Question… Have you ever thought about a dental lab? Likely, never. That is, unless you are a dentist.
The Challenge:
Over the last couple of years, cosmetic dentistry has experienced explosive growth—fueled in part by television shows like ABC’s Extreme Makeover. Dental labs (smile “builders”) work hand-in-hand with dentists (smile “architects”) to create beautiful, functional veneers. Utah Valley Dental Lab is one of the most reputable labs in the world.
But top North American labs—including Utah Valley Dental Lab—are facing serious challenges. Low-quality offshore labs are offering inferior products at lower cost. And since consumers know little or nothing about the role dental labs play in dentistry, profit-centric dentists are bringing in offshore restorations—often resulting in big problems for consumers. To make matters worse, there are few government regulations to monitor the problem.
Recently, NADL (the National Association of Dental Labs) was contacted by a dental patient in Ohio who has documentation of lead contamination in her dental restoration. The affected patient, a senior citizen, received a three-unit dental bridge from a dentist in Ohio. After having an adverse reaction to her dental work, and having it removed, the dentist disclosed that the prescription was sent to an offshore dental laboratory and disclosed to the patient that the restoration was made in China. The patient then had the restoration sent to a chemical laboratory for analysis. The documentation of the dental material analysis of this patient’s restoration showed unsafe levels of lead in the porcelain on the restoration.
The problem has left big questions in the minds of dental lab owners and dentists. Where’s the future headed? Will North American dental labs be replaced by offshore labs? Will dental labs ultimately be replaced by technology that commonly resides one day in every dental practice?
The Solution:
This social media marketing solution began with some serious message development. Working with the lab owners we conducted forums, surveys and discussion groups to learn more about how dentists view lab relationships—and came up with one conclusion… It was time to elevate lab/dentist relationships. It was time for dentists to expect more from their lab.
We assumed the position that competition no longer comes from other dental labs. UVDL’s competition comes from companies like Nordstrom, Starbucks, Southwest Airlines, and Costco. Why? Because they’ve raised the bar on service expectations. We also determined that providing unequaled VALUE to dentists isn’t JUST about service. It’s also about RELEVANCE—connecting to the things that quality dentists consider important. Innovative solutions, in and of themselves, have no inherent value until they’re RELEVANT to what dental practices want, need, value, and expect.
Taking this message to the dental community using social media marketing strategies was immediately determined to be a great fit. To begin with, UVDL would be the first one to take a leadership position in this space. Working closely with dentists to educate them through dynamic case studies would build trust, and also help dentists solve their own complex dental restoration cases. UVDL would also monitor and distill industry news to keep dentists current on new materials and techniques.
The Tactics:
First, the new brand needed to be developed. Here are a few examples of the new messaging that was created, and some of the printed materials that were produced for the new brand:
Next, the lab’s traditional legacy website needed to be replaced with a dynamic blogsite that would allow them to interact with dentists, and also provide the tools they need to post current case studies, to feature timely testimonials, and to establish themselves as a lab-topic information clearing house for dentists.
The blogsite was just launched in April 2009. Visit the site HERE.
We are currently working with UVDL to establish a stronger relationship foothold with dentists through social networking strategies.