled me to
meet many good people and cherished friends along the way.”
— Chris Knights, ABM team, HCF staff member for 44 years
We are focused on achieving a positive and engaging
environment for staff, which in turn leads to better customer
service for our members.
Shared values
One of the most important rewards in working for HCF is being
part of an organisation that values your contribution beyond
the hours you put in at work: as being key to the company's
business ethic and the way it functions. That's what we mean
when we say our people are at the heart of HCF.
our people
From humble beginnings in Sydney as a localised hospitals
contribution fund dedicated to its members, HCF has grown in
scope and vision. Today we cover the entire nation and more
than 1.5 million people are insured with us.
Scope
Our expansion has encompassed the spread of branches
from urban to regional and rural areas, but more than that our
offerings have been continuously updated to cover everything
from travel insurance to income protection, dental and optical
services, and retirement living and aged care. We even help
look after our members' pets with pet insurance!
From speeding
up claims to the
launch of its new
preventative
health mobile
app, HCF is
embracing the
digital revolution.
Technology
With the development of digital technologies we've been able
to work more comprehensively and efficiently — and to offer
even more healthcare advice and support from trustworthy
third-party experts through mobile applications.
In every innovation we've been guided by our members'
needs. Now we're proud to cement our place as a leader in
preventative health.
Enabling
Australians to
enjoy better
quality of life and
peace of mind
through access
to health services
is a goal without
boundaries.
e x p a n s i n
whole life focus
There's only
one constant
in life: change.
At HCF we
endeavour to
keep up with our
members' needs
at every stage of
their life journey.
We're proud to say we cater to members
from all walks of life and that care extends
from birth through childhood to all the needs
adulthood brings, including those left-field
situations most people haven't thought of.
Milestones and more
Our health insurance products are designed
with lots of flexibility to branch out into
multiple options that mirror members'
milestones and activities, from the unexpected
— accidents do happen — to the highly
anticipated: planning a family or a longed for
overseas holiday.
Whether it's help with paying expenses
for hospital treatment, getting professional
services from a health specialist of choice or
ensuring family and children will be provided
for, HCF provides insurance products to suit
everybody and their pocket.
More than that our suites of products are
organised in an easy-to-understand way
and set out in plain language that's simple
for anyone to understand.
Plus, of course, the staff in our branches
and call centres are ready and willing to
help explain or advise on the best choices
in individual cases.
Today and tomorrow
We're there for our members, from
pre-natal care through to aged care —
how many organisations in any area of
service provision can say that?
HCF is committed to helping its members
meet life's challenges and delivering
solutions to a full range of health and
wellbeing requirements along the way.
We're in it for the long term.
We'll be there.
A quality health fund, indeed any organisation,
cannot remain static — it must grow and
adapt to meet the changing needs of its
customers. And there’s no denying we’re not
the same fund that embarked on this journey
more than 80 years ago.
But HCF is different. We don’t plough ahead
chasing profits or maximising efficiency to
the detriment of our members. We take an
innovative yet simple approach.
We listen
Although the digital age has undoubtedly
increased efficiency, we know there’s a large
portion of our membership that will always
value face-to-face interaction. For this reason
we have 55 branches and kiosks in NSW, the
ACT, Qld, Vic and SA to properly service our
growing customer base.
Members wanted no-gap dental and eye
care services and we responded by opening
seven HCF Dental Centres and seven HCF
EYECARE Centres in Sydney. This was swiftly
followed by the launch of More for teeth and
More for eyes, which allowed members across
the nation access to similar no-gap services.
But why stop there? More for muscles, feet
and backs were unveiled in quick succession
and became instant hits.
Cause and effect
We know that good health is paramount but
certain lifestyle factors keep getting in the
way. That’s why we offer rebates on certain
health management programs and recently
moved into the area of preventative health
with our My Health Guardian program, while
My Global Specialist brought peace of mind to
eligible members who wanted further advice
on their medical condition.
We introduced My Home Doctor to give
members in selected areas access to an afterhours GP service that has already improved the
lives of thousands of parents with young kids.
Our people give
their undivided
attention to each
customer they deal
with, no matter
how brief the
contact or small the
transaction.
responsiveness
innovations &
achievements
We’re trailblazers. Not content by any means to rest on our
laurels, we strive for excellence in everything we do.
This approach goes a long way towards explaining our
status as Australia’s largest, and one of the fastest growing,
not-for-profit health funds. Simply put, more and more
Australians are choosing HCF.
Value and service
We have the best full coverage of medical services of any
health fund in every state. We’ve also been fortunate to win
Canstar’s top national award for outstanding value health
insurance four years in a row.
Value alone doesn’t explain our popularity. In 2012
we became the first Australian health fund to achieve
accreditation to the International Customer Service
Standard.
Our customer service was found to be exceptional.
When you're
focused wholly on
your members'
wellbeing, inspiration
tends to strike.
