Dentalcompare
Clinical Director
There is a consumer market research firm called Lab42 that recently released results from a survey on what people think of advertising. The survey covered stereotypes between men and woman, and what ads made a lasting impression on them. (Hint: Humor!)
But perhaps one of the most compelling statistics from this was that only 3% of people surveyed felt the claims made in an ad were accurate. Three percent! 76% felt ads were exaggerated in their content. In other words, most people feel advertising is misleading is some way. So what are the ads for then? Brand awareness? Entertainment for that one guy at your Superbowl party who is only there for the commercials?
Now take that to dentistry. Do most dentists feel the advertising in dental media has a huge affect on them or their practice? Does the full page glossy ad in the publication really change minds about which product to purchase? How about that article about an endodontic file system right smack dab next to an ad for those files?
I think we have to give dentists more credit than that. It's not that we are a profession filled with skeptics, with only 3% believing what we read. But considering how much is spent each year in dental marketing, the question is this: Does it actually work? Are the sales pouring in because a product was on display in a double false cover of a monthly print publication? Is all this advertising meeting a need and hitting the pain points a dentist experiences every day? What metrics are being used to determine if an ad campaign worked in the first place? More importantly, does that campaign trump what a clinician’s buddy across the hall or in an online forum tells him or her to use?
What most dentists are looking for is not a Super Bowl commercial experience. We want to use the materials and tools that allow us to practice good dentistry, treat patients well, and if possible, improve our bottom line. Ads definitely serve a purpose by informing us about new options for our practices.
However, more and more we go online to find answers for our problems, going beyond the ads to find more detailed information and when we can, first hand experiences from colleagues. Advertising disguising as objective editorial content is easily recognized, and it’s far better to have solid, educational information that can lead a dentist to a better understanding of a product. Then that clinician can make the informed choice based on the individual needs of his or her practice.
If it is an ad, label it as such. There’s still something to be said for introducing people to something new or announcing an improvement through advertising. There’s a place for this, but that ad is bound to be more effective when it’s memorable, informative and honest in what it is trying to say and accomplish.
Bottom line: Is the ad, article, or case study designed to help the end-user, the dentist? Times are changing, dentists are savvy, and we’re looking for honest communication about how we can practice better dentistry.