By dental Marketer, Lucy McCarthy
Branding is not just deciding a colour scheme, it is also your practice values and personality. You may not have considered the impact your brand has on attracting new patients and reassuring your existing patients.
Would you describe yourself as brand conscious? Think about it, are you a creature of habit with something like your regular tea or coffee? Do you always buy the same brand, regardless of the ‘offers’, because you believe it tastes better?
I personally can’t bear the thought of using a tube of toothpaste without some kind of dental backing, or a skincare product without the science and usually a reassuringly high price tag to encourage me to think that it’s worth it.
Brands are there to provide us with instant reassurance, identification and status. I use certain cosmetics, I wear certain clothes and I buy certain branded food and drink to portray a semi-conscious message to my friends and family – I like to think when I pour them a cup of Twining’s English Breakfast tea they’ll think I’m doing very well for myself.
Branding: the basics
Your brand needs to do 3 things:
- Attract your target market: As much as you need to like the brand you choose, you also need to consider the impact it will have on your target market. It is worth noting that your target market might have evolved since you opened your practice or your brand might be tired and has been overtaken within the marketplace, subsequently not attracting the same demographic. It is vital that you decide who your target demographic are before deciding on the other elements of your brand.
- Fit with the products and services your are providing: It sounds obvious, but you should decide what you are good at and what area you would like to promote. Is it that you offer dental hygiene appointments seven days a week or are you the only practice to offer implants in your area? You need to have a clear proposition about what you are promoting in order to perfect your brand.
- Visually represent your organisation: You need to have a suitable visualizer that encompasses your personality, proposition and the audience you are trying to target. It is worth noting that your brand will need to be reviewed regularly and not just set in stone on day one.
What does your brand say about you?
Going to a dentist is a choice, although sometimes it is necessary, your patients choose to arrive at your practice.
What attracted them? Was it your bespoke toothy logo on your website? Was it the wonderful practice manager who invited the patient for a free consultation? Good branding doesn’t just mean your visual identity but it also considers the behaviour or brand personality.
It is vital that there is a clear, consistent message with all aspects of your brand. There is no point having an expensive website if nobody answers the phone. You may need to consider which aspect of your brand needs improvement and what you think works well.
Is everyone on the same page?
Don’t underestimate the little things that make up your brand; the uniforms, the letterheads and the colours of your chairs – being consistent is the key. But branding is about more than just a colour scheme and font styles, it’s about how you communicate with your patients. Keep in mind the tone of voice that your brand requires, if you are a dental practice; you may wish to use a friendly yet professional tone as part of your brand – a good exercise is to pick a few brands and look at the different language they use when communicating on different social media platforms, their website and in their products: Take a look at Innocent Smoothies as a good example.
Your brand is the core values and personality you promote. Ask yourself; is it important to each and every staff member that every patient, has the same high-quality experience? Think about what you are really good at doing and what you are not so good at, this will assist you in deciding what your proposition is and what you need to improve.
How we can help
We can help you develop your brand and make sure it is communicating your core values and strengths to your demographic of prospective and current patients. We help create brand guidelines for your practice, that are in keeping with the practices personality, to ensure consistency throughout all of your marketing activity. We also guide you in keeping your brand’s tone of voice consistent when delivering your message, in whichever format you’re showcasing your brand.
Having a clear message and keeping all elements of your brand consistent, allows you to stand out from your competitors and really focus your intentions on what really matters – providing the best possible environment and care for your patients.
Call us on 01872 300232 or email us at hello@hivebusiness.co.uk.
