By: Alex Valderrama, CEO and Brand Strategist at RUKA Dental Marketing
Over the years we have conducted hundreds of brand strategy workshops and we are often given the challenge to define the “Brand Promise” for Dental Practices. Strategically, arriving at the final brand promise statement takes a little time and patience, although implementing a strong brand promise will provide a better return on your marketing and sales investment.
There are many reasons you may want to revisit or create a brand promise for your brand at your dental practice. The most beneficial reason is to clearly define and communicate the primary reason you offer a service to your customers.
There are other reasons for defining a strong brand promise, such as a major repositioning in your marketplace, a more clear understanding of what you provide to your customers, and ultimately, the most important reason is to increase sales with a clear brand message.
How do you arrive at a strong brand promise for your Dental Practice brand?
Let’s take a close look at the process. First, you must have all of your products and services clearly defined and aligned with their respective benefits. Second, it is important to also define the brand’s overall mission and vision statements along with the position your brand will occupy in the market. And let’s not forget to include any market research necessary to understand your brand position in the market. Once you have articulated these statements and defined your position in the marketplace, you’re ready to tackle your true brand promise. These are not just words on paper; they are definitive statements which guide your overall marketing, communications, and brand strategy. Plus, a clearly defined brand promise will help rally your employees around a purpose they can clearly communicate in their everyday work to further the success of the company.
As consumers, we are generally told what to expect from a particular brand. Our expectations are formed based on a multitude of micro-moments in the form of advertising, promotions, emails, discussions, etc. The combination of these micro-moments are directly aligned with the brand promise. We all experience this with the brands we encounter.
Here is a quick example. Imagine reading an advertisement where a Dental Practice promotes their services as being the “cheapest/low cost” dentist in town. Now, on your first visit, you go through the motions of scheduling an appointment with them and then receiving an estimate to do your dental work. Then, after several days of consideration, you run across another add promoting the “cheapest” dental work from a different dental practice with free x-rays.
Remember, when you set your brand promise on a price point, you are merely creating a commodity for your services and will always get beat on “price”. A brand promise is all about setting expectations.
In conclusion, be careful how you articulate your brand promise and pay particular attention as to how your brand promise will help differentiate your Dental Practice brand from the competition. A well-defined brand promise is essential to your business growth and marketing success.
What’s your brand promise?