Branding and marketing for dentists has been seen as something of a struggle. This is because the assumption has always been that people associate visiting the dentist with something they ought or need to do, but do not enjoy doing.
Brand-building is an essential part of this profile-raising, and the physical equipment a practice fits itself out with can play a crucial part in this.
What is a Brand?
The most basic definition of a brand is that it is a particular product made by a particular company under a specific name.
However, it extends far beyond this. If you think of a well-known brand such as Virgin, for example, then it covers a whole range of services, from transport to banking, but more than this, it represents a certain common approach to doing all these things.
Now, if you think of a dental practice, it will provide a range of services, and a physical space where people will experience them.
The challenge for dentists is to create a recognisable brand within these parameters, so that they are not just another dental practice.
What Makes a Dental Brand Unique?
For dentists, two key things drive how their patients perceive them: experience and outcome.
Experience is essential, regardless of what people are willing spend on dental treatment. How people find their visit, from their surroundings, the staff and the actual treatment, are all critical.
Much of the most effective marketing any dental practice will have at its disposal comes from word of mouth.
People recommend dentists to others, especially if it is in response to seeing the cosmetic treatment they have had.
Which then leads on to the outcome.
This is vital. No one wants to commit to advanced cosmetic dental treatment unless they feel they will see a clear difference at the end of it.
Building a brand is about building trust with your target audience. It extends far beyond having a logo or a unified look to your dental practice.
When it comes to the two critical factors of patient experience and treatment outcome, having the right dental equipment can make a huge difference in building this trust.
How Dental Equipment Markets Dentists
The dental chair is central to the patient experience, as it is to how the dentist carries out treatments.
Therefore, the more advanced the chair, and the more comfortable and efficient it makes the treatment, the more it will have an impact on how the patient perceives their experience.
Another crucial aspect of modern cosmetic dentistry is digital imaging. While this is not as comfort-critical for patients, what it does do is enable the dentist to visualise outcomes for them.
In other words, it can help them market the treatment by showing its benefits, specific to the individual, before they actually experience it.
Advanced dental equipment is integral to modern dentistry, and to how dental practices build their brand image and market themselves.
Without it, they cannot deliver on what their brand promises customers.
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