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November 2008 | Dental Lab Products
Marketing Strategies

Brand and deliver

Create or renew your brand to stand out in the crowd.

by Bill Neal

Your brand is your corporate identity, It is the most important element in marketing your business. A strong brand sways customers’ decision-making processes and creates a perception of value for the services you offer. However, as times change so do businesses, which creates the opportunity to move forward with a fresh new look in your marketing and branding strategy.

The “branding” process can be as complicated or as simple as you want to make it. Whether you are creating a brand from scratch or are renewing your existing brand, a “branding” process needs to be followed, with questions answered before initiation and issues addressed.

Get the message out

1. Develop a unique name and logo and consider applying for a “trademark.”

2. Write a press release. Many dental publications will print a press release about your company. Keep it brief and to the point.

3. Consider running an advertisement in dental publications. To maximize the ad’s impact, run it multiple times in color rather than in black and white.

4. Send a new product information piece to existing and potential customers featuring your new brand.

5. Include statement stuffers on your products when you mail end-of-the-month statements to existing customers, again featuring your new brand.

6. Make sure all phone personnel are informed about your new brand and can provide information about your company to dental offices.

What is a “brand”?

A brand is commonly referred to as a symbol or a mark that differentiates your business from your competition. Differentiation can be achieved through your company’s name, your logo, unique services, or a combination of these that builds a perception. Examples of strong brands include Nike, Coca-Cola, and Apple.

Most of you already have branded your company name and/or logo. However, does this brand truly reflect who you are and the perception you want to give your customers? Perhaps your corporate identity or brand is outdated or your business model has changed and your current brand needs updating to reflect current business activities. It is also possible that you are not leveraging your brand to its fullest potential.

Branding involves consistency at every point of public and customer contact. This includes your company name, logo, and business materials bearing your company name and logo, such as business cards, letterhead, and envelopes. In addition, subtle messages such as how the phone is answered, how your employees dress, and the condition of your packaging materials are all branding messages. It is critical that all of these convey your brand message consistently.

Brand development

A good first step in re-branding or branding your company identity is to perform an analysis of your business and assess your brand. You need to ask yourself these questions to identify:

Who are you as a business?
How do dentists perceive your laboratory?
What do your employees think about your company?
What is your mission statement?
What are your business goals and objectives?
What are your company strengths?
What are your company weaknesses?
What are your opportunities?
What are your threats?
What is the image you want for your company?

Once you have addressed these questions, you will have defined more about your brand and can begin to put these elements together and develop your brand. This can be accomplished in-house if you have the proper staff or by an outside agency with branding experience.

At a minimum, branding must address the following:
Company name
Logo and/or color scheme
Possible tag line
Business materials (business cards, letterhead,
align textenvelopes, labels, shipping and packaging materials)
All company literature (newsletters, statement
align textstuffers, invoices)
Web site development or re-design

After you have addressed these basic branding elements, develop a marketing campaign that will help you manage your brand and get the message out in your market. Whatever you have laid out for strategic actions in your marketing strategy, remember that an effective communications campaign covers multiple channels and does not rely on one method to produce results. Marketing materials, Web sites, direct mail, seminars, and other channels will provide you with results and growth, but only if you are consistent and persistent in your branding efforts.

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