Saturday, April 17, 2010

Dogs, Docs, Drives and Brands

What can two mutts and a veterinarian tell us about branding? It’s all about building trust.

This thought occurred to me a couple weeks ago when I was taking my two dogs for their yearly check ups. Our veterinarian is located in Fort Collins, we live in Boulder.

Our visit requires an hour’s drive each way on roads most Coloradans know are not the most enjoyable to drive. My dogs are worth it, so I’m literally willing to go the extra mile for their care.

Since there is a slew of veterinarians near our home base why travel so far for a routine check up? Because my dogs’ doc has worked hard to build trust between his business and me.

It started with the caring manner he helped my old dog through its final days. It continues today with the fawning medical upkeep he provides my current four-legged friends. My loyalty will most likely go on until the veterinarian retires.

My veterinarian’s brand is caring and competence, two factors in the medical field that build trust. This trust gets me to drive the better part of the Front Range just to get a couple mutts checked up.

Has your brand build this sort of trust with your customers and clients? How far are they willing drive to work with you?