Dental Tribune Asia Pacific Edition No. 3, 2018

10 TRENDS & APPLICATIONS TRENDS & APPLICATIONS Dental Tribune Asia Paciﬁ c Edition | 3/2018 “From a patient to a fan” An interview with W&H Marketing Director Anita Thallinger about the company’s new image campaign One could describe them as every- day heroes: the dentists and dental professionals who, through their dedication, professional skill or simply a friendly smile, manage to transform dental appointments into positive experiences for their patients. They do this simply be- cause they care and want to ensure Dr X. Pert. their patients feel comfortable. This is precisely the focus of W&H’s new image campaign, “From a patient to a fan”, which aims to put the spotlight on dentists and their AD teams. In this interview, W&H Mar- keting Director Anita Thallinger talks about the background, objec- tives and challenges of the compa- ny’s new advertising campaign. In February, the new W&H image campaign was launched in dental markets worldwide. What objec- tives were set for the new campaign? Anita Thallinger: One of the objectives of the new campaign, of course, is to draw the attention of the world of dentistry to W&H and to distinguish the com- pany from the competition. Moreover, we want to show dentists and their practice teams that W&H is there for them as a solutions provider and does its utmost to sup- port them in overcoming their day-to-day challenges. W&H’s new image campaign does not focus on the com- pany itself, but on dentists and their teams. Why did you choose this approach? We want our customers to know that W&H values their work, dedication and skills. As a manufacturer of innovative dental solutions, it is our aim to provide users with products that offer added value. As practice teams need to give patients their undivided attention throughout W&H Marketing Director Anita Thallinger (right) talking to W&H Corporate Communication Manager Susanne Kreuzhuber about the background, objectives and challenges of the new image campaign. the entire treatment process, W&H sees its primary task as being to optimise and facilitate the work- ﬂ ow. Our innovative products are not only high in quality, but also intuitive, reliable and above all precise in their functioning. Our goal is to support dentists and their teams and offer them prod- ucts that meet these requirements. The new campaign features smiling dentists and patients. What makes your current campaign different from that of your competitors? At ﬁ rst glance, the new image campaign seems to take a very tra- ditional approach compared with our previous campaign. However, W&H is known for its slightly tongue-in-cheek advertisements. This is evident in the current cam- paign from the names given to the dentists in the ads. If someone is exceptionally good at something, or becomes synonymous with something, he or she becomes the epitome of it, thereby gaining fans. W&H has ap- plied this approach in the new campaign. In the eyes of patients, the dentists pictured in the adver- tisements become Dr Phil Good, Dr X. Pert, Dr I. Novativ, Dr S. Mile, Dr I. Trust or Dr Sue Perstar, and thus become the living embodi- ment of trust, well-being, expertise, happiness and innovative spirit. Instead of using models, you put W&H employees at centre stage for the campaign. Why did you opt for this approach, and how did your col- leagues feel about the photo shoot? At W&H, the concept of togeth- erness plays an important role. Our employees are in contact with at least one area of dentistry every day. They enjoyed the change of perspective and putting them- selves in our customers’ shoes. For the photo shoot itself, we were able to ﬁ nd three dentists in Salz- burg in Austria who offered their modern facilities as sets. The den- tists and their assistants were also on hand to offer advice during pro- duction; that is why the images look authentic. I think the fun that all the participants had in the pro- cess is evident from the emotion in the photos. Have you already received some in- itial feedback on the image cam- paign from your customers and partners? What has the response been? We carried out a survey involv- ing around 100 dentists during the development phase. The concept in itself, the idea with the names and many other aspects were put to the test and received excellent feedback across the board. So, we are looking forward to an exciting year. Thank you very much for taking the time to answer our questions. With its new image campaign W&H places dentists and dental professionals in focus. W&H supports the practice team with its daily work and, thanks to its innovative product portfolio, is a cornerstone of its success, according to the company.

Dental Tribune Asia Pacific Edition No. 3, 2018

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