Vet P.O.V. My vet the ad-man: Advertising in the world of vet medicine

November 24th, 2007  

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To the best of my knowledge, my vet doesn't do any advertising other than being listed in the yellow pages (paper and online), though the practice did get a nod from the local consumer checkbook group for quality care - not sure if that really counts.

If he wanted to start advertising, it wouldn't bother me. Even if you'd still want all your clients to be the kind of people that want to interview their vets before committing to the practice, they have to know your practice is there in the first place.

I would look at it as just getting the existence of the practice out there - nothing wrong with that.

Cindy November 24th, 2007 12:20:00 PM

personally, i think coupons are pretty tacky for a vet hospital, though an annual low-cost shot clinic for new clients or lower-priced spay/neuter fees for pet store puppies would be kinda cool, i guess. i dont know, i mean, if my closest gynecologist sent out fliers advertising LIMITED TIME OFFER!!!! 2 FOR 1 PAP SMEARS!! GET EM WHILE THEY'RE HOT!!! i'd be kinda freaked out, and i'd like to think i choose my pet's vet as carefully as i'd choose a practice for myself...

you get what you pay for!!!!

charity November 24th, 2007 02:46:00 PM

I don't have an objection to vet's advertising, but whatever is in the ad better be truthful. When I got my first cat, I picked a vet that had been recommended by a number of people, who also advertised. I switched vets not because of an objection to the vet per se, but because they advertised something along the lines of "we treat your pet like family" and they didn't. They weren't inappropriate in any way, but they seemed to put my cat in a mental box called "cat" and had no interest in his personality or behavior beyond that - except when it might affect diagnosis or treatment. While that might not be my first choice for how my vet clinic treats my animals (IMHO personality can be an important clue to problems that might not be visible otherwise), in the absence of a promise to do otherwise, I'd be happy to let their excellent results speak for themselves.

My dog and cat vet doesn't advertise as far as I can tell - they may advertise in the neighborhood paper, but I travel across town to see them, so I wouldn't know. They do get good word of mouth advertising though.

I wish my rabbit vet advertised. I wasn't taking my rabbit to the vet - except the walking distance emergency clinic when he was clearly ill - because he was such a bad traveler that just driving to the vet was enough to make him ill. I literally stumbled upon them when I found a stray chinchilla that I needed to have checked for a chip. Turns out one of the closest vets to my house treats "exotics" (why are rabbits exotic when they are the third most popular pet in the US?) and has such a rapport with bunnies that even my most nervous bunnies relax around him.

I'd say that you want to advertise enough that people in the neighborhood know you are there and what services you provide. If I moved to a new area and had to pick a vet without recommendations from knowledgeable friends, I'd definately use vet blogs and/or informative clinic websites, as well as factual yellow pages ads in choosing vets to interview.

Juli November 24th, 2007 02:59:00 PM

I personally don't have a high opinion of clinics that feel the need to advertise and have coupons. It makes me question how good the practice is.

I've been to two clinics that just happened to advertise and offer coupons in the mail. Believe me, there was a reason these places needed to advertise. Where I live word of mouth gets the most business. My current clinic doesn't advertise and always has a parking lot full of cars. It's mostly word of mouth, and the word is pretty good.

cheshire November 24th, 2007 06:48:00 PM

I have to admit, it does make me a little uncomfortable the way the "pet hospital" I work for advertises - it certainly brings bodies through the door (typically people who already have a regular veterinarian that figure they can get a good deal), but they're not always the kind of bodies you'd like to have, i.e., they're not going to be long-term clients usually. But money is money, regardless of whether we ever see them again. It's just a constant reminder of where the true focus of the practice is...the hospital markets itself the way a local fast-food restaurant would, and therefore will always be viewed in a similar (usually well-deserved) light.

anna November 25th, 2007 12:09:00 AM

My vet doesn't advertise (other than the Yellow Pages) either but I use him because he is the same vet my parents use. Since they have a dachshund, I know that he has experience with them, which is important to me. There is one particular chain which advertises and I don't think I would take my dog to them. Maybe it is because it seems like the personal touch is missing. Coupons would creep me out too! I don't want bargin health care for my pets anymore than I want bargain health care!