Inspiration, innovation,
achievement:
it’s a story we’re
familiar with.
Giving back
We take a revolutionary approach to insurance. We aim
to improve the lives of our members beyond the scope
of products and packages. That’s why we’re not for profit:
we plough funds back into the business to generate more
benefits for members. After all, people are more important
than profits.
This attitude resulted in the launch of the 'More' and 'My'
programs over the past four years, services which have
moved us firmly into the area of preventative health and
given our members fast access to local and international
medical experts.
Last year, we analysed data from the government’s
MyHospitals website to give members a complete picture of
hospital standards and safety. We have also partnered with
the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute and are continuing
to help members identify if they are at risk from heart disease.
Other businesses
race to maximise
their balance sheets.
We do it differently.
We take our profits
and give them back
to our members.
In redesigning
our logo we had
definite objectives.
We wanted to
contemporise
the HCF brand
and appeal to the
youth market.
time for change
When you realise that the existing brand logo and
lettering treatment date from the early 1990s it's no
surprise that our public face didn't quite match the
innovative style of our organisation.
We discovered that while our branding was
perceived as traditional and to the point, it was also
seen as a bit boring and behind the times, the typeface
was old fashioned and the colour uninspiring.
Our goal
We wanted to create positive recognition of our brand in a way
that would make people think of HCF as an ideal health fund,
one that they would want to be part of. We wanted to convey our
culture of continuous development.
We needed a new look, colour treatment and typography if we
wanted our brand to align with how HCF has positioned itself
in the second decade of the 21st century. We didn't take this
process lightly. A whole world of research and development has
gone into refreshing our most valuable asset.
Our approach
Using the generous curves and inherent stability of the old logo as
a starting point we've evolved an organic curled symbol that subtly
forms a heart outline. The typeface has lost its institutional look and
the colour has been warmed up to a more vibrant, engaging shade.
Our thinking
We like to think that as well as being more contemporary the new
branding is more people friendly and that it will reach out to our
existing members and prospective customers alike in a warm,
straightforward and inclusive way. We believe that by making
this change we will guarantee our future success.
Just as HCF has remained relevant by embracing and adapting
to change, we hope you will welcome our brand new look.
our new branding
Current logo
Our new logo is a powerfully concise
representation of a dynamic, reliable and iconic
organisation which has customer relationships
and business integrity at its heart. The logo is
made up of two components:
Colour
When it came to selecting the right colours we were conscious of paying
homage to our heritage. Maroon is the colour that acknowledges our
80 year history, while red reinforces our strength and confidence. By
blending the two, our corporate colour has been transformed from the
existing maroon to a more vibrant shade: ruby. Ruby is enhanced and
complemented by the darker shade of rubelite.
The interplay of the colours, shading and two sides of the icon
symbolise the linked relationship between HCF and its members.
typography
Whitney was made
for the brand that
thinks big and
communicates
intimately. Its strong,
animated form
captures the eye
from a distance while
inspiring confidence
up close. Whitney’s
bold, confident form
ensures the HCF
brand is always
communicated
effectively, writ
large or small.
visual identity
The visual identity uses the
curves of the icon to strengthen
and give voice to HCF's brand
expression. In using the visual
identity, several compositions
have been provided to produce
consistency yet also flexibility
to design application.
Symbol and wordmark
New logo
Our research proved that brand marks
incorporating symbols are more appealing and
distinctive. The symbol is composed of two
embracing crescents. Together they combine to
form a rounded heart, signifying the warmth,
friendliness and openness of HCF. It helps us to
express that a focus on customer relationships
and integrity is in our hearts.
At first glance the wordmark appears familiar
but upon closer inspection subtle differences
appear between it and the older version. The font
choice references HCF’s established and reliable
reputation by utilising traditional elements. The
use of a semi-serif font has retained heritage cues
such as 'safe and solid' while shifting our image
towards that of a more progressive organisation.
Whitney Bold
Whitney Semi-Bold
Whitney Book
primary palette
colour palette
Ruby colours HCF. Ruby is an enlivening transformation of the
maroon hue utilised by the HCF brand for many years. Ruby carries
both the warmth and confidence to refresh the iconic face of
HCF, without compromising on elegance. Rubelite enhances ruby.
Together they are rendered complete.
