Dental Branding: 6 Must-Have Elements To Build Your Brand Identity

There is no question that a strong dental brand identity is important to the success of your business. After all, your dental branding efforts are central to developing visual identity, helping to set you apart in a competitive industry.

Paul Rand, the legendary designer of corporate logos for UPS, IBM, and ABC, stated that “logo design is the silent ambassador of your brand.” Rand was referring to a brand’s visual identity, which comprises several elements that work together to literally let people see who you are; and why they should choose you instead of the dentist down the street.

The Essentials of a Strong Dental Brand Identity

Establishing distinct and appealing dentistry branding is not just about aesthetics; it’s a strategic necessity. Your dental branding is the first impression potential patients will experience when considering your services, and a promise of modern care and the latest treatment they can expect. To ensure that your dental practice branding stands out in a new and competitive market, it is vital to focus on several critical aspects of branding for dentists.

If you want your dental logo design to stand apart from the competition, there are six key components you need to get right. Each dentist brand element uniquely influences how your practice is perceived and remembered, ensuring that current and prospective patients associate your name with good care and great service.

Name

Naming your practice is the first step to claiming your uniqueness, essential for creating a brand dental competitors will envy. Emphasizing your location, culture, services, or simply your personal name are all options. We know that naming your dental practice can be just as challenging as naming your first baby, because it’s something you’re going to live with forever. Don’t get caught up in asking your friends, family and future patients what they think, because this name has to feel like you. Just make sure the name you select is significantly different from your competitors’ dental branding, easy to remember, and true to who you really are.

Tagline

A simple tagline helps to let people know why they should choose you. I know it can be tough narrowing it down to a few words. Try thinking about the greatest benefit you provide to patients and how it can be communicated in a phrase that is positive and memorable. Consider orthodontist branding, for example. Your tagline could focus on the transformative journey of a patient’s smile, encapsulating the essence of your practice in a few impactful words. Here are a few tips for coming up with a memorable tagline:

• Don’t focus on “what” you do – taglines of “cosmetic and implant dentistry” don’t do anything to differentiate you from any other cosmetic or implant practice.
• Don’t zero in on “how” you do it – gentle dentistry is a nice benefit, but who wants to go to a dentist who isn’t gentle? It’s too obvious.
• Instead, find a tagline that articulates “why” you chose this profession. Some of our past favorites include “high-tech dentistry with a human touch” and “head-to-toe wellness, ear-to-ear smiles.”

Logo

Your dental logo design should represent what is important to you and tie in with your office’s culture. Dental logos with teeth and smiles are everywhere. That’s not to say your dentist logo design can’t go that route, but if you do, make sure the design is creative and unique. And, please, make sure you use a real graphic designer to do it right. Your image is worth way more than a $5 clipart logo.

It’s more memorable to create a logo that “feels” like you. A dental logo design that shows off your artistic, contemporary, or local style is a lot easier to embed in the mind of your prospect than one more tooth, no matter how artistically it’s been designed.

Once the logo is finalized, remember to have multiple versions of your final dental logo designed for various usages based on space (vertical, horizontal, and square) and color (full color, black and white, and dark background). You’ll also need various file formats for print, online, and to supply to vendors for your dental office sign and branded giveaway items.

Colors

Color can be a strong communicator of emotion, and should be selected carefully in your logo and other elements of your visual dental brand identity. If you’re wondering why many dental logos are in shades of blue and green, it’s because those colors are associated with health, trust, and calmness. Color psychology can make a subtle, but meaningful impact on your audience, so choose carefully, not just what matches the shade of paint on your walls.

Images

The images you use on your website and other marketing materials need to be consistent with not just your color scheme, but also your culture. Otherwise, you’ll have a disconnect with your audience. Take the ages, professions, races and incomes of your target patient into account in your branding. People gravitate to images that feel familiar, not just those that feel aspirational. If you are using a professional photographer, make sure he or she is familiar with your dental office branding before starting any photo shoots.

Fonts

Decide on a set of fonts you’ll use consistently across all of your marketing and office forms. Typically, you’ll want at least two fonts that work well together and can be used for different purposes. Keep in mind that some software you use in the office may have a limited set of fonts to choose from. If you need help, your logo designer can offer suggestions that match and complement your brand.

Where to Use Your Dental Brand Identity

Once you have the elements of the visual identity of your dental care brand in place, you’ll want to use them consistently across all of your marketing, including your dental website, digital ads, social media, business cards, stationery, dental advertising, and signage. Don’t forget to carry your color palate over to your office design and team uniforms for a complete visual brand identity.

Are you ready to build a distinctive, memorable, dental brand identity? Schedule time with our dental branding specialists or gather some inspiration from some of our favorite dental logo designs.