Have you seen Amazon’s toy catalog? Yes, a physical catalog was mailed right to my door. Designed for smaller hands to examine, it includes full-color pages highlighting the soon-to-be best toys of the year. Entire Christmas lists will be created just from these pages. But why would Amazon, a thriving multinational, e-commerce company, not spend their advertising budget online where their customers are?
Amazon knows that although parents are the final decision-makers, they will ultimately still buy what their children want. So why not reach out directly to the source? It’s brilliant. If you’re like me, you know it’s actually nothing new. I remember doing the same thing to Sears catalogs when I was a kid. Amazon took a tip from the once successful department store advertising model, brought it to the here and now, and tailored it to its needs. It put something specifically designed for the real customer directly into his or her small, excited hands.
Your Marketing Team Should Start Taking Notes
Dental marketing and advertising should do the same—think unconventionally. Just because you’re an esteemed dentist or specialist doesn’t mean you have to follow the same rules as everyone else. You must consider unique tactics to reach a new demographic, or to even cut through the clutter of direct mail pieces and stand out on the pile for your bread-and-butter patients.
As Amazon did, thinking outside the box also means reconsidering what you may think is outdated. Online advertising like retargeting ads and social media marketing are important, but don’t think that picking up a spot in the phone book is no longer a smart choice as well. My grandmother still has hers on the top of her refrigerator and she’s an excellent candidate for All-on-4® dental implants…
Look Outside Your Comfort Zone
Being creative with your dental advertising doesn’t always mean reinventing the wheel, it could just mean doing something the competitors in your market aren’t. Consider putting your dental ad in seemingly unlikely places like your local baseball field or the dinner mat at your favorite diner. Your goal isn’t quality dental advertising, it’s quality advertising—that’s it. Look to other markets even if you think it’s too “flashy” for dentistry. If you’re selling high-end aesthetics, for example, put yourself in the shoes of someone advertising a luxury car. Aren’t both ultimately selling the same thing?
Connect. Make it Memorable.
One last thing, I’ve noticed that in the dental field there’s a lack of personality. Instead of focusing an advertising campaign around the fear of not seeing the dentist, consider using humor to send a similar message with a different tone. Set yourself apart by creating a connection. Don’t be afraid to stand apart from the norm, that’s what makes it more memorable.
David Ogilvy, known as the “Father of Advertising” said, “There isn’t any significant difference between the various brands of whiskey, or cigarettes, or beer. They are all about the same. And so are the cake mixes, and the detergents, and the margarines… The manufacturer who dedicates his advertising to building the most sharply defined personality for his brand will get the largest share of the market at the highest profit.”
Expand Your Dental Advertising Team
If you’re not sure how to use Amazon’s playbook to your advantage or if your dental advertising or marketing strategy needs a jolt of creativity, we can help. Call 973-809-5466 to find out how your dental practice can truly think outside the box.