Apart from distress or a routine check-up, what truly motivates an adult to go to the dentist?
Of course, we all the know the answer: a better, straighter, whiter smile. But is that too simplistic? Do we need to dig deeper to understand the motivation and by doing so is it possible to create more engaging, compelling and ultimately successful marketing programs?
Less than a third of us pose with an open smile in selfies. A whopping 71 per cent said they wouldn’t bare their teeth in a nationwide pole by the Oral Health Foundation and Oral-B, with discoloured teeth the biggest reason. Crooked teeth were the next biggest reason.
Don’t you think that it’s incredible that 71 per cent of people you pass walking down the street are so self-conscious that it affects their ability to smile, which is a fundamental human expression?
A YouGov survey for the BDA found that 77 per cent of us think visibly poor oral health makes it harder to clinch a client-facing job. Can you imagine going to a recruitment consultant and being told that you need to smarten yourself up and get your teeth fixed?
As a former ad man I think the dental marketplace is crying out for emotive, challenging advertising — be it on Facebook or in local press — that engages with the public on heartfelt issues like:
- Would you have a better job if you could smile with confidence?
- Would you still be single if you felt better about yourself because you smiled easily?
- Do people think you are a miserable old bugger because you never, ever smile?
If you think this type of campaign could work for your practice as a platform to attract more new patients please get in touch, I have lots of ideas.
JJF
07860 672727