With the lasting effects of the pandemic on the tourism industry, it is more important than ever to find ways to attract visitors to your town. However, competing with big cities and their many venues of entertainment can make it difficult to keep up.

But what if there was a way to draw in tourists and locals alike? What if you could create something that would make people want to seek out your town? What if you could get on the map?

There is a way, and that is by creating and promoting a roadside attraction! Have you seen the movie National Lampoon’s Vacation? If you have, then you remember Chevy Chase promising his family that they will soon see the world’s second-largest ball of twine. The movie is fiction, but roadside attractions like that are real and do in fact increase tourism.

An attraction can be something like a “World’s Largest…”, a historic site, or a photo op for families to pose with.

By having a roadside attraction within your town, you are creating a focal point for your town’s marketing efforts. A roadside attraction can create buzz around your city, improve your online platform’s performance, develop your town’s economy, and solidify your town’s identity amongst the people.

4 Reasons Why You Should Have a Roadside Attraction in Your Town

1. Attractions Create Buzz and Conversations That Increase Tourism

Having a roadside attraction gives a reason for tourists to not miss your town.

With tourists already on the road and wanting to venture through the country, a roadside attraction can be another destination they’ll add to the list of places to stop. How often can one say they’ve seen a 40ft gorilla, a giant pierogi, or the “World’s Largest Wagon Wheel and Pick Axe”? These are just a few examples of large-scale landmarks that can be found across America.

If you’re curious to see more examples of large-scale landmarks created by IDS, click here.

Hearing about these unique landmarks can create buzz and entice tourists to stop by your town. Not to mention that you are providing your tourists with a unique conversation starter that they can share with family, friends, or even other travelers on their journey. This word of mouth can create organic traffic for travelers to come to visit your town, and once they do, you’ll be able to showcase the local businesses and culture that your town is known for.

By having a roadside attraction, you are also giving opportunity for your town’s economy to grow, more on that later.

Bonus Tip: Get Listed in Directories

There are directories, from Wikipedia to travel websites, that list must-see attractions, including those places with “The World’s Largest” sculptures that make it easy for travelers to plan road trips. Making sure your community is listed on these directories is an easy way to get attention.

2. Attractions Create an Organic Social Media Tool for Your Town

Nowadays, posting on social media is key to growing awareness for anything, whether it be businesses, people, cities, or towns. Having a unique landmark that can only be found in your area can provide a memorable photo opportunity for tourists to use and post on social media. This in turn can become an organic way for your town to market itself and grow its online presence. You can even encourage visitors to use a hashtag to help keep track of any photos posted on social media.

Think of the Eiffel Tower or the Empire State Building. You most likely didn’t have to google where you can find those landmarks because their symbol is so closely tied to that city. Especially with today’s social media climate, all it takes is one photo of your attraction to go viral and draw the attention of potential visitors.

If you’re really eager about how to maximize the photo potential of your roadside attraction, you can provide fun, personalized photos of your tourists when they come to visit your location – think of photos that they provide at theme parks, national parks, and gift shops.

3. Attractions Help Develop Your Town’s Economy

As mentioned earlier, having a roadside attraction can help boost your town’s economy. An influx of tourism means an influx of money into your local economy.

A landmark acts as a stepping stone for your town. Drawing people into your community helps to share the spotlight from the attraction to local businesses. Hidden gems can be found in many communities and having an attraction can help uncover them. Travelers will be spending money on food, lodging, souvenirs, and attractions while they visit your town.

Check out this great example of photo op bench characters. This pair of dating dinosaurs in downtown Drumheller, Alberta (known as Gus and his girlfriend to locals) are located at 2 separate bus stops on opposite ends of the street, prompting visitors to take a stroll through the main street and see all the other stores and restaurants along the way.

Beyond increasing the activity at local businesses, the attraction itself can create job opportunities for local residents, from management and maintenance to customer service and sales positions.

If you want to take your town’s development one step further, you can provide memorabilia based around your landmark. Think of keychains, magnets, t-shirts, hats, and more. The possibilities are endless. Your landmark will be a feature that can’t be found anywhere else, tourists will love to take a little memento back home or to give to a loved one.

Seeing this landmark not only in its main location but throughout your town can help build and solidify your town’s identity.

