Table of Contents
Executive Summary3
1.0 Introduction4
2.0 Disadvantages of the usage of humor in advertising dentistry5
3.0 Alternative appeal types6
3.1 Social media6
3.2 Buzz marketing7
3.3 The use of Google Local Optimization and infographics8
4.0 Overall conclusion of the research9
5.0 Recommendation on the enchantment to use instead of humor10
6.0 Conclusion11
7.0 Bibliography12
Table of Figures
Fig 1: Humor in advertising6
Fig 2: Examples of buzz marketing9
Fig 3: Example of infographics11
Executive Summary
With the increasing fees of globalization and advancements in the levels of technology, opposition among companies has multiplied immensely. The dental sector is one of those markets the place firms have in the recent past felt the impact of the increasingly shrinking consumer base. Dealing with issues of aggressive competition calls for individual organizations to come up with unique strategies that can help them gain a competitive edge over their rivals. Dental firms such as DenTeen that are seeking to capture the attention of a large section of teenagers will have to embrace marketing techniques such as social media, buzz marketing and the use of Google Local Optimization and infographics. A successful implementation of these strategies will contribute to an enhancement in its market shares and financial performance.
Key Terms
Infographics: a marketing technique where huge amount of information is transmitted in small packages
Consumer base: -a market segment or audience
Factual:-real
Google Local Optimization:-a Google application that ease navigation
1.0 Introduction
The success of any organization is dependent on the business strategies and models that it adopts. Usually, factors such as product sales and profits are used in the determination of the performance an organization in a given market. Marketing is one of those strategies that a company has to ensure that is efficient and aligned with its set goals and objectives. There are various forms of marketing techniques, and this includes the use of internet and social media marketing, buzz advertisement, setting discounts on given commodities and the use of guerilla marketing. The use of humor in advertisement is also applicable to products that are inexpensive and mostly consumable. Companies selling candy, alcohol or tobacco, according to research, benefit from using humor in their advertising. Firms dealing with dentistry products, on the other hand, can hardly enjoy growth in sales by depending on humor as an aspect of their marketing. Apparently, this rules it out from making any significant impact when it’s used as a part of advertisement for specified products. Before selecting a marketing strategy, it is vital for an organization to ensure that it conducts a thorough research on the market with the aim of identifying the targeted consumers and the level of competition. A company also needs to have an in-depth understanding of the tastes and preferences of the consumers in the market.
The dentistry sector, just like any other medical sector, is sensitive and it requires that marketers put in place strategies that will efficiently connect with the customers. One of those techniques that may not be advisable to embrace is the use of humor in the marketing of dentistry products. The chances of the strategy backfiring is high, and this is because most of the consumers do not want to be entertained but want to get a clear message on the product that suits their needs. This paper provides an overview of the marketing strategies that DenTeen, an organization aimed at promoting dentist products mostly to teenagers, can embrace with the aim of improving its performance.
2.0 Disadvantages of using humor in advertising dentistry
Most advertisers use humor with the aim of attracting consumers to purchase their products. Different audiences like to be entertained, but most of them do not want to be pitched. Several individuals will always pay attention to those commercials that are funny compared to those that are factual. Humor as a part of advertising and marketing depends on the types of products. It is thus apparent that it may not be suitable for dentistry products. There are various reasons as to why humor may not be suitable for advertising dentistry.
First and foremost, the use of humor may only improve the brand recognition but fail to influence the consumers to purchase dentistry products. In most cases, the humor as an aspect of advertisement tend to increase the emotional aspect of a targeted consumer towards a given product but fails to impact his or her choice (Djambaska, Petrovska and Bundaleska 2015, pp.8-9). One of the primary goals of dental practice is to attract new patients and retain them, and this may not be possible using humor. Patients will always prefer visiting dentists whose advertisement sent a clear message home and not one that is full of jokes and trying to entertain the audience. Apparently, this implies that applying humor as an advertisement may end up leading to the loss of clients, thus a decline in the revenue generated by the agency.
Humor advertising is expensive, and this makes it not an advisable technique to be used in dentistry. The humor campaigns have to be changed regularly with the aim of capturing the attention of various consumers, and in the process, the dentistry organization spends a lot of money that would have been channeled to enhance operational efficiencies. With all the costs directed towards ensuring that humor as an element of advertisement contributes to a boost in the products sales, it may end up backfiring since not all the targeted audience may find it appealing or comprehensible (Djambaska, Petrovska and Bundaleska 2015, pp.8-9). In the process, the dentistry organization may end up losing out on the market share and its sales.
