Carl H. Lindner College of Business Marketing Professor Shares Branding Principles with Doctors

What distinguishes a company from the competition?  Reliable service once was enough to set an organization apart from its rivals. Not so today.

Perception in the court of public opinion is now the standard that organizations must concern themselves with to appeal to an increasingly savvy customer.  

What you and your brand stand for will also apply to a radiology group, or any other health care unit for that matter.

“You’re only as good as your brand,” writes Dr. C. Matthew Hawkins, radiology resident physician in the University of Cincinnati’s Department of Radiology. As he and fellow residents begin to think about future job opportunities, personal and professional branding became an important topic.

That’s why the UC Department of Radiology invited Chris Allen, PhD, Arthur Beerman Professor of Marketing at the Lindner College of Business, to offer his insights on branding in a seminar entitled, “What’s All the Fuss about Branding?” Allen’s teaching and research over the past three decades have broached branding challenges with a host of diverse companies and organizations.

The November 17, 2011 seminar introduced UC radiologists to branding concepts and their importance to the future success of any health care enterprise.

From Allen, doctors learned that branding goes beyond a logo, a commercial, a slogan, company colors, polo shirts, uniforms or billboards. Branding includes the organization’s choice about what they aspire to stand for in their marketplace of products, services, or ideas, Allen says.

“If you don’t have a strong brand, you and your organization will not stand out in today’s complex world,”  Allen says.

The seminar established the necessity of branding in health care and gave the radiologists an understanding of its importance, both at an organizational and personal level.  

“Branding extends beyond an organization or company—individuals through their actions and behaviors reflect just as much, if not more, about an organization’s brand,” explains Allen. "Branding concepts are crucial for healthcare providers in winning over diverse constituent groups that affect success or failure in the health care field.”