A tool for assessing the brand of a clinic, a doctor’s brand and more

Our teaching experience shows that, unfortunately, not all clinic managers know exactly about this marketing tool and how it can be applied in practice. Using SWOT analysis does not require special knowledge or specialized marketing education. The owner, manager, head of the department or the doctor himself can independently conduct such rapid diagnostics and use the information obtained both for operational assessment and as an element of strategic planning for a long period.

There is a stereotype that the object of SWOT analysis can be socio-economic objects (sectors of the economy, region, city, etc.), a large company, a trademark, a well-known product, a brand. In fact, SWOT analysis is a universal method that is applicable in a wide variety of areas of economics and management, so it can be easily adapted to the medical business.

What can be assessed using a SWOT analysis in medicine and aesthetics?

• Clinic/beauty salon brand;
• separate medical areas in the structure of the clinic: cosmetology, plastic surgery, dentistry, since they can work with different efficiency;
• personal brand of a specialist (plastic surgeon, cosmetologist, etc.), since this is one of the main criteria when a patient makes a decision;
• personal brand of the manager or chief physician, since medicine is a very personal sphere;
• specific service: procedure, operation (for example, non-surgical facelift, thread lifting, etc.);
• a drug;
• apparatus;
• HR brand - the reputation of the clinic as an employer;
• separate divisions in the organizational structure of the clinic that can influence the effectiveness of attracting patients and generating revenue (marketing service, service department, call center, etc.).

What is SWOT analysis?

The purpose of SWOT analysis is to provide a structured description of the situation regarding which a decision needs to be made. The conclusions drawn from it are descriptive in nature without recommendations or prioritization.

SWOT analysis is a method that involves identifying internal and external environmental factors and dividing them into four categories.

1. S - Strengths - strengths - positive properties of a brand, product, advantages of the clinic, giving a head start over others on the market.
2. W - Weaknesses - weaknesses - properties that weaken the brand of a clinic/doctor/drug/drug, etc.
3. O - Opportunities - opportunities - external probable factors that provide additional opportunities to achieve the goal.
4. T - Threats - threats - external probable factors that may complicate the achievement of the goal.

Strengths (S) and weaknesses (W) are factors of the internal environment of the object of analysis (that is, what the object itself is capable of influencing); opportunities (O) and threats (T) are factors of the external environment (that is, those that can affect an object from the outside and are not controlled by the object). For example, the clinic’s cosmetologists are fluent in a certain hardware technique and demonstrate fantastic results - these are internal environmental factors, but the opening of a competing clinic on the next street are external environmental factors that are not controllable. Or an example in relation to an HR brand: a clinic may provide employees with a discount on their own medical services or organize transportation for employees at night - these are factors of the internal environment, but the closure of the nearest metro station, which makes it more difficult for employees to get to work - these are factors external environment.

Some experts criticize SWOT analysis for the fact that it is effective in making an initial assessment of the current situation, which cannot replace strategy development or qualitative analysis of dynamics. However, SWOT analysis is a necessary mandatory preliminary stage of marketing research, since as a result of such situational analysis we obtain basic data that can be used when choosing, developing a strategy for building and promoting a brand.

How to do a SWOT analysis?

Technically, SWOT analysis can be carried out in different ways. Let's give examples.

1. Individual format. The head of the clinic or marketer independently, based only on his personal opinion, fills out the SWOT matrix.
2. Teamwork. At a meeting of clinic managers or a meeting of doctors, give everyone 4 types of colored pieces of paper and ask them to very quickly write their opinion anonymously on each: on green pieces of paper - strengths, on blue - weaknesses, on yellow - opportunities, on red - threats. It will take very little time, but you will get a real picture of what key employees who are brand agents think.
3. Inner circle. Interview your acquaintances and friends (at least in a personal conversation), since they may be your potential patients. Find out what they think about your brand, what advantages they see, and what they would advise you to work with.
4. Competitors. If you are brave enough, you can get a brief overview of opinions about the clinic’s brand from specialists who work in other medical institutions. This can be done when attending conferences, at specialized events, during informal communication, etc.
5. Marketing research. If the clinic has a budget, then you can order this work from professional agencies. But with a high degree of probability, their conclusions will correlate with information obtained from sources 1,2,3,4.

It is important to answer the questions as honestly as possible and determine what actually exists here and now. It makes no sense to deceive yourself and engage in “decoration”. Having outlined weaknesses and threats, you can see points of growth and development. The main task is to obtain an objective and real analysis without “rose-colored glasses” and “stardust”.

Let us give examples of descriptive characteristics that can be identified as a result of a primary SWOT analysis in relation to the clinic brand, the doctor’s personal brand, and the HR brand (the image of the clinic as an employer).

Example 1. SWOT analysis of a cosmetology clinic brand (fictitious example)

Strengths:

• 15 years on the market;
• the clinic’s brand was well-known in the previous period;
• experienced team of doctors;
• modern equipment park;
• in-demand chief physician;
• location in the center;
• an established base of loyal patients.

Weak sides:

• unprofessional call center;
• reduction in patient flow;
• internal business processes are not debugged;
• negative patient reviews;
• lack of parking.

Possibilities:

• expansion of the equipment fleet and the list of drugs used;
• increasing the range of services;
• introduction of a loyalty system;
• “reanimation” of the clinic’s brand awareness.

Threats:

• competitors dump prices on a number of services;
• open conflict with the patient;
• negative publications in the media.

Read the full version of the article in Cosmetologist No. 2, 2021