The long history of brands

What exactly is a brand? Many people of my generation immediately think of the mark that was placed on cattle to identify the ranch they belonged to. Some of you from a younger generation may be savvy to the marketing efforts of larger corporations who spend millions on promoting their brand of soft drink or cereal or automobile.

Some archaeologists and anthropologists postulate that product brands have been around for over 5000 years. Ancient bottle stoppers that reveal personalized designs pressed into the stone seals have been unearthed. These stoppers were used for sealing bottles of wine and oils that were purchased from increasingly distant and therefore unfamiliar communities. The seals were probably used to show the bottles’ origins and therefore attest to their quality. So by looking at the seal, ancient consumers could know whether to trust that particular bottle. In that context, the seals were considered a brand because they uniquely identified a product and created an impression in the minds of those who considered purchasing the bottled goods.

Most of us are familiar with at least 1 “jingle” from television or radio commercials that upon hearing, even without the words, we know the company or brand it is associated with. For example, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who does not know how to finish this jingle even if you heard the tune without any words: “My bologna has a first name it’s O-S-C-A-R. My bologna has a second name it’s _ _ _ _ _.” Oscar Mayer bologna has arguably one of the most well-recognized jingles in the world.

Therefore, simply put, a brand is a word, an image, a tune, or all of these elements combined that create a distinct, unique perception in one’s mind. A brand creates an emotional reaction and affects the way we think, feel, and behave.

You already have a brand

What is your persona? How do people perceive you? You may not know it, but the moment you started your practice, you began building your brand. In fact, in some ways you have been building it long before you opened your doors or performed your first cosmetic procedure.

Your personality, your style of dress, the way you relate to coworkers and patients, your integrity, your sense of humor, your expertise—all of these elements combined create impressions on those around you and begin to establish your brand identity. Your brand is what comes to mind when people think of you.

Take this 1 step further and realize that your practice’s brand is an extension of your personal brand. Patients will judge you based on all of their points of contact with your practice, what they see on your Web site, how the person who answers the phone takes care of them, how comfortable they feel in your offices, and whether their questions are answered.

Every experience a patient has with you creates an impression, good or bad. If you do not define who you are, others will. The question then becomes “Is it the image you want?” “Does that image add value to your services or take value away?” No one has absolute control over what people think about you, but how you decide to purposefully communicate your brand will greatly influence how they perceive you and the value they give to your services and most certainly affect their choice of you as their surgeon.

In reality, it does not matter how highly educated and experienced you are or how state-of-the-art your facility is if this is not communicated and perceived as such by our patients. It is all about your level of established presence. What guarantees success is the perception of quality and delivering on expectations in the marketplace.

You already have a brand

What is your persona? How do people perceive you? You may not know it, but the moment you started your practice, you began building your brand. In fact, in some ways you have been building it long before you opened your doors or performed your first cosmetic procedure.

Your personality, your style of dress, the way you relate to coworkers and patients, your integrity, your sense of humor, your expertise—all of these elements combined create impressions on those around you and begin to establish your brand identity. Your brand is what comes to mind when people think of you.

Take this 1 step further and realize that your practice’s brand is an extension of your personal brand. Patients will judge you based on all of their points of contact with your practice, what they see on your Web site, how the person who answers the phone takes care of them, how comfortable they feel in your offices, and whether their questions are answered.

Every experience a patient has with you creates an impression, good or bad. If you do not define who you are, others will. The question then becomes “Is it the image you want?” “Does that image add value to your services or take value away?” No one has absolute control over what people think about you, but how you decide to purposefully communicate your brand will greatly influence how they perceive you and the value they give to your services and most certainly affect their choice of you as their surgeon.

In reality, it does not matter how highly educated and experienced you are or how state-of-the-art your facility is if this is not communicated and perceived as such by our patients. It is all about your level of established presence. What guarantees success is the perception of quality and delivering on expectations in the marketplace.