Stow Dental Group Situational Analysis Client Overview Stow Dental Group was established in June 1966 by Dr. Ron Freshley, Dr. Ken Sladky and Dr. John Clugh. The dentists founded the office on the principles of quality care, personalized customer service and technical skill. Stow Dental Group provides its patients cosmetic dentistry, reconstructive dentistry, orthodontics, neuromuscular dentistry, family dentistry and periodontics. There are four dentists currently working at Stow Dental – Dr. Mark
Iati, Dr. David Schlosser, Dr. Eric Schikowski and Dr. Ronald Thompson.
The slogan for Stow Dental Group is “The Fusion of Art and Technology”, which the office distinguishes itself through cosmetic dental services. The dentists at Stow Dental have undergone specific training required to provide cosmetic procedures. These procedures include porcelain veneers, teeth whitening, gum contouring and dental implants. Stow Dental aims to provide the highest quality technical dentistry available.
Stow Dental serves clients in the greater Akron area and has a positive reputation. The office’s dentists received accolades for top dentistry from Cleveland Magazine, Akron Life and
Leisure and The Akron Beacon Journal among others. Dr. Mark Iati was recently placed fourth by votes from his patients in the “Beacon’s Best”, a list of 120 local dentists. Stow Dental Group also has a “Smile Cam” at InfoCision stadium, which broadcasts smiling fans onto the stadium’s scoreboard.
Obstacles
Stow Dental Group’s greatest strength – cosmetic dentistry – presents two primary communication challenges. The first challenge is awareness. According to mynewsmile.com, the most visited cosmetic dentistry website in the world, the average person does not understand the difference between a general dentist and a cosmetic dentist. Cosmetic dentistry is not a legally recognized specialty, meaning there are no restrictions for claiming to be a cosmetic dentist.
Many dentists take advantage of this term without undergoing specialty training. Communication objectives need to address this issue and provide education for key publics.
The second communication challenge is value. Cosmetic dentistry is expensive; a national survey estimates the cost of porcelain veneers from $975 to $2200 per veneer. While many cosmetic dentistry procedures are covered by dental insurance plans, they are only covered at a functional level. This means insurance companies won’t pay the cost of extra materials needed for aesthetic purposes. Furthermore, Akron has a median income nearly half the national average. With the current economic situation adding to financial hardships, Stow Dental Group finds itself in a tough business market. Communication objectives need to build value while targeting appropriate audiences.
Internal and External Factor Analysis
Internal
All Stow Dental Group’s dentists are members of the American Academy of Cosmetic
Dentistry (AACD). Membership in the AACD requires continued education and adherence to standards regarding ethical conduct and responsible patient care. The dentists at Stow Dental
Group have dedicated additional time and money to pursue specialized training. They have studied and applied skills beyond general practice, from smile design to diagnosing patient self- perception. Their abilities provide strength to the organization.
Stow Dental Group’s management also supports its employees. The organization has a
Facebook page featuring pictures of the staff, and even spotlights employees on videos seen in the waiting room. Stow Dental Group’s YouTube channel has video of a staff outing to an Akron
Zips game.
Communication
Stow Dental Group engages its audience in two-way communication through Facebook.
Dr. Iati and Dr. Thompson have professional Facebook pages where they post information and respond to followers. The office also has a blog that posts useful information for existing and prospective clients. However the blog has not been kept up to date and does not have any comments. Twitter implementation could help boost Stow Dental Group’s online presence and attract audiences. Search engine investigation did not yield any recent news or press releases.
The impact of past and current communication initiatives is unclear.
Environment
According to national survey one third of cosmetic dentistry patients are male, while two thirds are female. Most patients are between 41 and 60 years old, and spend the most money on dental bonding rather than high profile treatments like teeth whitening. The baby boomer population has contributed significantly to dental market growth. From 2005 to 2006, the average dental practice saw an increase of nearly 15 percent in revenue from cosmetic dentistry services. In 2009, the US dental market was valued at $2.2 billion which is forecast to grow to reach $4.2 billion by 2016.
Research shows teeth whitening can lead patients to accept more complex procedures in the future. Patients who agree to this treatment are more willing to be educated and motivated to accept other forms of cosmetic dentistry. Survey respondents listed whiter and brighter teeth as the most desired smile improvement. Nearly all – 99 percent – of adults believe a smile is an important social asset, while 96 percent believe an attractive smile makes a person more appealing to the opposite sex. 75 percent of adults feel an unattractive smile can hurt a person’s career success.
Review of Key Publics
Primary
Adults, 41-60 years old, located in the Akron regional area
Akron news media
Secondary
Adults, 18-30 years old, located in the Akron regional area
Summit County Health Department
Akron Health Department
Adults 41-60 years old make up 51 percent of cosmetic dentistry patients and will be targeted as a primary audience. Reaching this audience will require news media coverage, specifically The Akron Beacon Journal and its affiliation with Ohio.com. Adults 18-30 years old make up 20 percent of cosmetic dentistry patients and will be targeted as a secondary audience.
Additional secondary audiences include the Summit County and Akron health departments to provide opinion leadership. Testimonials from leaders in these departments will lend credibility to promotional efforts.
Potential Media Outlets
Print Media – The Akron Beacon Journal, Stow Sentry, Barberton Herald, Akron Life and
Leisure
Online – cosmetic dentistry blogs, mynewsmile.com, Ohio.com Health and Lifestyle
Local television stations
Radio – WZIP, WONE, WHLO, WTOU, WAKR, WKDD
Initiatives
A strategic outline will establish objectives to target media and key publics. Four news angles will be developed to highlight Stow Dental Group and the health benefits provided by its cosmetic services. A planned program will draw media coverage and build awareness among the
Akron regional community. Stow Dental Group’s communication messages will identify the link between cosmetic dental services and proper health care. The website needs to be updated to support these initiatives, and press materials need to be archived for future use.
Problem Statement
Stow Dental Group offers patients the highest level of dental care by accredited and specialty-trained dentists. Despite high demand for the perfect smile, cosmetic dentistry is expensive and lacks audience differentiation from traditional dentistry. Stow Dental Group needs to build awareness and communicate the value of its dentists and cosmetic procedures to the public.