4. Attractions Solidify Your Town’s Identity and Boosts Community Pride

We’ve talked a lot about the marketing and economic potential that having a roadside attraction can provide, but a roadside attraction can also benefit the individual members of your community as well. This is because your landmark can become a unifying symbol that represents your town.

It’s easy for people living in small towns or rural areas to feel disconnected from the rest of the world; having a unique piece of art or landmark can give them something tangible that they can point to with pride and say “This is ours!” As word spreads about your town’s one-of-a-kind creation, more and more locals may flock to check it out as well —especially if it’s free!

You may be worried about how to decide on a piece for your town, a simple solution would be to provide a public survey of what your citizens want to be represented with and go with the majority. Having a brand new attraction for your town can help jumpstart excitement within the community and become a talking point for social events and gatherings.

Are You Ready to Boost Your Tourism Power with a Roadside Attraction?

Roadside attractions have been around for decades but have become increasingly popular in recent years due to their ability to attract tourists from near and far. Investing in one could potentially bring numerous benefits to your town including increased tourism, economic development, social media growth, and community pride.

Why not give people a reason to seek you out? Give them an adventure by creating a giant sculpture or artwork as a roadside attraction!

One of our Creative Consultants would love to help. Contact Imagination Design Studios (IDS) to get started creating your special attraction.

If you thought this article was interesting, watch this incredible landmark whale sculpture come to life in Texas:

Having unique roadside attractions and landmarks can be a simple solution to support your town’s marketing efforts, but how does one decide what to create as their main piece? After all, with the investment going into this project, you want to make sure it’s not only a unique piece that stands out but one that resonates with your community.

Luckily, there are lots of different types of attractions to pick from to help inspire your decision. From giant sculptures to highlighting natural wonders, this list can help show the benefits of each type and make you one step closer to getting your town on the map.

Let’s check out the varying types of attractions that your town may be interested in creating.

1. Giant Statues and Sculptures

Giant, larger-than-life statues can be an eye-catching and noticeable choice to attract tourists to visit your community. These sculptures can be anything from animals to people to plants and objects that are related to or can be found within your community.

Creating a giant sculpture that represents your community can enhance its identity and provide a focal point for its values. Whether your town has a strong connection to an industry such as mining or forestry, local flora & fauna, cultural heritage, or historical figure, a sculpture that embodies these elements can promote local pride and draw visitors to explore your town’s unique character.

For example, imagine creating a larger-than-life sculpture of the majestic Bald Eagle, which is the national bird of the United States and can be found in many states. This iconic bird of prey symbolizes freedom, strength, and independence, making it a perfect inspiration for a landmark sculpture that embodies a town’s spirit. The landmark sculpture could be designed to be educational as well. Visitors could learn about the history and significance of the Bald Eagle, as well as the importance of preserving its habitat and the natural environment.

They are a great boost for local businesses as well. For example, dinosaurs have become a beloved symbol that captures our fascination with prehistoric times, and are an obvious choice for a giant landmark owing to their larger-than-life stature. Any region that is rich in prehistoric features can leverage this popular attraction by installing a giant dinosaur landmark that is sure to captivate tourists, leading them to explore local museums, fossil shops, and dino-themed restaurants.

Having a giant version of an item you least expect can be a unique way to entice travelers to take a rest stop in your town. A simple “Have you seen the giant potato peeler?” can be an easy and simple conversation starter that can lead back to you and your community.

Overall, a giant sculpture that represents the local community can be an excellent way to amplify and grow the town’s identity while serving as a focal point for the community’s values and history. By highlighting the unique aspects of the town or region, it can also help to attract visitors who are interested in learning more about the area’s culture, heritage, and industry.

2. Natural Wonders

Naturally occurring roadside attractions can be a fascinating sight for travelers and tourists alike. These attractions are often created by natural forces over thousands or even millions of years, and can provide a glimpse into the history and geology of the surrounding area.

Some of the most popular naturally occurring roadside attractions include giant redwood trees, impressive rock formations, and stunning waterfalls. These natural wonders can provide a unique and memorable experience for visitors, and can even inspire a sense of awe and wonder.

