The most complex and innovative branding project I’ve worked on was for Aesthetic Dental Clinic.
That’s because the owner is always exploring new ideas and is open to innovation, being both a surgeon and a business manager.
I mention this because I find this openness to innovation rather unusual among entrepreneurs, at least among those I’ve met so far.
But back to the subject.
First of all, I wanted to implement my own concept of intervening in the customer experience.
I built it around several different elements, drawing on the theory of one of the world’s leading branding consultants, american branding expert Allen Adamson.
He talks about the concept of a brand and brand signals, which I also covered in a recent post.
His theory provides a framework that is simple, yet comprehensive.
I chose to use it as a starting point and put a greater emphasis on the customer experience because, ultimately, that’s what contributes most to perceived value.
The VR glasses were one of the new user experience ideas I proposed.
In the photo, you can see me testing this idea.
I can say it did the trick :)), it helped me relax and shift my attention away from the dental procedure.
I also got to watch Seinfeld again after quite some time, and I noticed some new perspectives.
I was so absorbed in the show that I relaxed so much I almost fell asleep.
I usually keep my eyes closed at the dentist anyway, because I find it somewhat pointless to keep them open. Plus, it’s weird to spend 30 minutes or an hour staring at the ceiling or into your dentist’s eyes :))
Before proposing these new user experience ideas, I did some research.
One of the key findings was that going to the dentist often triggers fear or anxiety, even when the risk of pain may no longer justify those feelings.
At the same time, the research showed that the patient experience goes beyond the procedure itself.
It matters how patients are welcomed, how their treatment options are explained, how they feel in the dental office, what happens after the procedure, and many other things.
Building on the role of the senses, I also proposed ambient music in treatment rooms and scent branding using essential oils, to create a pleasant smell and promote relaxation through the effects of certain oils.
Our goal was to create an experience that communicates the same brand promise at every touchpoint: “We care about you.”
In my next posts, I’ll cover the other categories of new customer experience elements we proposed, along with more details about the research, visual identity, and final results.
You can find the case study, excluding the new user experience proposals, here.
