Sakaduski Marketing Blog

“The 21st century is going to be the century of ‘word of mouth’,” Philip Kotler, eminent professor of international marketing at the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, said at the one-day seminar entitled “On 21st Century Marketing,” according to an article posted by the American Marketing Association: http://appserver.marketingpower.com/netcontent_news_feeds/netcontent_news_feeds.php?ppa=7iempY%5CfclslnoRUfbt%3EEvbfem%5E%21

Dr. Kotler, who most consider the dean of marketing, discusses the importance (and underuse) of publicity as a marketing tool.  He points to the launch of the iPhone as an example of the value of publicity in gaining a fortune in free advertising.

I am continually surprised by how few companies in the dental industry fully take advantage of publicity.  No matter how small (or how large) a company, publicity expands the reach of the marketing budget like nothing else.  And, it’s timely.

We recently sent out a news release for a client that announced an acquisition.  Within minutes it was being picked up and by the end of the week had been posted on half a dozen websites.  Over the next few weeks it will undoubtedly appear in a variety of publications, trade journals, newsletters, and the like.

We maintain lists of media outlets, which we tap selectively, depending upon the news and the newsmaker.  For example, for product news from companies with international distribution, we have a list of editors in South America, Asia, and Europe.  For business news, we may send the story to industry blogs so people will talk it up (one of our clients was the lead story on an industry blog recently).  Online sources have their own list as well.

If you are not fully utilizing publicity (and by this I mean appearing online, in e-newsletters, and in trade publications on a frequent and ongoing basis), you are not fully utilizing your marketing opportunities.  A professional publicity program can cost as little as $1695 a month–far less than the cost of a single ad–and can produce dozens of placements and hundreds of leads.  It’s the best bang for the buck you can get.

A law sponsored by Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski (no relation, even though I have an uncle named Eddie Day) and signed on July 20 by Gov. Ed Rendell in Pennsylvania effectively will allow dental hygienists to practice without a dentist’s supervision in public settings such as schools and nursing homes. Hygienists also will be able to take X-rays without a dentist present.  The law is part of Gov. Rendell’s push to help all residents, regardless of income, get access to some health-care services.

This is not a small issue.  With the growing shortage of dentists and the increasing number of Americans without access to dental care, hygienists are an obvious way to help fill the gap.  Many dentists oppose this, just as physicians initially fought giving nurses more power.  Yet nurse practitioners are now a standard feature in most medical practices and many physicians rely on them to handle routine care (which presumably allows the practice to treat more patients and thereby increase their revenues).

Although I understand the concern that a hygienist might miss a complex diagnosis, it is hard to believe that patients are better off having no treatment at all, which is now the case in some rural areas, Native American reservations, and regions with high poverty rates.  The new Pennsylvania law requires hygienists to complete 3,600 hours of practice under a dentist’s supervision, working as a practicing hygienist before they can apply to become certified public health hygiene practitioners.  This would seem to assure a high level of competence. 

From the standpoint of the dental industry, this should be good news as well.  Increased capabilities means increased product usage, whether it’s sealant programs at schools or more dental clinic hours.  Manufacturers of applicable products may want to keep hygienists in mind (if they aren’t already) as they design and package products and write their package inserts.

I’m glad to see my state stepping up the plate.  Difficult situations call for thinking that goes beyond the “we’ve always done it that way” mentality.  Let’s make sure our citizens are able to have basic oral care, regardless of their incomes or insurance status.  This is particularly important given the strong connection between oral health and general health.

For those of you in the dental industry fascinated by the Dental Insider, take some time to listen to the DI’s podcasts. They are informative and provocative, and raise some interesting questions about what is happening with our industry. The latest podcast discussed Dentsply’s purchase of Sultan, and Schein’s purchase of Becker-Parkin. DI wondered how this would affect our business long term and requested opinions posted to the Dental Insider website. We need more people asking these types of questions. Both dealer and manufacturers should be concerned that a shrinking industry allows more restricted access to the end user, and that is not good. I would encourage everyone to listen to voices like the Dental Insider and begin asking some of the same questions yourselves. Coming up wiith good answers is why you might need to hire a consultant.

In the dental industry, there has been tremendous growth in the number of service providers willing to “teach” clients any and all things about improving their business. From practice management to lean manufacturing, there seems to be a solution for any ill plaguing a company. One key factor that never seems to get discussed is creativity. Creativity takes many forms, and I am not sure that creativity can be taught very easily. One thing I do know is that creativity can be used in many business aspects. From advertising to sales presentations to conventions, a little more creativity can often enhance and improve any message. Creativity does not mean that a meeting is scheduled so everyone can be creative, it means that soem thought should be given to making things jump a little before what your doing is finished. I got this idea from talking to a retired engineer from Dupont who has been urging his colleagues to put some form of creativity into all product decisions. It something that is easily adapted to our industry. More in future blogs.