Perhaps you have a natural wonder close to your community and you want to emphasize its importance in a more interactive way. Having a 3D sculpture that pays homage to your natural surrounding can be a great way to provide the bigger picture in a single space. This can make for great photo ops for family and friends when they come to visit your location.

3. Historical Sites

Many roadside attractions are dedicated to preserving and showcasing the history of a particular area or topic. These attractions can range from small, local museums to larger historical sites that draw visitors from across the country. Some examples of these types of attractions include historic battlefields, pioneer settlements, and museums that focus on local industries or cultural traditions.

Similar to natural wonders, using giant sculptures can help emphasize the meaning behind historical sites and build on the importance of that site. Oftentimes, historical sites utilize past images to showcase the events of that era. These photos can often be small or only provide a small portion of the actual event.

Using a large-scale sculpture can help immerse your visitors to see the intensity of the many details that history may have. Perhaps your location is next to a well-known historic battle, you could use large-scale sculptures to create a 3D landscape of what that battle may have entailed. Maybe your historical site involves a prominent figure that made a difference within your community or within history, having a large-scale sculpture of that figure can help focus the importance of that historical person.

All these ideas give your visitors a unique and memorable experience that they’ll be able to share with future visitors for years to come.

4. Museums and Curiosities

Museums can be historical in nature, but can also focus on science, art, or just a day of discovery.

If your business is out of the ordinary and takes its guests through a journey outside of the box of regular life, using a roadside attraction can be a great way to gauge curiosity towards your business. Museums, optical illusion exhibits, science centers, and other outside-the-box businesses can benefit from outside-the-box attractions. An upscale exterior design can entice or give visitors a hint at what your business is all about.

A great example of this is the business WonderWorks, in which its building is literally flipped on its head.

WonderWorks is an indoor amusement park that combines both education and entertainment through its exhibits. Having a unique exterior design both turns heads and causes curiosity as to what hidden treasures that building may contain. WonderWorks also knows that its exterior generates curiosity and that they’ve gone “big” to build a story about its unique origin. By doing this, they build on the customer experience and branding for its company.

5. Amusement Parks and Activities

Many roadside attractions include rides and games, such as go-karts, mini golf, and bumper boats.

Offering a small activity like a mini-golf course is a good way to encourage travelers to take a break and relax for a bit. It can even increase the length of time that tourists stay in the town. Instead of just passing through, they may choose to spend a night to play and to explore the other attractions in the town.

6. Art Installations or Murals

Art installations and murals can be a unique way to create both a sense of community and create engagement from visitors. Having a large-scale art piece along a busy roadway can quickly enhance what your town or city is all about and give a focal point for guests to see and instantly relate to. These pieces can also showcase multiple aspects of your town and flow together into one captivating piece that can educate your visitors.

Have you heard of Graffiti Alley in Toronto, Canada? This unique section within the Greater Toronto Area stretches 1000 feet and showcases large-scale graffiti pieces that have become an iconic photo opportunity for models and photographers. These sets of murals also help encapsulate the alley’s history and curiosity about how the piece came to be.

On top of this, it has created an organic focus point for tourists to visit and venture into closeby businesses. The alley can be found within the heart of the GTA and closeby to Queens Street West which has local cafes, restaurants, and stores.

Although graffiti may not be the art style that you’d prefer for your community, a large-scale art piece designed to represent your town can create opportunities to highlight your location.

What Attraction is Right for You?

Whether it’s a statue of an iconic figure, an out-of-the-ordinary exterior design, or a large-scale art piece for photo ops, having a unique roadside attraction can be to drive visitors to learn more about your community. These six different ideas will help you start the conversation and jumpstart your ideas.

Regardless of what your community decides to go with, creating an iconic landmark can become a unique staple of your community piece for years to come.

There’s an assumption that dental practices, like grocery stores, are immune to recessions. After all, people need to eat. And they still need to take care of basic health issues.

Yet a landmark study published in the Journal of the American Dental Association confirmed what dental professionals who have been through economic downturns already know: patients put off dental appointments and oral care treatments in recessionary times.

An analysis of dental visits in the US between 2003 and 2015 by Albert Guay and Andrew Blatz revealed a noticeable decline in dentist visits during the Great Recession (December 2007- June 2009). Only 38.4% of the American population during this time visited a dentist, a remarkable decline. Visits to orthodontists among working adults aged 19+ dropped from 1.1% in 2008 to 0.7% in 2010 as the recession was ending.

