Building Brand Trust
Learning to use effective marketing
and public relations strategies is critical
in building trust in the physical therapist
brand as experts in restoring and
improving motion in people’s lives.
Why?
Because smart, targeted marketing
and public relations messages and strategies
can create positive perceptions in
the minds of consumers, who rely on
brands to make their decisions easier.
Building a brand and building trust
means living up to the brand’s promises.
Physical therapists need to be vigilant
about protecting their brand because
trust easily can be tarnished. All we
have to do is look at some well-known
brands to see what can happen when a
brand does not live up to its promises.
Consumers are looking for prevention
and wellness options that are
evidence-based, cost-effective, and
conservative. Successful marketing and
public relations strategies help physical
therapists communicate their expertise
and help them make meaningful connections
with consumers and other
health care professionals. Once these
connections are made and positive
experiences result, trust and brand
loyalty is the outcome.
Chanté Sedwick is APTA’s Director of Marketing
and Creative Services. Jennifer Rondon is a
senior public relations specialist.
Are You Market-Ready?
It’s a common mistake, says author and physical therapist
Peter R. Kovacek, PT, DPT, MSA, to jump into marketing activities
before developing a thoughtful plan for your particular
practice or facility. In APTA’s Business Skills in Physical Therapy:
Strategic Marketing, Kovacek outlines his Physical Therapist
Marketing Readiness Self-Assessment. Individuals, teams,
and whole organizations can follow a step-by-step process to
determine areas of marketing strength and paths
to improvement. There are 6 areas to assess:
• Marketing knowledge
• Marketing capabilities
• Marketing experience
• Attitudes toward marketing
• Marketing systems and resources
• Implications of marketing success and/
or failure
The assessment prompts you to score not
only your competence in specific areas but also
the importance of that area to your organization’s
goals. As a result, you can focus your needs to
capitalize on strengths and improve on weaknesses
toward achieving your specific goals.