The Dachsies November 25th, 2007 09:32:00 AM

As far as I know, the only clinic that advertises regularly in my area is the local humane society clinic which pushes spaying and neutering. There is one vet who sponsors the local NPR station. During every pledge drive, she and a couple of other animal-related businesses put up a challenge grant called pet wars. People call in a make pledges in the names of the pets; the species with the most pledges wins. She also donates dog and cat check-ups as thank you gifts for donors. I always wonder if it brings in more business for her clinic. It definitely seems like she'd be targeting a choice demographic of educated pet owners.

My current vet doesn't advertise at all. His clinic is in a run down part of town, and I wouldn't have found him if it weren't for word of mouth. He mountain bikes with my sister, and he did a good job on her dog's teeth for a good price. When I got an outrageous quote from my old vet, I made the switch, and we've given him loads of business and lots of recommendations ever since.

Jen (SLC) November 25th, 2007 07:13:00 PM

I can't think of a single time that I've seen a billboard or even a print ad for a vet clinic in this area (Twin Cities, MN). I'm sure the Yellow Pages is full of ads, but the vets that I use are all people I've heard about by word of mouth.

Megan November 25th, 2007 08:34:00 PM

I live in the California Bay Area, and the local paper carries occasional full-page ads for a vet clinic that might be part of a chain. As another poster mentioned, I'd be suspicious if a medical clinic advertised low, low prices and would steer clear of any vet hospital that had the same tactics, but not necessarily anyplace that advertised. If I had just moved to town and didn't know anyone, I would definitely read ads. My clinic has occasional small ads in the paper, but the owner sponsors some charity events, so gets his name out there that way. We have a couple of dog newspapers (Fetch & Bay Woof), and several vets advertise there.

lin November 25th, 2007 11:54:00 PM

I would put Vets that advertise in the same category as lawyers that advertise- cheezy and insincere. Maybe I'm judgemental? Dunno....what I do know is I would not go to a vet that advertises or offer coupons (with the exception of animal clinics offering low cost spay/neuters....that's different). The capital it often takes to advertise in print/radio ads would make me resistant to /question the business model (and pricing) rather than impress or draw me in.

Amy in Somerville November 26th, 2007 09:32:00 AM

I would never choose a vet based on advertising or even on proximity to my home. I have to drive about 30 minutes to get to the practice where I take my dogs--and I pass two or three other vets along the way. I choose based on: 1. if they have AAHA accreditation and 2. referral by other agility people.
If I saw a big banner outside my vets' practice I wouldn't stop using them but I would wonder why they needed to resort to that kind of advertising. And I see nothing wrong with a listing in the Yellow Pages since people new to the area may only have that to fall back on for information about a particular practice.
But if I saw my vet begin to do a lot of advertising I would definitely ask them why. And if I felt I wasn't getting an honest answer, I'd start looking elsewhere.

Hillsborough, NC

Julie Rice November 26th, 2007 11:44:00 AM

There is only one vets office that tried the whole advertising thing and they were the butt of lots of jokes for many months because of it. They inisisted that their "Blue Light" specials as we called them would put all clinics within a 30 mile radius out of business because they put ads in newspapers.

Of course it didn't work as their "Blue Light" specials were anything but special. At the time they were charging almost $400.00 for a uncomplicated spay and most people just sought out new vets to go to. Ironically, this very company sold to yet another corporate run hospital recently as they couldn't keep themselves afloat even with their so-called deals and coupons. I found the whole thing rather amusing as these people were told that if the service isn't there, they can advertise all they want and it won't make them millions, but they refused to listen and knew better than everybody else so they hung themselves.

Good riddens!

