There’s a common misconception that your brand is just your logo – but this is wrong. Your brand is much more than just your logo alone. Your logo is the visual component of your brand. But your brand is how you distinguish your business from your competitors and can sometimes be the single deciding factor in choosing your services or product over the other choices in the marketplace.
WHAT IS A BRAND?
A brand is based on the customer’s full experience of your business. Ideally your brand is the perception of what your customer believes is the true values of your business and links through to your vision and mission. It comes through at every stage of the customers’ journey – from the initial phone call through to the final interaction of service delivery. How you position and develop your brand will create a lasting impression in the minds of your customers. You want your customers to feel they have a connection to you and your services and products through your brand’s communication.
A strong brand will help you articulate your values and will help your potential customers in their choice of service providers. Creating a strong brand identity within the healthcare sector will build mind share – one of the strongest competitive advantages imaginable. This is how we gain brand power.
WHAT ARE SOME KEY ELEMENTS OF A BRAND:
Staff
Your staff are the first introduction your customer has to your service. They are one of the key components in creating a strong brand personality – whether good or bad!
Look at your staff and consider your customer’s experience – this will often be very different from your experience. Are they helpful, polite, attentive, well presented, professional?
HOT TIP: The use of mystery shops is generally the most effective way of getting a true picture of your customer’s real experience.
Service
How is the phone answered? How is your customer treated at reception? What information are they given? How are they given information? Is the service efficient?
HOT TIP: The use of surveys can help you to improve your service shortfalls.
Location
How does their first experience of your business look and feel? What is the décor like? How comfortable are the chairs? What impression does the entry, waiting area, clinical space create to the customer? Are you easy to find through appropriate signage?
On-line presence
Do you have an online presence? Does it include appropriate information and imagery? What is being posted about your business online?
WHAT PART DOES A LOGO PLAY?
A logo is the visual trademark that identifies a brand and should properly reflect your brand’s personality. When looking at your logo ask:
- What message does the logo communicate to your customer?
- Does it suggest premium, trust, safety, integrity, quality or something else?
- Does the logo properly reflect your brand’s personality?
Tagline
Does your logo have a tagline? This can be the most powerful element of a brand. It can succinctly articulate the core values and mission statement of your medical business.
Font
The style of font selected for your logo can convey anything from professional to whimsical. UPPERCASE, lower case, Mixed CASE, bold. Each has its own message ie UPPER CASE IS SAYING VERY LOUDLY TO PAY ATTENTION TO ME and BOLD EVEN MORE SO.
Colour
Colours are emotive and influence how customers view the “personality” of the brand. Colours signify different meanings, so it is important that you clearly identify what image you want customers to perceive and then ensure your colours are in alignment with it. Refer to the colour chart on the psychology of colours and the connection with brands.
WHAT NOW?
As we have established, your brand is more than a logo. It is everything about you and your core values that you want to communicate to your customers. CJU Medical Marketing brand consultants and designers will guide you on what your brand needs to say about you – our team are experts in communicating the essence of your brand across all elements of your business to set your customers expectations of what they will experience when engaging your services.
Call us and find out how we can help you build your own “brand power”.
by Natasha Chandra
