Does your service and product branding reflect the needs your patients can enjoy from a distance?
Since the start of the pandemic, there has been a huge focus on the number of jobs that have gone remote. However, the workplace isn’t the only area seeing increases in from-home activities. COVID-19 has also impacted the way patients interact with their health care provider services and products. The question is: Has your brand been adjusted to work harmoniously with the new remote world for product branding?
The importance of brand adjustments
Developing a strong, consistent brand helps improve your practice’s recognition as well as increase patient loyalty. This often involves sticking with similar types of messaging over time and keeping the look of your practice the same from one medium to the next so someone viewing your page on Facebook instantly connects you with your physical practice, for instance.
Yet, there are times when a brand adjustment might be necessary. One of the most notable is if your current doesn’t portray the feelings you want or sends the wrong message. Another is when the world around you changes enough to require a product branding adjustment, which is what is happening as a result of COVID.
Product branding with a more remote patient
Several branding options existed pre-pandemic that might not be as relatable or as feasible today because many patients have increased the number of activities they perform from a distance, some of which relate to health care.
For example, in the past, you may have included images of you speaking face-to-face with patients in your practice’s branding. Today, an image of you masked during this discussion and remaining a certain distance may help some patients feel more comfortable (though, others may view this negatively, particularly if they don’t subscribe to the notion that masking up offers benefits).
Or you might have worked on building your brand with the help of in-person seminars or by attending area health expos. Now, many of these types of events have gone remote. If you don’t offer this ability as well, it could hurt your brand with certain patient populations more than help.
Branding adjustments for chiropractic professionals
Making a few adjustments to your chiropractic brand can make your practice more appealing to the remote patient. Here are a few to consider:
- Clarifying patient safety practices. The Joint Commission’s Office of Quality and Patient Safety reports that a number of the complaints filed with this organization—whether from healthcare staff, patients, or others—had to do with infection control concerns. Adjusting your branding to clarify the steps you’ve taken to make your practice safe can help ease some of these concerns. If you’ve added masks, social distancing (when possible), increased cleaning and sanitation, or the ability to check-in or communicate online, update your brand so it reflects this.
- Promoting virtual services. Not everyone is comfortable with in-person health visits. While you can’t provide a hands-on adjustment virtually, there are still some services that can be provided online. If a patient has pain in the lower back, for instance, you could hop on a video platform and show them exercises they can do for relief. You can also use these telehealth visits to check in with your patients regularly or to provide supplement advice. Does your service and product branding reflect the services your patients can enjoy from a distance? If not, it may need to be adjusted.
- Promoting the ability to ship products. Data provided by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) shows that online purchasing in all categories of goods has increased since the outbreak of COVID-19. If you sell products in your office, such as supplements or ergonomically pillows, offering the option of having them shipped to your patients enables them access to these items without coming in. Your service and product branding can reflect this change by something as simple as including an image of a supplement in a mailbox on your website or other marketing materials.
Today’s new world is largely remote. Adjusting your practice’s brand to reflect your virtual offerings is a good way to stay relevant … albeit from a distance.
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