The Intersection of Technology and Lifestyle
When Medical Guardian launched in 2005, the Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) industry had already been around for 30 years. At just 25-years-old, Geoff Gross founded Medical Guardian to give his grandmother something she wasn’t getting from another medical alert company— an empowering experience. Although Gross was young, he understood the industry needed a more engaging brand so more Americans could connect with the product offerings and age in place with confidence.
Gross knew going into the PERS industry would be a challenge, as hundreds of thousands of Americans associated a medical alert device to a TV commercial from the 1980s which featured an older adult laying frail and helpless on the bathroom floor. Although the catchphrase for the commercial became associated with the industry, it also created a stigma about older adults and the type of people using PERS. To combat this misconception, Gross made a conscious effort to steer clear of fear-based messaging and instead build a marketing campaign around empowerment and independence.
Revolutionizing the Brand to Empower
With people living longer than ever before and older adults becoming more social, active and tech-savvy, Gross and the Medical Guardian team—who always have the best interest of both the current customer and future generations of customers to come in mind—had the foresight to know that they had to make a change to their branding and messaging to evolve alongside this changing demographic. While other companies were successful selling the same product with the same type of message, Medical Guardian was ready to take on the challenge of keeping up with the ever-growing senior demographic through a company-wide Brand Evolution in 2017.
Through in-depth market research of those 65 and older, the company found most older adults did not see themselves as old, but rather as simply entering their third act in life. Research helped Medical Guardian develop their brand and mantra “keep going” — shifting the perception of the way people looked at their service and developing a brand that differentiated itself from competitors. Through this, Gross has been able to position Medical Guardian as a lifestyle brand that inspires older adults entering their Golden Years.
“Medical Guardian gives our customers not only a better solution but a better experience,” says Gross. “In addition to our Brand Evolution, we threw away the sales scripts, so our team members could garner a real, long-lasting connection with our customers. For generations to come, we will continue to keep up with the senior demographic through in-depth research and empower older adults to live their best life or a life without limits.”
Harnessing Technology to Build the Business
To meet the needs of aging Americans who wish to remain healthy, socially engaged and safe—often in their own homes—Medical Guardian packs various forms of industry-leading technology into each one of their tiny, life-saving devices. It’s through advanced technology that the company has been able to diversify their product line. Offering in-home, mobile, and wearable all-in-one products, Medical Guardian continues to maintain affordable price points without compromising their best-in-class, life-saving protection. Product innovation is a core value of Medical Guardian; one that’s rooted in the desire to continually stay strides ahead of the field—both in product offerings and competitive edge.
Medical Guardian’s technology expands past their medical alert devices with many of their products working in tandem with companion mobile apps. The creation of these mobile apps is designed specifically for the older adult’s customizable Care Circle—consisting of loved ones, friends, neighbors, doctors and caregivers—and it’s through these apps that their Care Circle will be able to monitor, check-in, and connect with their loved ones, without being intrusive to their day-to-day lifestyle. It’s with innovative technology that Medical Guardian can serve more than just the customer, but also the customer’s loved ones and care providers.
Proud to Be in Philadelphia
Medical Guardian is headquartered in Center City, Philadelphia. An integral part of the city’s booming startup ecosystem, the company’s explosive year-over-year growth has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America by both the Inc. 5000 and the Philly 100. Most recently, Medical Guardian was awarded the IoT Evolution Business Impact Award, recognizing the company’s forward-thinking technological approach to their products, and further solidifying their position as a leading provider of innovative medical alert systems across the country.
Medical Guardian shows no sign of slowing down in the coming years, especially as Baby Boomers continue to age into retirement on a large scale, with more than 10,000 of them turning 65 every day (Pew Research Center). To better serve the needs of this rapidly-growing and revolutionary demographic, Medical Guardian plans to further innovate and expand both their product line and in-house talent—which now consists of over 300 employees—to ensure that aging adults across the country can truly live a life without limits.