Another reason that makes humor advertisement not suitable for dentistry is that it hardly promotes the relevance of the products in this sector to the consumers. Clients will always focus on the benefits that they will derive from the products being advertised once they make a purchase. Using humor in advertising dentistry products may not be suitable especially in influencing consumers towards making up their minds on whether to purchase commodities from an organization or not (Djambaska, Petrovska and Bundaleska 2015, pp.8-9). The failure by a firm to appease a targeted audience may contribute to a decline in its productivity. It should also be noted that humor advertising has a short lifespan and this implies that when applicable in dentistry, it may fail to meet the required expectations of marketing.
Fig 1: Humor in advertising
3.0 Alternative appeal types
Completion levels in the dentistry market have increased significantly in the past decade. In the quest for enjoying sustainability, it calls for individual firms to come up with efficient business strategies. Organizations dealing with dentistry products, for instance, need to ensure that they embrace marketing strategies that will sell their brands and at the same time capture the attention of different market segments. Some of the factors that a dentistry firm need to consider when marketing products include the social and cultural factors, customer needs and the level of competition in the market. There are various appeal types that the agency can use as advertising techniques in improving its customer base for the dentistry products.
3.1 Social media
Advancements in the levels of technology have played an instrumental role in enhancing the performance of organizations. The rise in social media use is an evidence of the ever-expanding technology. Most companies around the globe have embraced technology in the marketing of their products. When developing an advertisement strategy for a dental practice, one of the best areas to begin is the social media. The dentistry sector has not been left behind when it comes to incorporating different types of marketing techniques with the aim of promoting their products. In the case of the agency, in the quest of enhancing its appeal, it will be vital to use the social media platform.
In the modern era, more than 65% of the global populations are active users of social media such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. By incorporating it as a key tool in the marketing of the dentistry products, the DenTeen will find it easy to capture the attention of a large consumer base. Most of the social media users are youth aged 14 to 17 years and this will serve as the primary target for the commodities. Using the platform, the agency will be able to enhance its communication with the customers, and this will transform to an increase in the sale of the dentistry products. Apparently, through the social media, patients from various parts of London and clients will learn more about the new products launched by the agency, the prices of each commodity and those locations where they will purchase them. The organization will also use the platform to interact with the customers and get feedback from them on those areas that will have to improve to remain sustainable in the market.
3.2 Buzz marketing
Buzz marketing is another technique that the organization will adopt to help in increasing its product appeal to the various targeted audience. The strategy is a form of viral marketing that utilizes word of mouth in promoting a given product (Corkindale 2012, p.43). Unlike the use of humor advertising that aims at influencing a consumer’s emotions, buzz marketing allows the customers to talk about the products of a given company with their colleagues, relatives, and friends. The method of advertisement and suitable is suitable for dentistry products, and it will thus be vital for the agency to adopt (Egan 2011, pp.45-51). Implementation of the buzz marketing will make it easy for the sales and marketing department of the dentistry to tap into those untapped markets across the UK.
Through the high quality products and services that it offers to the customers visiting the firm, the possibility of their spreading the good news about the organizations to their families and friends will increase tremendously. In the process, the firm’s consumer appeal and reputation will improve significantly. The dentistry agency may also decide to use internet marketing in advertising their products to the various targeted audience. Through discussions concerning the types of products and services that the firm offers, on an online platform, its customer-loyalty will increase (Egan 2011, pp.45-51). Using this marketing strategy, DenTeen will easily pull the teenagers towards purchasing its products since a majority of them are active internet users.
Fig 2: Examples of buzz marketing
3.3 The use of Google Local Optimization and infographics
It is necessary for an organization to make it easy for the customers to locate where they can acquire the products that it offers and this has been enhanced by the Google Local Optimization. Google pluses and reviews can play a critical role in strengthening a brand and at the same time converting a onetime web visitor to a long-term consumer of an organization (Crawford 2013, Web). Using the Google Local Optimization application, searching a business’s profile on the internet has been simplified. By embracing the application, the DenTeen will make it easier for customers of all ages to locate its location and the dentistry commodities that it offers by searching its profile via the web. A good dental profile and practice of the organization as listed on the internet search will make the organization recognizable to various market segments. With an increase in the number of people searching the agency through the application, its consumer appeal will also rise, and the likelihood of these individuals being transformed to patients for the organization will also improve tremendously (Crawford 2013, Web). The market segment that will be majorly influenced by the marketing technique will be the youth (14-25 years).
