As I write this blog post I am preparing to speak at the 1st Green Dental Conference hosted by the Eco-Dentistry Association coming up in Sundance, Utah. Since becoming familiar with this organization and the wonderful people who run it, I have come to embrace the concept of practicing ecologically-friendly dentistry. Not only is practicing ‘Green Dentistry’ good for the planet but turns out, it could be very good for your practice!
Recently the Nielson Company released a report titled, ‘The Global, Socially Conscious Consumer’ (here is a link to the report http://bit.ly/Zw1frQ) providing some very useful insights. The report is a result of a Nielson survey of over 28,000 online respondents from 56 countries. Here are some highlights:
- 66% of the people surveyed think companies should support the environment
- 46% of the people surveyed are willing to pay more for goods and services from socially-responsible companies
- ‘Ensure Environmental Sustainability’ was the #1 cause selected by survey respondents from a list of 18 specific causes
Clearly, people are interested in the environment and becoming a ‘Green Practice’ is a great way to show your values.
While there are many ways to ‘brand’ your practice, most ways of branding a dental practice have been overused. Take the concept of branding your practice as a ‘cosmetic’ dental office. This brand has become so overused that it has very little impact in the eyes and minds of consumers. The same can be said of branding your practice as a ‘family’ dental practice or a ‘quality’ dental office.
Branding your dental practice as a ‘Green’ dental office on the other hand, has some uniqueness and novelty that could make a difference in your marketing efforts. You may have heard the term, ‘First Mover Advantage’. This term refers to the benefits gained by the initial occupant of a market segment. This term can be applied to branding your practice as a ‘Green’ dental office and you may be able to gain recognition and branding in your community by embracing the concept of ‘Green’ dentistry.
I realize the concept of ‘Green’ dentistry may not be to everyone’s interest. No worries. For those of you who are interested I’d encourage you to become a member of the Eco-Dentistry Association (www.ecodentistry.org). These are great people truly committed to their work. You might just find out that ‘Green’ dentistry might result in more ‘green’ in your bank account! Keep Smiling!