Branding 101 – More than a Logo
Reading Time: 4 minutesWhat is a brand? Why does my veterinary specialty practice need one? And how do I create a brand or refresh the one we already have?
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just hang a “We’re Open” sign in the window and clients would just show up, know what you do, and how great you are? Unfortunately, business doesn’t work that way. The practical reality is in today’s competitive environment, branding your veterinary specialty practice is critical for survival whether you are a solo practitioner or a multi-specialty/multi-location entity. Practices that remain blind to the inaccurate assumption that having a brand means you need to have a massive budget and a marketing department, miss out on tremendous opportunities to succeed at the highest level.
But what exactly does “branding” mean? How does it affect a practice like yours? And what are the most important things you should consider as you build and manage your brand?
A brand is a psychological, emotional relationship between your practice and your clients. Simply put, your brand is your promise. It’s your purpose for being in business. It’s the why you are doing this and what you stand for. It tells clients what they can expect from your services – what they will experience during a visit – and it differentiates your practice from that of your competitors. It gives clients a clear choice. And, it is an expectation of consistency in service from start to finish each time someone does business with you.
Think about it. You know from well-known brands what to expect when you do business with them: McDonald’s, Target, Nordstrom, Mercedes, Honda, Apple, etc. They have all created very unique brands with a very specific promise of what to expect every time you use their service or buy their products.
The same concept applies to your practice. You are providing an experience to a pet owner and/or referring DVM. What would you like that to be? Are you the low-price leader; the compassionate, service-oriented specialist; the expert in a particular technique, etc.? What is YOUR promise? What can a client count on to experience at your practice every time he or she does business with you that is truly unique? What feeling do you want a client to have when they interact with you? And does everyone on your team understand and communicate this in the same way?
A strong brand can give you the competitive edge you need. It can:
- Position you strategically in the marketplace
- Provide the core tenet for marketing and outreach initiatives
- Unite the team around a common vision
- Build trust and create greater customer loyalty
- Allow you to attract the resources you need, such as talent and capital
- Be instrumental in developing strategic partnerships
- Act as a powerful tool for guiding internal decision making
- Make you less sensitive to competitive pricing and services
Keeping this in mind, it becomes easy to see that a strong brand is a powerful tool for all businesses – large or small, new or established.
Here are a few things to get your thinking started if you are considering creating, refreshing, or re-evaluating your brand:
- Know your audiences and what they want: Strong brands build meaningful relationships with their customers. To do this, you must know your audiences. What are their needs, desires, and problems so you can offer them authentic solutions?
- Know your competition: Do you have a good sense of what you’re up against? What does your practice do better than that of any of your competitors? What is your competition doing that you are not, and why is someone choosing them over your practice?
- Know your business and what you stand for: How do you create a brand that is compelling to your desired audience(s)? The answer to that lies in discovering and articulating your brand values – that is, the passion and purpose behind your company. What inspired you to create the business? What value do you offer your customers? What niche do you fill in the marketplace? What do you promise?
- Be willing to invest in professional marketing and design: You are experts at what you do and there are branding, marketing, and design specialists who excel at what they do. Together, you can make a powerful impact on your bottom line and your position in the marketplace. Don’t hesitate to partner with other professionals to bring your brand to life operationally, visually, and strategically.
- Have a clear understanding of what it is like to be a client at your practice: From the way your practice looks to the way the phone is answered, to uniforms and the appearance of your team, to the way a patient, pet owner, or referring DVM is taken care of from the beginning to the end of treatment… Do you know what that experience is like? Are you impressed? Does it reflect your brand promise? Remember, this experience is the core of brand building.
The path to building a brand begins with a Positioning Statement. This is also known as the Unique Selling Proposition (USP) or Unique Value Proposition (UVP). Simply, this is the one thing that your practice or facility stands for that no one else in your marketplace can claim – factually, not by supposition. In other words, what is the one thing you want pet parents or rDVMs to know you will offer that no other practice in your area can? What do you want to be known for? And most importantly, everyone within your organization must know and be able to succinctly articulate your USP/UVP.
Think of your brand as a living thing and tend to it regularly or others will tend to it for you. As your practice grows and the marketplace evolves, make sure to check in on it regularly to analyze its relevance, and then if necessary, adjust accordingly.
If you would like to learn more or refine or develop a new brand for your organization, please contact us at 949-756-8071 or linda@blueprintsvmg.com