Roundtable · Brand
What a Practice Brand Actually Is
What is one thing you did to build a brand for your practice?
Practice Mindshare Podcast, Episode 3 ·
Ask three independent practice owners what their brand is and none of them will describe a logo. They will describe what they want to be remembered for, who they chose to serve, and the experience a patient or a referring colleague has from the first contact on.
This roundtable brings together a cosmetic dentist, an optometrist and a veterinary specialty surgeon. Different specialties, one conclusion: the brand is the sum of every decision you make about who you are.
“A brand is the thing that differentiates you from your competition. It's the thing that makes you memorable.”
Dr. Harris starts from a simple test. There are many definitions of a practice brand, but for him it comes down to three questions: what makes you unique, what makes you different, and what makes you memorable.
When people think of how he practices cosmetic dentistry, he wants them to think of someone transparent, someone who cares, someone willing to share and help, and someone who creates not just a great cosmetic experience but a great human one. The brand is what separates you from the competition, and it is not a logo.
“The clearer you can get on who you want to serve, the better you're going to serve your patients, your community and your team.”
Dr. Rhue traces brand back to core values: what you want patients to see, and what you want them to remember. She recommends two books. Building a StoryBrand frames the patient as the hero and the practice as the guide. Business Outside offers a list of fifty words to pull your core values from, share them, and build the practice around them.
Her other lesson is patience. Optometry school told her to find her niche, and for years she had not. Then myopia management came along and lit her up, and the brand followed. You cannot be everything to everybody, she said. Start with what lights you up.
Dr. Courtney Campbell
DVM, DACVS-SA
“Your brand is your reputation in visual form.”
Dr. Campbell defines a brand as the sum of the entire experience: how you want people to think of you and your practice. His phrase for it is your reputation in visual form.
As the first veterinary specialty hospital in Long Beach, his practice uses its brand to do three jobs at once. It explains to pet owners what specialty care is and why it matters. It tells referring veterinarians they can trust the practice to be open and honest. And it attracts talent, because a practice that wants to scale has to draw team members who want to be associated with it.
What the panel agrees on
- A brand is what makes you different and memorable, expressed in every interaction. The logo is the smallest part of it.
- Start from core values and a clear picture of who you serve. A niche you genuinely care about makes the brand easy to see.
- A good brand speaks to more than patients. It reassures referring clinicians and recruits the team you will need to grow.
- Building it takes years. Decide what you want to be known for, then be consistent.
Independent practices. Stronger together.
Own or work in an independent practice?
If you are an independent practice owner or work for one, simply complete the form to request membership. Membership includes The Independent Practice Thrival Guide, our e-book on building a practice that thrives, and a complimentary 20-minute Practice Strategy Session. Monthly member meetings are being planned.
Request membershipWant help putting an idea like this into practice? Mindshare Creative offers an optional practice growth review, separate from NIPA membership. Learn more