With rumblings of a possible downturn on the horizon, the question is, what can dentists and orthodontists do to recession-proof their business?

Marketing is one area where there are strategic opportunities to set a practice up to succeed… through good times and bad.

We spoke with Dan Bergeron, President of Everbrave Branding Group. As an authority on dental marketing, Dan shares four suggestions for dental practice owners.

1. Focus on improving your web content so you rank higher in online search.

“In today’s digital age, no matter your business, you can be sure that your target customers will be doing their research online.”

According to Bergeron, a recession is an excellent time to pursue low-cost/ high-return strategies that increase your odds of being found online.

He shares a few easy wins that will improve your content – and help increase your website’s search rankings.

a. Expand your web page content:

Does your website have pages with just a paragraph of text? Did you know that web pages rank higher when they have more information than less?

The more educational information and helpful advice you share, the more Google will consider you a subject authority, which helps improve your Google ranking,” Bergeron says. It’s also important to avoid reusing or copying content from other sources. Website content should be uniquely written for your website, or at a minimum, edited to be in your brand’s tone of voice. 

Dan’s Pro Tip: “I recommend web pages have a minimum word count of 500+ words. Break longer text into shorter, easily digestible sections.

b. Add a Q&A section to your website:

When people use search engines, they’re seeking answers to their questions. Q&A sections are a smart way to draw traffic to your website. If you can provide the solutions, you’ll increase the chances of coming up in their search queries.

c. Keep new content coming:

Search engines reward sites that regularly post new information. Blogs provide a great way to achieve this. There are endless topics to choose from (like an article answering FAQs). Just be sure to keep it simple for patients to understand.

Want more tips for marketing your office? Download the free guide to learn more tips for helping with your online presence.

2. Encourage patients to post online reviews.

“For years, the bulk of new business has come from patient referrals. But today, people aren’t simply asking friends and neighbors. They’re seeking recommendations from credible sources like Google Reviews,” Bergeron reveals.

“The more patients you can convince to give you a glowing review on these platforms, the better. Many of your best patients will be glad to share their positive experiences. If you want to show appreciation and encourage patients to participate, you might consider giving a small incentive… like a $5 coffee gift card.”

3. Invest in memorable patient experiences that set your practice apart.

“Whether it’s a vacation or visit to the mall, people are looking for experiences,” Bergeron says. “Businesses that do things to set themselves apart tend to thrive.”

In the dental world, he gives the example of pediatric practices that invest in creating cool, interactive spaces that put smiles on the faces of young patients.

“A lobby that creates an immersive underwater world with mermaids, pirates, and sea creatures really stands out and gets talked about. They’re good for business and a fantastic way to put patients at ease. Nowadays, we’re even seeing this approach extend into adult practices as well.”

While this approach involves a more considerable investment, Bergeron says it can provide invaluable exposure and measurable ROI. This is most often realized through a higher rate of patient referrals as well as improved retention.

While investing in a renovation may seem like a good idea when the economy is booming, Bergeron points out that when the market cools, construction costs tend to go down – contractors have less demand for their work, and materials drop in prices, making a recession is a good time to renovate and build.

“If you have available capital, a downturn is a good time to invest in the future.”

4. Turn down the pressure and focus on prevention vs. treatment.

As a dentist, you’ve worked hard to build relationships with your patients. But according to Bergeron, dentists and orthodontists should show empathy and understanding in uncertain economic times.

“People are anxious. Money is tight. If a patient feels unduly pressured into a treatment that an insurer doesn’t cover, you may risk scaring them off,” Bergeron says.

Instead, Bergeron recommends turning the conversation toward prevention strategies and sharing tips to stop the problem from getting worse.

“It shows patients that their health is your top priority and that you understand their reality. Consider it an investment in your long-term relationship – and a recession-smart business strategy for your dental practice.”

Recession-proofing a dental business involves regular brushing!

Bergeron says that recession-proofing a dental practice through enhanced marketing efforts doesn’t start with the first forecast of an economic downturn. It requires a consistent and persistent effort at every stage of your patient relationship.

“The more work you put into growing and delighting your patient base, the harder it will be for them to leave you. And the better shape you’ll be in to weather a financial storm.”

