Soon I leave for a week of teaching in Darwin, Australia. I am looking forward to the response of the hospital owners there. Judging from their websites (those who have a website), I can see that they struggle with message as much as veterinarians here. It seems to be almost impossible for veterinarians to avoid certain defaults: "quality", "friendly", "treat your pet as family". A popular word in Australia is "professional"––like, you have to tell us, Doctor, that you are a professional? And that you are friendly and do good work? Really?
The last generation of branding was product benefit based and very simple at its best: Volvo=safety, Crest=cavities, Prego=thick, Obama=change. As branding shifted from product benefit to client lifestyle, so did the branding messages: Nike=just do it, Oprah=go for it, Martha Stewart=be true to your nature. While lifestyle marketing is still king, the tide seems to be shifting to experience marketing, where the marketing itself is part of the experience and directs the client to new experiences: iPhone=experience the difference.
For my lectures in Australia, I spent considerable time learning about the language, slang and Aussie lifestyle so I could speak to them in a meaningful way. Information that has no meaning is mental garbage. Client communication that has no meaning to the client, is garbage. It may have meaning for you the doctor, but it must have meaning for the client.
In the spirit of Nike or Oprah, for instance, "Yes you can!" has meaning for the client. It is an encouragement and an affirmation. It makes her feel good. Now that is meaning at the deepest level! It touches on the experience of living itself.
As you reach out to communicate with clients and potential clients, reach out and touch her, her life, her emotions, her hopes and aspirations, her needs, her fears etc.
Harder to do that mouthing meaningless phrases about yourself like quality, friendly and family. Harder, yes, but not impossible: just do it! Go for it! Yes you can! Or, as they say down under, 'Av a go, mate!
This is a most difficult proposition. It is very cutting edge in marketing. I am not even sure if there is a long list of large, well known corporations that have been sucessful with this idea. How do small businesses, such as veterinary practices do this successfully on a budget of a few hundred, not millions, of dollars?
ReplyDeleteI have spoken with Donald about creating experiences for clients such as Friday wine and cheese (the state will not allow us to serve alcohol without an alcohol license) and a dog walking group.
With the walking group I need help with 1) making it happen and 2) keeping our practice seen as the sponsor. Our clinic is located in a central downtown area, not exactly where one would want to walk dogs. How do we coordinate walks at parks where dogs are allowed? Is this a paid staff position to walk with the group?
How do I make our website the center for information for the walking group?
Jeff,
ReplyDeleteYou brand the walking group with your hospital: the Pet Medical Center Walk For Health club and you use the upstairs meeting room for organizational meetings and chat sessions with the club.
Making it happen: use your electronic email and in-lobby literature to solicit interest and start with a small core group. Every examination of an obese dog could use a recommendation from the doctor to join the club.
Good luck.
Donald