Stacy November 26th, 2007 04:54:00 PM

I forgot to add, those $400.00 spays were cat spays...

Stacy November 26th, 2007 04:57:00 PM

I live in an area where no one advertises though they are all listed in the yellow pages. I would look for a vet that helped out their local shelters in good ways. That speaks volumes to me about what they really care about.

Marie November 26th, 2007 05:24:00 PM

I recently moved to a new area where I didn't know anyone to give me recommendations so I used the yellow pages to find vets to visit. I like vets to have a display ad in the yellow pages with the services they offer. Not a huge ad. One of the local vets does a lot of advertising on cable TV and I must admit it makes me less inclined to use them.

Linda H November 27th, 2007 12:36:00 PM

We recently moved, and I didn't mind seeing tasteful ads for vets (or human doctors; I found a new primary care doctor that way) in the local papers. If you simply list the names of the doctors at the practice with their credentials, the hours of the hospital, and any specialties I might want to know about, I think it's helpful. Simply picking a name and phone number out of the yellow pages, with no other information, not so much.

The tacky ads do turn me off, anything corny or with a tag line that smacks of advertising rather than professionalism. I'm torn about the coupons though. If your practice promotes, say, pet dental care month by offering a discount on cleanings, and you get some patients in there that might never get a cleaning otherwise...maybe that's a good thing. You've educated the public to its necessity and maybe prevented some major illness for some of the patients down the road. I guess I would talk to other vets who've gone the coupon route and see how many dogs and cats have benefited from it.

Debby November 27th, 2007 02:16:00 PM

P.S. I agree with Marie. We found a vet in our new community that was recommended by the shelter where we adopted our cat.

Debby November 27th, 2007 02:18:00 PM

Our situation is different out on the edge of nowhere. We have no competetion but we do advertise and do offer coupons. Why? to get pet owners in the door who don't do any health care at all...no spays, no rabies vax...nothing. There are a lot of them out there. how do you reach them otherwise. $20 off during a "spay day" (our med dog spay is only $100 anyway, $90 for cats) but that coupon gets a dog spayed that otherwise would not. That is good medicine & good business to me.

Tracey W November 27th, 2007 06:23:00 PM

I havn't seen a vet coupon or advertising (unless it was part of a local dog magazine) in a long time except for the yellow pages. I think web page and a blog is the best thing any vet can do. Its not expensive and you can actually educate your clients. Post pets in the practice that might need homes. Let people know about your low cost mircochip clinic and build your own little practice family where people have inclusion.
In south florida people are dying for inclusion and I suspect elsewhere also.
Most veterinarians I know particiapte in community events and that is the best advertising ever.

cyndi November 28th, 2007 08:20:00 AM

I'm with you guys on this. I haven't yet gotten over being somewhat appalled by ads for lawyers and human doctors - and here I didn't think I was conservative ;)

Diana November 28th, 2007 03:15:00 PM

The place where my cat was given a massive insulin overdose was rated one of the "best" hospitals in the area by our local magazine. They said they based their ratings on Consumer Checkbook and other input, and I checked this hospitals "Checkbook" rating and it was mediocre on quaity and worse on price (i.e., expensive and so-so). So I seriously question whether or not these ratings are a result of them knowing somebody on staff at the magazine, or simply incentivizing their clients to flood the mag with nominations. They didn't have a single solitary licensed technician on staff at the time, and the owner was leaving the patients in the care of his son, unsupervised, which is when this happened. I feel their appearance in that mag was probably more the result of them doing some pro-active publicity seeking rather than genuine.

I am very suspicious ever since of vet hospitals that advertise and spend great effort building reputations and beinging in clientele. Makes it seem more about money than quality of care.

I'm happy to be back at my old vets, the place I went before I moved, and now I drive an hour to get there and I won't complain.

I mistrust advertising. World of mouth is the only advertising I pay any attention to.

Stefani January 20th, 2008 12:30:00 AM

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