Branding and your Acupuncture Practice

One hundred years ago – branding was a term used to describe the act of scarring livestock to denote ownership.  A rancher would sear hot metal into an animal’s flank as an undeniable “proof” of ownership of said animal.

Today – branding has taken on a new meaning and has become a “buzz word” in the world of marketing.   However, over the years the buzz word has “lost” some of it’s original meaning – diluting it in the process.  Today, you’ll hear the term bandied about by pseudo marketing professionals who don’t understand the origin of the term or WHY the word “branding”  came to be part of the marketing vernacular.

The original users of the term “branding” knew exactly the process they were trying to describe.  Many “modern” marketing professionals  want you to believe that “branding” is something you can purchase.  For these people, branding is little more than choosing  the right colors  and combining them with a compelling image.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

True “branding” is not something you can choose to apply to your company, rather branding is an expression of your acupunture practice’s DNA.  While the unsuspecting calf had no control over the “brand” which was seared into its flank – you do have an element of control but make no mistake – it’s not YOU that is doing the branding.

Your PATIENTS are the ones who are in “control” of branding your acupuncture practice!

Of course, there’s a message you want to deliver to prospective patients and you will use visual elements such as a logo or your business card to convey that message. Sometimes known as “branding” – the visual elements you choose to represent your new business are an important part of determining your future success. Part of the “brand” development process is to create visual elements – such as a logo – which help to carry your marketing message.

Every detail plays a role in how well the “brand” communicates  the “who, what and why” of your practice. Seemingly inconsequential elements such as the choice of colors and the style of font  used play pivotal roles in the overall message your “branding elements” communicate.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that those visual elements merely “set the stage” for the performance that is your “brand”.

Your branding goes much deeper than just the logo you’ve chosen to represent your practice.

Your visual branding elements are merely the introduction to your practice.  How you run your practice plays a HUGE role in the actual development of your brand.

That teenager you’ve hired to answer the phone after school – he or she is helping to build your brand.

The decor of your treatment rooms and waiting area – that also plays a role in developing your “brand”.

Basically – every contact your patient has with your practice is yet another building block in the development of your “brand”.

Keeping your ideal “target” patient in mind is the first step in staging your “brand”.  See, when you focus upon the patient experience – you are – in essence – building your practice’s brand.

For example, if your practice is targeting families with young children – then that focus needs to come through in everything you do.  In this case, the “brand” you’re building is “family oriented natural health”.

You can communicate this brand in multiple ways – from the choice of color and font in your logo to having toys in the waiting area.  One practioner has young patients add their handprints to the walls of the waiting area.

With this kind of “target audience” in mind – the elements of the practice’s “brand” fall easily into place.   By engaging in this “all out” branding campaign – the acupuncturist establishes a place in the community.

Not only does it help the practioner in spreading the word- it also helps the patients to spread the word  via word of mouth marketing messages as well.  Word of mouth marketing is so essential to the success (and even survival) of any acupuncture practice – and tightly targeting your audience is a key element in creating this kind of “buzz”.

The visual elements such as a logo that you choose to represent what it is you do can serve as an introductory piece so to speak.

Successful restaurants do this kind of “staging” or “branding” very well.  If you enter a restaurant and see linen napkins, fine china and silver ware at the table settings – you know you’re in for a “fine dining” experience.  On the other hand, plastic sporks and paper napkins which spill out of the dispenser by the gross are a sign that you’re probably in for a “family style” dining experience.

Next, I’ll cover the importance of the colors you choose for your logo  as well as the importance of other elements such as the typeface you use.  However, remember – creating a logo for your practice is MUCH easier if you keep your patients in mind from the start.  After all – your patients are the ones who will be doing the branding of your acupuncture practice.