Know-How Exchange : Taglines/Names

Of your three candidates, my vote would be for "LiveWell Dental" on the basis that it does a better job of expressing the unique positioning benefit you have laid out.

The thing I would worry about is that it could risk alienating current patients who are likely to be more conservative and just want a "traditional" dentist.

One possible solution would be to include a location name, like "[SuburbName] LiveWell Dental Center." That makes you feel more local and part of the community.

The way you'll really build up the practice, of course, goes way beyond the name. It will be the way patients perceive the practice ... and that will depend on your total marketing plan, your husband's manner with patients, and all the touchpoints (e.g., parking, waiting room, receptionist, phone manners, etc.).

The way to keep the customer base is have the old Doc, bring your husband on as an associate for a year or two before he retires. (They can have the paperwork all drawn up that your husband is buying the business so there is no doubt about who is in charge.) The old Doc can inform all of his patients that he has brought on a new associate and that it's a good time to change the business name. During this transition period your husband can meet and get to know the old patients and begin to acquire new ones.

For the name I would recommend something simple like "(Your Location Name) Family Dental" It tells your the public who your customers are and it is a good descriptive name.

Also don't forget to include people who are new to the area as customers. Having relocated a couple of times it is always hard finding a new doctor, a dentist, etc.

You didn't ask this but you might offer your existing patients a free cleaning for every new customer they recommend to you. After all they are your best sales people because they come there on a regular basis. When we moved to town, our neighbor recommended her dentist to us and 4 years later we are still going there for all of our dental needs.

I hope this helps,

Andy Fracica

Jess,
If you're stuck on the 3 I choose LiveWell. You might be asking too much of your name....to provide all those benefits. The reason dentist use their name is because the clients can remember that.

Its your marketing plan that does all your asking. You can call the practice "Keep Your Own Teeth Longer" Dental and make it work.

Michael

Sounds like there are two issues here. One is keeping the old business; the other is creating an umbrella brand that will serve the practice in the partly-unknown future,

One of the strongest and most often successful ways of retaining old business is to incorporate the former owner's name in the ongoing name of the practice. This depends, of course, on your husband's ego vs. his desire to keep the income stream.

Let's pretend the current doc is Gerald Brown, DDS. The new business name might be traditional, and you might get your branding done with the tagline. For instance:

Hagedorn-Brown Dental Health
Helping the Wilmington Community to Live Well

Or the other way around ...

Wilmington Living Well Dentistry
A Hagedorn-Brown Dental Practice

Building on Andy's suggestion, present a united front between the retiring dentist and your husband. Use Dr. Brown as a Consultant Emeritus. Have him contribute an occasional item to the company blog/newsletter about the joys of healthy retirement. Get a good picture of both dentists together and post it on the waiting room wall. Formalize continuity with Dr. Brown's favorite local charity or keep up sponsorship of the girls' soccer team, etc.

Finding your new customers will be much easier if you woo the old ones and keep them with you by respecting the choice they made in "Dr. Brown." Also, Dr. Brown may be much more willing to help you keep those customers if his name is still on the door.

I realize this is not the answer you want to have. But it's the reason that medical practices, travel agencies and insurance bureaus have kept the names of their founders long after the founder has gone to greener pastures. Please think about it before you toss it away.