Avoid Using Brand Names in Healthcare Marketing

A recent story about safety violations in the manufacturing of duodenoscopes linked to deadly superbug outbreaks – and more than a dozen deaths – at U.S. hospitals points out the importance of NOT using brand names in your marketing communications with patients. Here’s why…

Guilt by Association

The FDA recently issued warning letters to Olympus, Pentax and FujiFilm for violating multiple quality-control safety standards and regulatory processes in the manufacturing of their duodenoscopes. Olympus makes more than 80% of the duodenoscopes currently used by U.S. doctors nationwide more than 650,000 times each year. We’ve seen too many doctors using brand names such as Olympus in their marketing to patients. Regardless of how enamored you may be of your latest technology or equipment, it is best not to promote it by brand name. Focus on the patient benefits rather than the brand name, or risk being perceived as guilty by association with that brand name if it receives negative publicity.

The Next Best Thing

The second good reason to avoid using brand names is the sheer pace of technological change in medical and dental specialties. If you are like most doctors and dentists, you will periodically upgrade your office equipment and technology to keep pace with competitors and changing market conditions. Your current brand name may not be your next brand name. And you can save yourself time and the expense of recreating your marketing materials just to change brand names.