Branding: Where the sidewalk ends and creativity begins — i.e. be yourself.

The timeless, philosophical question of “Who am I?” takes on a real-time twist in the world of brand recognition. With the globalization of the world as we know it and competition at an all-time high people are craving for authenticity. Today’s consumer market is educated, tech savvy and also being inundated with advertising and marketing messages.

Human beings are by nature a social animal so it should come as no surprise that when you market your practice, branding deserves its allocated attention. There’s no coincidence why Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc. have each become a staple in our current state of cultural norm. Love them or hate them, these channels of communication are integral in the equation of your brand reaching its intended audience and conveying your intended message.

This doesn’t mean that while establishing or maintaining your brand identity that you have to stay glued to these outlets and be concerned with any potential passing trends you might be missing. The opposite is actually true. As with all relationships, longevity is key. Along with this includes the need for consistency. The only constant in life is change, however drastic changes don’t happen overnight. We each evolve over time but the core of who you are and what you represent isn’t going to suddenly take a drastic detour (under normal circumstances).

I’ve always been an advocate of authenticity and transparency. It seems that each would be fairly straightforward but in the noisy world that we live in these traits are often difficult to come by. Chances are you are much better at being yourself then you realize which is why you have the recurring clients that you do. They like you. Sometimes, the challenge is seeing that for yourself.

Successful branding follows the timeless adage of, “the harder you try, the less you succeed.” As you are engaging with social media, developing your website or creating informational materials; be willing to put yourself out there as a human being and see the response that you receive. If you’ve never stopped and asked yourself what makes me special and my practice unique; you’re probably not alone. Sometimes it’s an uncomfortable place to be but when clarifying your brand it’s important to dig a little deeper and truly define who you are.

The following questions might help get your wheels turning.

• Why did I initially pursue veterinary medicine as a career?
• What core values do I rely on when interacting with my clients and patients?
• What qualities do I look for when I make my staff hiring decisions?
• What atmosphere do I feel delivers the highest level of service from myself and staff?

For any questions relating to content found in this article please call Jonathan at 866.803.2952 Ext. 705

Jonathan S. Barrett