In a world of endless choices it’s no wonder your potential patients and customers are confused. Being bombarded with non-stop stimuli and sensory input. Like a fog of baking flour blown off the kitchen counter they have a difficult time seeing what you are trying to convey.

In the past creating a cool logo, a sign and business cards to match was almost enough. Branding was something many thought they could accomplish in a few hours with a graphic designer. Little thought was given to exactly who the audience was and what their needs were.

Marketing and branding have a long history of game changing small businesses and even entire industries. Take the avocado, for example. In the early 1900’s it was called “alligator fruit”. Not a very tasty and inspiring name. With a simple name change to “avocado” and some targeted marketing the industry began to flourish.

Californians seized on the opportunity and began marketing this tasteless, fatty fruit as an exotic luxury item found in kitchens of sophisticated chefs. Doctors raved about its “good fats” and other healthy properties. It worked! Today, the industry is worth over $2.5 billion per year with over 11 million pounds sold.

The Pet Rock is another example of branding and marketing working well together. Let’s face it, when you can take a simple stone off the ground, clean it up and with some branding sell it, you are on to something!

It is hard to know where to spend your money when it comes to branding and marketing. It is kind of like the transmission in the car you drove today. You know it works but you don’t know how. It’s not rocket science, it is a simple set of gears that once understood, you could have an intelligent conversation with that mechanic who wants to charge you $2000 to fix it, ouch!

Marketing and branding are a powerful duo when you understand your audience and your unique selling proposition (USP). What problems do your customers face that you can solve? What makes you better than the other choices they have for care? What language do they speak? How do they see the world?

All too often, those in the health field alienate their potential audience because they speak in what I call “shop talk” and focus on things that are important to the staff. If you don’t believe me, think of a time when you were immersed in a conversation with others who began using words and phrases you did not understand. How did that make you feel? Think Charlie Brown’s teacher….All too often I see many in public health that suffer from a disease that I call “terminal professionalism”. Like Mr. Spock, they are as dry as the desert in their approach and it shows in their lack of branding and marketing.

When it comes to making a choice, who do you think they are going to want to work with? Mr. Spock who they don’t understand which makes them uncomfortable or someone who speaks in a language they understand? Someone who gets it, who’s marketing, branding, waiting room and staff all have the magic ability to turn alligator fruit into an avocado, which is green (like money)!

Once you have developed your branding and USP, the next step is to use every single tool you have available. In other words, use all of your resources to amplify your message. I call this I.M.C. (integrated marketing communications). This is when every employee, every tool, each touch point for your patients and customers is part of a symphony playing in perfect harmony.

To make this happen you are going to have to make a commitment to take the time to learn how to do this or hire someone to do it for you. Either way there will be an investment.   Which one is faster? Just ask the avocado growers!