DentaltownUK August 2017 - 24

Now an integral part of any marketing campaign,
the branding of a business needs to meet criteria across
all platforms, all devices and with an online presence
that reflects and amplifies the patient experience of any
good dental practice.
While the impact of good branding might be
impossible to measure in itself, the reality is that more
than ever, consumers are turning to their smartphones
for research and purchasing-and that includes dentistry.
This means a big step-change for those yet to dip their
foot into the world of mobile digital branding.
Smartphones offer infinite possibilities for potential
patient engagement; a recent survey revealed that one in
five consumers 'cannot live without their mobile phone'.
Branding is not just about the logo you choose and
the colour scheme of your signage and website. Branding
should be an extension of you and your business, and
should capture the essence of your practice ethos. Does
what the patient see, hear and experience from the moment
they walk through the door support and encapsulate
your branding, online or otherwise?
To reiterate: You need to speak to your audience in
a consistent and constant voice-whether that's in your
social media activity or in the way the reception team
answers the phone or greets people at the door.
Here are three areas to consider:

Identity
Let's begin with the area most of us consider when
discussing branding. It's worth investing in a design team
that's au fait with dentistry to help create your ideas and
commit them to paper. Consider several options and do
the litmus test with friends and family. The colours, the
fonts and the design of a website speak volumes about
a business. Who is your audience? To whom are you
trying to appeal? What language are you using? Are
you based in a city or a village environment? What is
the local demographic? It's no good appealing to young
mums with friendly fonts and blogs about teething and
preschool dental care if your practice is based in the heart

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dental marketing now!
For more information about revamping
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AUGUST 2017 // dentaltownuk.com

of the city with young professionals as potential patients.
This practice demands totally different aesthetics and
language in order to appeal. Take a look at your closest
competitor -how do you measure up?

Freshness and consistency
Is your branding the same on all platforms? Dental
professionals are busy people, and marketing can often
fall by the wayside, with neglected social media accounts
and a website that hasn't been updated since it was created. Carry out an audit of your website. Does it need a
new look and improved functionality? Is the branding
consistent with your business environment?
Does your team understand what your branding
is trying to convey? It's all very well increasing footfall
with a great website and social media activity, but are
your messages conveyed in person? Demonstrating an
online commitment to oral health education is great,
but ensure your entire team understands that this is a
key part of the business ethos. Their behaviour needs
to reflect this.

Price
All businesses aim to offer a quality service. But the
truth is, there are different perspectives on dental care
and patients like to have a choice. For example, are you
a practice that offers high-end orthodontics, or a GDP
that offers more budget systems? Are you a 'dental spa',
with perhaps additional aesthetic treatments, or more
of a general family practice? Again, your practice ethos
should be reflected in your branding and vice versa.
Brand recognition is an accepted part of modern
life. One study reveals that even preschoolers recognise
'child-oriented' brands such as Disney and Pepsi. The
golden arches of McDonald's are now said to be more
recognisable around the globe than the Christian cross.
Brand interaction includes a potential patient visiting
your branded website, another downloading your branded
app or opting into your branded SMS texts, and another,
ultimately, presenting in your chair.
Keep the (branded) flag flying and the conversation
going-keep messages constant and support your
brand with a high standard of care and exemplary team
behaviour, and support it in your products and service
as well as online so that one reflects the others always
and in all ways. ■

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DentaltownUK August 2017