Bold brands reap rewards – Martin Oates

  Posted by: Dental Design      6th July 2018

It is just as important to establish a distinct brand image in dentistry, as it is in any other profession. However, it is more than just a logo that identifies your practice, the products you sell or the services you offer. Today, it is an accumulation of beliefs and views that patients develop about your company, based on every interaction they have with your business over a period of time. Many entrepreneurs and small business owners fail to appreciate the significance of an effective brand image, associating it with unnecessary fluff and expense that add no value to their products or services. The reality, however, is that it matters a lot more than they realise.

Dentists know that their success begins with good first impressions. Patients will make their own judgements of a business and its brand based on a variety of factors, such as they way your team are dressed, your website, the furniture you choose for your waiting room or the cleanliness of your practice. Some might seem superficial, but these small details are a patient’s first encounter with your practice. Brand image is essentially a mirror through which your company’s key values are reflected.

Business cards, for instance, are not a novel idea but how you produce them can do wonders for leaving a good impression – defining your visual identity, including the name, logo and brand statement of your practice, is key to inspiring confidence in patients. Invest in a professional designer to create and develop a logo that suits your desired style and budget. Building a website is equally important, as it is an effective way of establishing an online presence and connecting with potential patients. These upgrades can make a true difference in the appearance of your business, and demonstrate to patients that you take what you do seriously.

Having a memorable, iconic brand will help increase the practice’s level of recognition among both existing and potential patients.[i]Therefore, it is essential to maintain a consistent style across all media channels by creating a set of guidelines containing detailed information on the colour palette, fonts, and tone of voice to be used in your branding, along with other elements such as how your brand should appear on staff uniforms, marketing literature and advertising materials.

Colour is an important aspect of professional and eye-catching branding as well. If your practice logo is blue, for instance, it might be worth investing in furniture or staff uniforms that are blue so that you remain stylistically consistent as a brand. With the colourful Vibrenté range of dental consumables from Dental Express (a trading division of Surgery Express LLP), you can choose from items such as gloves, cups, bibs and much more, to make it even easier for you to reinforce your brand throughout the practice. 

It does take time to build a distinguishable brand image. Nevertheless, patients will notice when you have made the effort and investment to establish a unique identity for your practice – and you will be sure to reap the rewards.  

For more information, visit www.dental-express.co.uk, call on 0800 707 6212 or email at sales@dental-express.co.uk

[i]Cooper, N. (2013) How to be smarter about dental management. Link: http://www.dentalproductsreport.com/dental/article/how-be-smarter-about-dental-brand-management. [Last accessed: 08.12.2017].

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