Check out these related resources for improving your marketing efforts:

Why You Should Have a Blog on Your Dental Website

How to Get Online Reviews for Your Dental Office

The Importance of a Website for Promoting Your Dental Practice

Contact Imagination Design Studios (IDS) to get started transforming your office from a mundane to magical patient experience.

Want more tips for marketing your office? Download the free guide to learn more tips for helping with your online presence.

Wow, that year went by quickly. It’s hard to believe that 2023 is here. A new year means it’s time to start setting your marketing priorities and building out your marketing budget. But what are those with an ear-to-the-ground saying about developing a dental practice marketing budget for 2023?

Growth-driven dentists should maintain or boost marketing budgets in 2023.

In a recent article in Dentistry Today Xaña Winans, CEO and founder of Golden Proportions Marketing, suggested pressure on household budgets may result in reduced demand for elective procedures.

Yet her advice is to maintain marketing budgets and double down on ensuring patients come in for routine and restorative care. She says this will put you at an advantage – particularly if your competitors ignore this approach and instead reduce their marketing dollars.

Where are marketers investing in 2023?

Neil Patel, best-selling author and head of NP Digital, surveyed 8,032 marketers to see where they are spending their money and why. His data backs what Winans is advocating.

Here is a high-level look at some of Patel’s findings along with our take on the relevance to dental practices.

68% of marketers surveyed plan to increase their SEO budget.

Why: Patel says search engine optimization provides higher ROI than paid advertising, but does take longer to see results.

Our take: Smart thinking. More patients are searching for dentists online. The higher you rank on page 1 of search results, the more likely you are to be on their call list.

The Importance of a Website for Promoting Your Dental Practice

83% are increasing their content production budget.

Why: To create user content that can generate leads in multiple formats (video, print, etc.). Customers are using several channels. Marketers are following suit.

Additionally, many of those surveyed are investing in AI writing tools to help with content creation. You’re busy enough taking care of your patients, let platforms such as AISEO, Rytr, Jasper, or ChatGPT do the writing for you. AI is expected to play a larger role in marketing in general, allowing teams to create more content, faster.

Our take: Providing high-quality content that answers patient questions helps establish your domain authority. Which means you’ll rank higher in organic search. Content creation can be time-intensive but will pay off if strategically managed and well-written. Investing in AI writing tools can help reduce the workload, but AI can require serious editing and be quite simplistic.

Why You Should Have a Blog on Your Dental Website

56% will spend more on email marketing, while 38% will hold firm.

Why: Patel says increased expenditures likely account for the costs to manage growing databases, ensure privacy compliance and cover investments in email automation platforms. Those maintaining current spending are focusing on existing customers.

Our take: If inflation does lead patients to put off high-value elective procedures, it will be important to maximize checkup, hygiene, and restorative care visits. Email campaigns and automated reminders will be valuable for engaging existing customers. It can also be a valuable way to follow up with new prospects engaging with your website.

How to Create a Dental Newsletter That Deepens Patient Relationships (and Their Trust)

84% are increasing their community building budget.

Why: Marketers said they want to “feel in control of their destiny instead of being beholden to algorithms they can’t control.”

Our take: We strongly agree, especially for community-based dental practices. After years of being cooped up due to Covid-19, family-focused community events are returning in full force. As a dentist, sponsorships are a great opportunity to promote your local practice and show you’re engaged in the community you serve. It’s especially valuable if your dental practice’s brand and office space convey that same sense of fun and amusement.

59% will buy more Google ads, and 47% are boosting Bing.

Why: Marketers felt these channels provide high ROI compared to others.

Our take: This is a proven strategy to rank at the top of a localized search (eg. Best dentist near (your community). However, costs can add up. Keep a close eye on revenue that can be directly attributed to your ad-spend using the Google ads goal tracking features or other systems like HubSpot that tie ad-spend to revenue.

Social spending is a toss-up.

Why: There were mixed findings in the survey. Respondents said their social spending will be static or drop on most social channels. Many marketers are reducing their social spend in response to Apple’s new privacy policy. The notable B2C exception is Tik Tok, where 84% plan to increase their presence.

