Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Orthodontist becomes an aggressive marketer

DeSimone sticker
My kids' orthodontist is Dr. Karen DeSimone, whose office is a few miles away from here. While I was in her waiting room yesterday, I noticed a sign posted that said the office had a new commercial airing on TNT, Lifetime, and the Food Network. (I actually watch one of those channels from time to time. But I haven't seen the commercial yet.) Many cable channels carry commercials from enterprises local to the viewing region, and I'd always thought those commercials were passed on to the channel by the local cable provider. But that's a digression. The point is that this is an aggressive move for DeSimone and her two partners, and I'm anxious to see what kind of bang-for-the-buck they get out of what'll be four months of commercials.

Rachael RayThe argument may be that many people in DeSimone's potential target audience will be watching winning personalities like Rachael Ray (pictured) -- assuming that the price DeSimone paid is getting a commercial on what must be one of Food Network's most popular shows -- but to me, DeSimone has roughly the same target audience as Club Z Tutoring, and I just wrote that Club Z eschews commercials, at least in this market, in favor of less expensive marketing. I'm not saying either approach is wrong. I don't know yet. And DeSimone has what I think is a more mature business, and may be able to take a chance on new markets.

That's not all DeSimone is doing, either: you see the bumper sticker (pictured above) that she is giving out. She is also giving out T-shirts -- and if Mom wears the T-shirt to her kid's next appointment, she will get a certificate for having her nails done; if it's Dad with the shirt, he (read: I) will get a movie certificate. The T-shirts are far from being unwearable, and of course T-shirts are always an excellent marketing tool for entrepreneurs who can afford them.

Even the small things matter in DeSimone's office, though: her appointment cards are not just cards, which Heaven knows we lose all the time; they're colorful stickers, which transfer well to calendars and date books. She no doubt pays a little more for this bit of color, but what she gets is the benefit (though perhaps not totally measurable) of fewer forgotten appointments.

Conclusion: it's an aggressive marketing campaign, and the jury is out as to how well it'll work. I don't know why it's happening now, but I will. Stay tuned.

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posted by Ron @ 3:43 PM

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