Veterinarians Are Marketers Too

Have you ever forgotten your dog’s birthday? Of course you have (well maybe you haven’t). But most people don’t remember their dog’s birthday. Today, I was one of those forgetful people until I opened my email. My marketing savvy vet sent a happy birthday eCard to my French Bulldog, Henry.

At first, I smiled and thought “amazing marketing, Woodland Vet Clinic.” And then, remorse set in. I forgot my dog’s birthday. And my vet had to remind me.

As Young (2010) suggests, marketers must use the consumer pathway in order to drive consumers to purchase. And just six months after Henry’s last visit, the vet continued the consumer communication with an email during the “relationship building” phase (Young, 2010, p. 55).

This happy birthday email acted as a “relationship building” tool because it “made me feel special” (Young, 2010, p. 55). But not only did the email build my trust in the vet, it was a platform for alerting me to additional services. I realized, on top of forgetting his birthday,  that he needs a check-up in a couple of months. If I needed to be proactive, I had the information to call the vet right then.

However, I did the second best thing. I advocated my vet’s services and kind gesture in a forward of the email to my family. Young (2010) suggests this is the last step in the consumer pathway. Through my intrapersonal and interpersonal reaction, my vet mastered its marketing efforts.

Overall, this experience teaches three lessons:

1. The consumer pathway works when done right.
2. Small, personal gestures make a big impact with advocacy ripple effects.
3. I need to get my dog a treat for his birthday!

References

Young, A. (2010). Brand media strategy: Integrated communications planning in the digital era. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Chapters 4 & 6.