Our take: Social is still a great way to reach patients (especially moms of pediatric patients), so take this one with a grain of salt. Target your social channels based on your customer demographics. If you can create quirky, engaging posts, TikTok may be worth exploring.

If you put focus on social media, video content has become increasingly popular in recent years, and is expected to continue to be an important marketing tool.

Look beyond the market experts and at your competition.

What are other dental practices in your area doing to market themselves? Understanding your competition can help you allocate your budget in a way that sets you apart. As we said before, some businesses pull back on marketing and reduce their spend during uneasy economic times, but that can make them fade into the background. This could be your chance to come out ahead.

To recap, social is hitting some road bumps but is still a wealth of opportunity. Email marketing and search engine optimization are expected to continue to be important for reaching and engaging with customers. Artificial intelligence is expected to play a larger role in marketing, allowing businesses to streamline their marketing efforts. Focusing on content marketing and providing valuable, informative content can help build trust and credibility with potential customers and is likely to remain a popular marketing strategy. And getting back out into the community, meeting people face to face and creating real connections, is going to lead the way as Covid continues to become less of a concern.

If you’re unsure, talk to a dental marketing specialist.

Putting together a marketing budget can be challenging, especially in an uncertain economy (to learn more, read: How to recession-proof your practice). The consensus among marketers is to invest rather than cut back. To ensure you get it right, work with an experienced dental marketing professional. Establish priorities and set S.M.A.R.T. goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Sensitive).

We hope 2023 is good for you and your practice.

Before we highlight the benefits of having a mascot, let’s answer a few basic questions about mascots in general…

What is a mascot?

A brand mascot is a character that represents your company, or ‘brand‘. Companies use brand mascots as a spokesperson to promote goods and services as a part of their marketing strategy.

What can a mascot be?

A mascot can take any form you want – a human character like a superhero, an animal like a tiger, a fantasy creature like a dragon, or an anthropomorphic character like a smiling tooth. A mascot should relate to your products, community, or clientele.

How can mascots help your business?

The importance of creating an emotional connection between your services and your customer via marketing has never been more critical. Customers are much more discerning having the world at their fingertips to find and compare services before making a decision. You need to resonate with your audience and make them think of and choose you.

Emotions are produced by the same section of the brain responsible for memory and decision-making. Advertising that stimulates emotions also stimulates memory which inspires your client to make a buying decision. Advertising should not be presented with reason alone. It is assumed that dentists have a similar level of education and expertise, so how do you make your dental office stand out?

But saying a mascot helps with your marketing and attracts clients because of emotions is a broad statement. Let’s dive deeper into how this works…

5 Benefits of a Brand Mascot for Marketing Your Dental Practice

1. Mascots Increase Brand Awareness

Memory for faces is a core capacity of the human mind. Mascots are memorable because mascots have faces. Your logo or business name may slip from memory, but a character will stand out.

Quick, name a brand of frozen peas… is it Green Giant? I certainly couldn’t name a single brand of vegetable if it wasn’t for the friendly face on the label.

2. Mascots Create a Positive Image for Your Business

As we just said, mascots help people remember your business, but they also help them remember you in a positive light.

Your brand is the thoughts and feelings people associate with you. If you’re a pediatric dentist, the brand you want to create can be summed up as a child-friendly dental office that goes above and beyond for their comfort and care. A friendly mascot effortlessly communicates to parents that you are catering to their children’s wants and needs beyond just focusing on their teeth. You are the dentist they should choose to go to because you also are looking after their emotional and mental well-being. You go above and beyond!

Here’s a famous example of a mascot putting a business in a positive light.

Thinking about car insurance doesn’t generate warm feelings, but the soft-spoken Geico Gecko stirs up feelings of charm and relatability, and that was a big win for Geico. The company itself became relatable and a trusted place to buy insurance from. The mascot worked so well that it spawned competition from other insurance companies including the Aflac Duck and Flo from Progressive.

When kids think of the dentist they definitely don’t get warm feelings, but you can change that with a welcoming character by bringing some humor and warmth into their visit. Tell people what your brand is with a mascot. The kids will love you, the parents will appreciate your effort, and your business will grow.

