Building
Your Practice through Branding
By Annette Dunlap, MBA
We have Pilates students who have injuries, or a history of injuries, whom we
otherwise wouldn’t be able to reach with chiropractic,” says Eric
Nelson, D.C., co-owner with his wife, Kerri Nelson, D.C., of Nelson Chiropractic
and Pilates Center in Atco, N.J. “They see a class taught by a doctor,
and they have a chance to talk with a doctor, and they find out we can help
them with other issues.”
The Nelsons moved to New Jersey with plans to offer traditional chiropractic
services, but Dr. Kerri Nelson’s background as a dancer and a gymnast
opened the door for the couple to consider Pilates as a way to brand and market
their practice. “We are board certified in chiropractic rehabilitation,”
explains Eric Nelson, “and we stumbled onto Pilates through our rehab
work.” The Nelsons investigated Pilates training, and learned about the
Polestar method, which was a natural fit with their rehab orientation. Both
are certified Polestar instructors.
Space was available in the same building where their office is located, so the
combination of the two worked well. “It’s been just wonderful,”
says Eric, “because we get patients turned onto Pilates, and we get Pilates
students with issues who are turned onto chiropractic.”
Branding enables chiropractors to manage the public perception of their practice.
By finding a unique niche that sets a chiropractic office apart from other practices,
patients are better able to distinguish one practice from another. These distinctions
make it easier for a prospective patient to identify the right type of chiropractic
service from the start. When a prospective patient initially chooses the appropriate
type of chiropractic care, it is easier to achieve patient satisfaction and
improve outcomes.
Branding encourages loyalty, and strengthens the physician/patient relationship
with each successive encounter. That relationship fosters word of mouth referrals
that are essential to growing a practice.
The growth of Thomas Ayres’, D.C., practice, at Ayres Chiropractic and
Sports Injury Center, in Raleigh, North Carolina, is due in large part to word
of mouth referrals.
“North Carolina State University had an All-American track runner who
was transferring here from the University of Florida,” says Ayres. “He
asked down there where he could find a chiropractor to care for him in Raleigh.
My name was given to him because of my playing rugby in college.”
Once this door opened for him, Ayres began treating other collegiate runners.
Then, in the late 1990s, he received a call from Trevor Graham. “He told
me that he coached the top female athlete in the world. I’m ashamed to
say it, but I thought he was talking about Mia Hamm [the soccer player]. I had
never heard of Marion Jones before that.”
Ayres began treating Jones, and as a result of his success, Graham brought his
other runners to Ayres. As a result of working with what Ayres calls “unique
individuals,” he obtained his CCSP, earning an advanced certification
in chiropractic sports medicine.
Ayres is chiropractor to some of the top athletes in the world, including Olympic
medalists Justin Gatlin, Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery. However, other than
photographs inside his office, Ayres maintains a low-key approach toward promoting
the sports aspect of his practice. “Marketers may not agree with me,”
says Ayres, “but I don’t push my patient base in my Yellow Pages
ads or in my external marketing.”
Timothy Stark, D.C., founder of the Family Health and Sports Chiropractic Clinic,
in Fargo, N.D., found that word of mouth referrals also boosted his practice.
“When I opened my practice in 1998, I had every intention of providing
preventative, interventive and post-injury sports care to our neighborhood of
17,000,” he says.
However, Stark discovered that sports medicine was protected turf in his community.
He conscientiously communicated that he was genuinely interested in the well-being
of each student athlete, often spending up to 20 or 30 minutes treating each
one. “That attitude of sincere caring that the athlete returns to his
or her sport as fast and as safe as possible benefited the successful growth
of our office,” he says. “Athletes and parents have a very high
appreciation for your services and the word spreads like wildfire.”
Promoting the brand is essential, and is often dictated by a practice’s
competitive environment. The Nelsons’ practice, in Atco, near Cherry Hill,
N.J., draws predominantly from the small communities in the area. They are the
only Pilates studio for miles around, and so they currently have no direct competition.
In their market environment, the Nelsons’ success with Pilates makes it
more expensive for a direct competitor to establish a foothold in the same market
area. In marketing chiropractic services, market strength belongs to the market
leader. The market leader is generally the practice that has established its
identity and services first. Patients traditionally remain loyal to a well-established
brand, and will talk up their positive experiences to friends and neighbors.
Ayres is one of many sports medicine physicians in a highly competitive market
that includes the University of North Carolina and Duke University medical schools
and teaching hospitals. Nevertheless, his focus on training primarily runners,
and his demonstrated expertise, have established a brand identity and a niche
that continues to grow his practice.
Ayres also utilizes public service marketing. He talks with students at elementary
and middle schools about elite athletes and sports. Part of Ayres’ agreement
with his high-profile sports patients is that they will speak to school groups
and do a “mom and pop show” about staying in school and the importance
of athletics.
Stark, in a market jealously protected by competitors, also found public outreach
an excellent form of marketing. “Another element that built our practice
was the sincere interest in the athletes’ performances,” he says.
Stark attended his athletes’ dance competitions and football games, and
coached volleyball. “I found tremendous enjoyment going to an event and
watching “my” athlete perform at his/her best and sitting beside
the proud and appreciative parent.”
Both Nelson and Ayres use branding to attract the most desirable patients. “The
Pilates studio helps us attract the type of patient we want to have for our
patient base,” explains Nelson. “This is the patient who is primarily
interested in wellness, and who is willing to take charge of their health care.”
Ayres’ sports practice is focused on runners. “There is an old saying:
people go where people go, because people go where people go. That’s basically
how I became the track and field guy.”
The practices’ brands are consistent at every communications level. Brand
identity can be seen in the practices’ names and or tag lines (the secondary
line, or slogan, below the official practice name). Logo design, brochures,
website, stationery and business cards consistently communicate the brand image.
For every branded practice, voice mail or message-on-hold services should clearly
identify the brand.
The Nelsons, Ayres and Stark have discovered the secret to success in today’s
highly competitive health care marketplace. Branding is essential for practice
success. In addition to establishing a practice’s unique identity, branding
builds patient loyalty, reduces vulnerability to competitors and lowers the
cost of getting new patients.
Annette Dunlap holds an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis, and
has consulted with health care practices for over 10 years. She typically works
with small practices in various specialties, including podiatry, physical therapy
and chiropractic. Annette is based in central North Carolina. She can be reached
via e-mail at adunlap_consulting@yahoo.com.
Provide your feedback on this
article.
© Copyright 2005 Today's Chiropractic