The Agency Built Only for Behavioral Health
Brand North is not a generalist agency that also serves behavioral health, and not a private-equity-backed platform managing accounts across unrelated verticals. Behavioral health and specialty healthcare are the only work we do.
Everything on this page, our story, our team, and what we stand for, exists because of that one decision, made early and held to since.
Our story
Our Story: Why We Chose One Category
Brand North didn't start as a behavioral health specialist. It became one on purpose, by choosing to serve one category completely instead of many categories partially.
A generalist agency can buy media competently in almost any category. What it can't do is model insurance verification and single case agreements as funnel stages, interview clinical staff for accurate content, or build attribution around a patient journey it's never had to understand. Narrowing to one category was the only way to go deep enough to matter.
The founder
Meet George Kocher, Founder and CEO
George Kocher founded Brand North after running admissions and business development at treatment organizations himself, first at Sunspire Health, then at Lakeview Health. That operator background is why Brand North measures marketing the way an admissions office needs it measured, not the way a generalist agency assumes it should be.
The team
The Brand North Team
Every person on your team works in behavioral healthcare every day. One day-to-day contact, named specialists on every discipline, and the founder in the room for strategy, instead of a rotating cast of coordinators.
Joe Merhi leads client engagement and architected the attribution builds clients run on. Michael Rabin runs paid search exclusively for this category. Holly Starks leads SEO and AEO strategy. Andrew Sterling Ansley owns development and technical migrations. Emily Call keeps delivery on schedule as VP of Operations. Marty Marion leads brand and market strategy, drawing on a Madison Avenue background advising Fortune 100 brands.
Michael RabinPaid Ads DirectorPaid search, bidding from admission data- HSHolly StarksHead of SEOTechnical and content SEO, and AEO
- AAAndrew Sterling AnsleyHead of Development and AISite rebuilds, migrations, and multi-brand consolidation
Emily CallVP of OperationsDelivery on schedule; quarterly reviews with leadership- MMMarty MarionBrand and Market StrategistPositioning and competitive market strategy
- George KocherIn the room for strategy on every account; joins quarterly reviews
- JMJoe MerhiYour single day-to-day contact; architected the attribution builds
- Michael RabinPaid search, bidding from admission data
- HSHolly StarksTechnical and content SEO, and AEO
- AAAndrew Sterling AnsleySite rebuilds, migrations, and multi-brand consolidation
- Emily CallDelivery on schedule; quarterly reviews with leadership
- MMMarty MarionPositioning and competitive market strategy
Values
What We Stand For
Category Discipline
We don't dilute the claim by working outside behavioral health and specialty healthcare. Depth in one category beats breadth across many, every time it's been tested.
Financial Transparency
We're fanatic stewards of client budgets. Waste gets identified and removed before spend ever scales up, not after.
Senior Specialists, Not a Rotating Pod
Every person on an account works in this category every day, with the founder in the room for strategy, instead of coordinators rotating in and out over the life of an engagement.
Our promise
Our Promise to Facility Owners
We won't tell you a number is working if we can't show you why. That's not a slogan, it's the Attribution Confidence Guarantee, and it's backed by a real remedy if we fall short.
Giving back
This Is More Than a Business for Us
Every year, Brand North builds two fully optimized websites for non-profit organizations, one way we give back to our community and help spread awareness that real help is available, and that there are solutions for those in need.
We serve on the board of Alumni In Recovery, and co-host the Daniel Mulroy Jr. invitational, which raises money for scholarships, housing, and recovery-focused 501(c)(3)s. This work runs alongside client engagements year-round, not as a once-a-year gesture.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Brand North only work with behavioral health facilities?
Because depth in one category is what makes the attribution model, the compliance discipline, and the clinical content work. Spreading across unrelated verticals would mean less depth everywhere, including in behavioral health.
Who will we work with day to day?
One named engagement lead, with specialists on each discipline behind them. You're not routed through a rotating account pod or a junior coordinator.
What if we want to speak with George directly?
George is personally involved in strategy on every account, and joins quarterly reviews alongside your engagement lead.
How do I learn more about the team's specific experience?
Each team member has their own page with their role and background. Start with the full team roster and click through to whoever's discipline you're most interested in.
Get to Know Us
Ask us any questions you have, ask for case studies and references, or ask for a free, no-obligation evaluation of your facility's marketing opportunities and challenges.