3. Mascots Appeal to Kids

Mascots indicate to kids that something is made for them. Kids are used to seeing mascots on their cereal boxes, sports teams, and schools. The Nesquik Rabbit and Tony the Tiger will forever be associated with a tasty (although not good for your teeth) breakfast. Kids will feel special and welcome because your dental office is meant for them.

4. Mascots Can Assist Your Staff

We don’t mean they’ll be in the office helping to fill cavities. But they really can help.

Your staff can use your mascot as a teaching tool or as a way to break the ice with nervous patients. Create a backstory for your mascot – maybe they were once nervous while visiting the dentist, but they knew that the dental assistant, hygienist, and dentist are there to help keep their smile bright, so they were very brave and let the friendly staff look at their teeth – can they be brave like your mascot too?

Using a stuffed animal or a coloring page with your mascot to convey this backstory can help visualize this story to your patients as well and get them on board for their treatment.

5. Mascots Can Appear Across Different Media

Illustrations, sculptures, photo ops, costumes, puppets, coloring pages, animations, and more!

A mascot can be used in ways that a logo or your own name and face just can’t. A mascot becomes a simulacrum of you and your business. Creating marketing collateral becomes easier for your design team when there is a character with a personality to draw inspiration from.

Let’s look at all the ways you can utilize this great resource…

When and Where to Use Your Mascot

Incorporate your mascot into your logo.

Have a naming contest for your mascot on social media.

Use your mascot on building signage.

Place a 3D sculpted photo op of your mascot in your office.

Include your mascot on printed swag and shirts.

Create plush toys that look like your mascot.

Featured your character on coloring sheets for contests and prizes.

Bring your mascot to trade shows, community fairs, and educational presentations.

Include your mascot in commercials or TV interviews.

Create social media videos with tips and facts featuring your mascot.

This puppet mascot makes educational videos aimed at kids. Here kids are learning about healthy food choices.

Include your mascot during celebratory moments with your patients and staff.

Include your mascot during holiday celebrations.

Santa Claus, the mascot of the most wonderful time of the year, will be happy to team up with your own jolly character.

The possibilities are truly endless!

Case Study: See a Successful Mascot in Action

One of our clients, Dr. Bill Martin of Martin Kids Dental and Orthodontics, has been utilizing his mascot in amazing ways! We want to show off some of the successful ways he has used his mascot characters in his office and around his community.

Drawing inspiration from the local bayou wildlife, along with the well-known football team in the area, Martin Kids Dental has three charming characters for kids to fall in love with. A turtle, alligator, and frog (Phineas the Frog is Dr. Martin’s personal favorite).

First, the IDS team altered his existing “M” logo, adding in these 3 special mascot characters.

These characters appear in and around his office in his themed decor in 3D sculptures, posing as friendly photo ops, playing around in the murals, and on eye-catching wall-busting exterior signage.

The Martin team successfully uses their interior decor all over their website and social media. Check out these photos of patients from their Facebook feed with freshly applied braces and those who have finally had them taken off. The “Wired” and “Wireless” signs are a great touch!

Dr. Martin even created a costume version of his main gator character – Martin (or Marty) the Gator. This huggable, loveable, portable mascot gets around town.

Marty shows up in all their team group shots – he is one of the crew after all!

Marty has been touring around schools, helping teach kids about good dental hygiene.

And he gets to attend family events and expos. This friendly mascot makes Dr. Martin’s table approachable for kids. If kids go, parents will follow, and the Martin team gets their chance to do their health and sales pitch.

Dr. Martin is getting great mileage out of his mascot. He is known around town for his characters.

When I go around town and say “Hi, I’m Bill Martin, the Orthodontist at Martin Kids” the first thing they say is “Oh my gosh, that’s the alligator that comes out of the building.” We’ve since had people stopping by and taking pictures, it’s great.

Bring Your Mascot to Life with IDS

Don’t know where to start with creating a mascot for your office? One of our Creative Consultants would love to help. Contact Imagination Design Studios (IDS) to get started transforming your office from a mundane to a magical patient experience. The IDS design team can create a mascot for you through logo designs and implementation in theming around your physical office space.

Our business friend Street Characters has helped make some of our designs come to life in the form of mascot costumes.

Check out these other resources on how to use a mascot as a photo op:

5 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Office Photo Op

Themed Photo Opportunities

Our Top 4 Attention-Grabbing Building Exterior Ideas