Branding Family medicine Maternity Care- No Logo?

Although many family physicians in Canada continue to have thriving obstetrical practices, women may not be aware that family doctors are an option when seeking pregnancy care. With obstetricians often seen as the de-facto providers and the growing popularity of midwives, it is time to think about raising awareness and branding family medicine maternity care (FM-MC).

The term brand can be used both as a verb and a noun to differentiate one similar product from another. A successful brand confers instant recognition, and often evokes a sense of loyalty in those who consume it or identify with it. But a brand doesn’t have to be a thing or a product, it can be a concept.Wikipedia definesa concept brand as a brand that is associated with an abstract concept, like “breast cancer awareness” or “environmentalism”. FM-MC could be considered a concept brand: one that consumers recognize, identify with and find value in.

The first step in branding is to define a clear brand identity.  Brand awareness is built by disseminating key messages to a target audience and highlighting what the brand value proposition is. I.e. what is unique about FM-MC and what added value do we offer?  This does not in any way diminish the value of other brands (or providers) of maternity care, but helps us better define for patients why they may choose FM-MC for themselves.  In order to define a clear brand identity, we need to define the essence of what FM-MC is. Consultation with Canadian family physicians reveals the following key messages that align with the four principles of family medicine.

Continue reading on the Canadian Family Physician website >>

The Department of Family and Community Medicine (DFCM) has developed a brochure for those who want to publicize their maternity care offerings.

Download the brochure here.