Infographics depend on a visual representation that focuses on transmitting a huge amount of information using small packages. Dental firms can use this strategy in relaying dentistry information that can capture the attention of consumers from different segments (Crawford 2013, Web). With that in mind, it will be advisable for DenTeen to use this form of advertisement technique to pass the message on the products it offers to clients and various other consumers in the market. There are several dental facts that can be shared through infographics and when this is applicable by the agency, it will simplify its ability to spread information to a large consumer base regarding the range of products that its offers, their efficiencies and mode of usage (Blackman 2001, pp.47-69). By sharing interesting dental facts, the agency’s website will have an increased traffic, and at the same time, the number of patients relying on its commodities will also improve. Moreover, as a part of the information presented on the infographics, DenTeen will let the targeted audience learn about the affordability of its products and the discounts that it offers. In so doing, this will help it have its appeal extend to a larger population.
Fig 3: Example of infographics
4.0 Overall conclusion of the research
Marketing is a critical part of dental practice in various ways. Firstly, it helps in strengthening the brand of a given firm as well as its public reputation. Depending on the technique that a firm embraces, it will manage to capture the attention of a given market segment, and this will contribute to a significant growth in the revenues that it generates. It also bolsters the relationship that a given organization enjoys with the consumers, and this may assist it to gain dominance in a given market. Humor in advertising is used by various marketers as a way of appealing to different types of consumers. However, this strategy may not be effective for dental practice since it hardly passes the necessary dental facts to the targeted audience. Additionally, the use of humor as an aspect of advertising in dentistry may backfire because of its failure influencing customers to purchase products. It is because of such failures that dental practices need to incorporate alternative marketing techniques with the aim of bolstering their consumer base and by extension their sales. Some of the marketing strategies that the dental agency can implement include the use of social media, incorporation of the Google Local Optimization to make it easy for the internet visitors to go through its profile and identify its location as well as the products that it offers and the use of buzz marketing to capture the attention of a large consumer base.
5.0 Recommendation on the appeal to use instead of humor
Based on the discussion on the various types of marketing strategies that can play a critical role in enhancing an organization’s performance, it will be vital for DenTeen to combine social media and Google Local Optimization application. Integration of the GLO application will serve as a search base for the organization on the internet platform. By accessing the web, visitors will easily identify DenTeen’s profile, i.e., the range of available dental commodities and services as well as their price ranges, the location of the agency, its operational hours and the discounts that it offers to the loyal customers. The application can help in appealing to a large section of individuals visiting the site and in the process; it can convert them to long-term patients of the agency. The agency will have to update its profile on the internet so that it can be aligned with the market and technological trends. Potential clients in the market will access the internet and search for the organization on the optimization engine, and the results will be a combination of the organization’s profile and details of its operations.
Social media is another marketing technique that DenTeen will have to implement to help it retain its sustainability in the market. It will be necessary for the company to create a page on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram solely for the marketing of its products. Using the Facebook page, for instance, DenTeen will easily social network with various individuals on the platform and inform them about the available dental commodities, their prices and the contacts that willing buyers can use in ordering the products. The firm will also use the webpage to advertise its services and values. Using social media platform as a marketing technique will be critical in strengthening its brand, reputation and at the same time increase the firm’s consumer base.
6.0 Conclusion
Based on the above report, it is evident that a suitable marketing strategy can be critical for the promotion of a dental practice. Humor advertising may be suitable for various inexpensive commodities, but it may hardly be essential for a dental firm such as DenTeen. It is thus advisable for the firm to embrace strategies such as social media and Google Local Optimization with the aim of increasing its appeal to various market segments. In so doing, this will help DenTeen increase its market share and revenues generated.
7.0 Bibliography
Blackman, A. (2001). Strategies for building a customer base on the Internet: symbiotic marketing. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 9(1), pp.47-68.
Corkindale, D. (2012). Buzz marketing. Mississippi University
Crawford, C. (2013). 6 Dental Practice Internet Marketing Strategies to double your traffic. [online] Dentistryiq.com. Available at: http://www.dentistryiq.com/articles/2013/07/6-dental-practice-internet-marketing-strategies-to-double-your-traffic.html [Accessed 7 Nov. 2017].
Djambaska, A., Petrovska, I. and Bundaleska, E. (2015). Is Humor Advertising Always Effective? Parameters for Effective Use of Humor in Advertising. Journal of Management Research, 8(1), p.18.
Egan, J. (2011). Relationship marketing. New York: Financial Times, Prentice Hall.
