Double Forte

Public Relations

Lionrock — NORD

By Monica Rolbiecki-Severson

Defining the online recovery category

We made Lionrock a defining voice in online recovery, creating National Online Recovery Day, establishing the company as a go-to media authority and supporting a doubling of treatment clients year over year.

2x

treatment clients YoY

NORD

National Online Recovery Day created

Go-to

media authority for online recovery

Challenge

Lionrock pioneered online substance use disorder treatment, creating a more accessible path to recovery in a category still burdened by stigma. But changing how treatment was delivered meant changing perceptions on two fronts: breaking down the stigma surrounding SUD treatment while proving that effective recovery could happen online.

The challenge was to change the conversation around SUD, establish online recovery as a credible and effective treatment option, and position Lionrock as the authority leading this new category for individuals, employers and HR leaders.

Approach

CREATED A NATIONAL PLATFORM TO CHANGE THE CONVERSATION. Double Forte created National Online Recovery Day, a registered national awareness day during Recovery Month that gave Lionrock an ownable platform to challenge perceptions around SUD treatment, build understanding of online recovery and lead a national conversation around a new approach to care. From 2020 through 2023, the platform focused attention to both the category and Lionrock’s leadership within it.

TURNED LIONROCK’S PIONEERING EXPERTISE INTO MEDIA AUTHORITY. We used Lionrock’s data and expert commentary to develop national, regional, demographic and business stories demonstrating the need for and efficacy of telehealth SUD treatment. This moved the conversation beyond whether online recovery could work and gave the media credible evidence and experts to explain why it mattered.

BROUGHT SUD OUT OF THE SHADOWS IN THE WORKPLACE. We expanded the conversation to executive and HR audiences, educating business leaders about the impact of SUD in the workplace and positioning online treatment as an accessible solution to a significant gap in employee mental health benefits.

BUILT AUTHORITY THAT COMPOUNDED OVER TIME. National Online Recovery Day, earned media, podcasts, data-driven storytelling and expert commentary worked together to create sustained visibility for Lionrock while building credibility for online recovery itself. The strategy also supported Lionrock’s goal of strengthening organic visibility and reducing reliance on increasingly expensive paid search.

Results

Lionrock became a go-to media and podcast resource for online substance use disorder commentary and was recognized alongside leading providers including Hazelden Betty Ford, Pelago, BetterHelp and Talkspace.

National Online Recovery Day gave Lionrock an ownable national platform that drove widespread awareness of online recovery and the company for four consecutive years.

Most importantly, Lionrock doubled treatment clients year over year from 2021 through 2023, connecting increased category authority and visibility with meaningful business growth.

Double Forte positioned a pioneer in online SUD treatment as a defining voice in the category, changing the conversation around how and where recovery can happen.