The secondary palette complements the brand’s primary hues
and is deliberately warm to reinforce HCF's ownership of the warm
colour spectrum. These vibrant shades will serve to delineate the
sections of HCF’s documents, accentuate the uniqueness of products
and services, and enliven the layout of all HCF’s publications.
ruby
secondary palette
rubelite
sunrise
eggplant
yellow
pink
orange
purple
sand
shimmer
established
reputable: admirable, big, decent, eminent, estimable, excellent, great, honest,
honourable, important, noble, notable, of good reputation, prominent, respectable,
respected, signal, significant, valued, well thought of, worthy; eminent: brilliant,
celebrated, chief, distingué, distinguished, elevated, exalted, famed, familiar, famous,
foremost, grand, great, illustrious, important, large, leading, lustrous, memorable,
noted, noteworthy, old, pre-eminent, prestigious, prominent, proverbial, remarkable,
renowned, splendid, splendorous, star, storied, unforgettable, unimaginable, unique,
venerable, well-known, worthy; special: especial, premium, prestige; noble: dignified,
distinguished, elevated, eminent, exalted, glorious, gorgeous, grand, grandiose, great,
high, Homeric, imperial, impressive, magnificent, majestic, marvellous, Olympian,
proud, regal, resplendent, senior, splendid, stately, sumptuous, superb.
get better: advance, ameliorate, gain, improve, meliorate, mend, upskill; make better: amend, better, enrich,
perfect, refine, transfigure, upgrade, uplift; smarten: brush up, detail, elaborate, enhance, refurbish, touch up;
mend: remodel, repair, retouch; benefit: assist, facilitate, help; advance: better oneself, climb, develop, evolve,
gain ground, leapfrog, make headway, make progress, make strides, move forward, press, progress, pull ahead,
pull up; come good: brighten, rally, recover, regenerate.
fair: candid, fairly, fair-minded, impartial, objective, open-minded,
unbiased, unprejudiced; egalitarian: democratic, equalitarian; evenhanded: equable, equal, equitable, even; sporting: sportsmanlike;
just: conscionable, fair and square, honest, morally right, reasonable,
right, rightful, square; deserved: as it should be, fit, fitting, justifiable,
lawful, legitimate, well-earned; behave fairly: deal honestly, do
justice to, do the right thing by, right, see that justice is done; deal
fairly with someone: give a person his due, give someone a break,
give someone a fair go, give someone a go; play fairly: be a sport.
friendly
friendly: affable, amiable, amicable, companionable, warm, neighbourly, polite,
sociable, social; chummy: brotherly, comradely, fraternal, on good terms, well in
with; warm-hearted: approachable, hearty, open-hearted, outgoing; welcoming:
cordial, genial, hospitable, warm; hearty, warm; intimate: bosom, close, familiar,
inseparable, devoted assiduous, staunch; compatible: after one's own heart, of
one mind, platonic, simpatico, sympathetic.
kind: amiable, big-hearted, considerate, good-hearted, good-tempered,
kindly, nice, regardful, sweet, sweet-tempered, tactful, thoughtful,
warm-hearted; benevolent: amiable, beneficent, big-hearted, gracious,
grandfatherly, hospitable, kind-hearted, kindly, open-hearted, propitious,
well-disposed, well-wishing; sympathetic: caring, compassionate, concerned,
consolatory, consoling, involved, soft-hearted, solicitous; gentle: charitable,
clement, easy, forgiving, gracious, humane, lenient, mild, soft, sparing,
tender-hearted; friendly: genial, good-hearted, good-humoured, goodnatured, altruistic active, benevolent, charitable, civic-minded, generous,
great-hearted, humanitarian, large-hearted, philanthropic, public-spirited.
Our brand
attributes are
a combination
of what we are,
what we’re
perceived to
be, and what
we want to be
in the future.
dependable
faithful: loyal, single-hearted, true, true-blue, true-hearted; honourable: as good
as one's word, good, straight, trustworthy, upright; dutiful: allegiant, duteous;
reliable: dedicated, dependable, devoted, infallible, sound, true, trustworthy,
trusty, unfailing; staunch: certain, constant, firm, fixed, set, stanch, steadfast,
steady, strong, sure, unwavering; authentic: genuine; be faithful to: abide by,
adhere to, be true to, stand by, stay with, stick with, support, uphold.
future starts now
Our not‑forprofit structure
will continue
to ensure that
our strategic
objectives
remain member
focused...
Our new brand identity has a very important role to play
in HCF's plans for the future.
Our aspirations
Along with ongoing product and service innovation we
will be progressing our business strategy of expanding
from the provision of health insurance to a broader
healthcare delivery framework. We'll be aiming to
increase member satisfaction and referrals, reduce
lapsed memberships and maximise our revenue, while
maintaining our charter of actively contributing to our
members' health and wellbeing.
We'll also be looking to grow HCF's presence in
interstate markets and that means growing our brand
recognition. We want people across the country
to associate our new brand identity with our core
attributes: established, progressive, warm, friendly, fair
and dependable.
We want people to see our logo and immediately
think: a fund I’d like to be part of.
So what's next?
... while
acknowledging our
commitment to
Australia’s health
system, the efficient
operation of our
business and our
corporate social
responsibility.
As we move to make these goals reality our new branding
will support us every step of the way. We will build on our
legacy of operational excellence to enhance our existing
business and take advantage of new opportunities.
As we enter this period of growth and change it's a
chance for us to reflect on how far we've come since
1932. We're ready to embrace this new era and excited to
see what developments will follow. We hope you're just
as excited about making this journey with us.