Dr. Bill Martin, the founder of Martin Kids Dental is excited to walk into his office every day to do what he does best, make a difference in the lives of his patients.
IDS outfitted both the exterior and interior of his office with Bayou theming. This one-of-a-kind office is designed specially so kids can touch, play, and feel safe in the space they are visiting.
Dive into our interview with Dr. Martin below and unveil how theming has enhanced his love for what he does and has affected his business better than he could have expected.
Tour a Bayou Themed Dental Office
Why did you decide to add theming to this office?
Dr. Martin: I just had an orthodontist’s office before, and then I decided to add pediatric dentistry and wanted to create a unique and very different environment for kids. Then IDS came along and did a perfect job.
What made you want to choose a Bayou theme?
Dr. Martin: Gainesville is in a town where we have the University of Florida, and the mascot for the University of Florida is the Florida Gator. And of course, around here we have Bayou’s, but the theme went very nicely with everybody in town being a gator fan.
Do you think the theming has helped your practice?
Dr. Martin: Incredibly so. I think that it established our brand, people talk about it, and the word is out. It has created an incredibly fun place for kids to come.
Do you think that patients are more relaxed when entering your practice after it has been themed?
Dr. Martin: Absolutely, if they were ever in any other kind of office, a doctor’s office, or anything else like that, there’s usually some anxiety. So they walk in here and it’s like a trip to Disney World.
How would you describe the reactions from the patients when they come into the office for the first time, and even after multiple visits?
Dr. Martin: I think that the first time, the eyes are big and it’s a wow experience. And even after they’ve been here many times they are discovering something new each visit with the different animals and murals. The murals were designed by IDS to have little things hidden, so every time they come in they are going to see something new and different.
Do you think that you are gaining new patients as a direct response to the theming?
Dr. Martin: There’s no question about it. I think undeniably this is one of the best marketing tools you could possibly have.
Do people mention seeing your exterior alligator outside when they drive by?
Dr. Martin: They do. When you go around town and you 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.
In fact, they’ve said that anything out in this area they will tell their friends where it is in relation to the alligator coming out of the wall.
We also have a bench that has a couple of characters with a space in between them so the kids can get their picture taken there, and that’s being used all the time.
What do you think the staff’s response has been to the theming?
Dr. Martin: I think the staff is excited about it because it’s a fun thing. It’s a fun place to come, it’s a fun place for kids, and the funny thing is, that it’s also a great place for adults that never wanted to grow up.
How do you personally feel seeing the theming every day?
Dr. Martin: I love it, it puts a big smile on my face. In fact, instead of coming in the back door I come in through the front door now so I can see the theming of the different animals, and it makes me feel grand, it makes me feel happy.
Being that the theming is a few years old now, how do you think it has stood the test of time?
Dr. Martin: The quality is top-rate. It looks just like it did the day it was put in.
Can you tell any stories of children interacting with characters or spaces?
Dr. Martin: What you see out front is one of my favorite places, because the bench is set up so the kids can take pictures and they really like doing that. And then they will have a favorite character. So you can look behind me here, and some will get their picture taken with the alligator, and others with the frog and the turtle. It’s really a photo op moment.
What would you say that your favorite character or area is in the themed spaces?
Dr. Martin: My favorite character is Phineas Frog I call him, and he is the frog that has braces on him. Of course, being an orthodontist I am biased, but he’s a funny little guy.
What previous issues do you think that the office had that were solved through theming?
Dr. Martin: I think the theming makes the kids feel so much more relaxed, that is the big one. Plus it makes a statement to parents, that we have invested in their child’s well-being, and happiness and we are more than just putting our face in some kid’s mouth. So I think it really makes a statement to parents that we really care about your kid.
Would you consider adding more theming to other areas in the future?
I don’t see how you can make it any better, I think this was so thought out by the people at IDS that I just don’t know how I could improve it.
If you were to expand to other offices would you consider adding the theme installation to those offices as well?
Dr. Martin: Without a question. At first, when I got into this I said to myself “wow this is a lot of money” but when I look at the benefits of it, not only as a marketing tool, but it really is a marketing tool because you don’t have to put up a billboard when you have an office like this.
Do you think the theming goes hand in hand with your marketing and how do you feel that it is utilized in your marketing?
Dr. Martin: Absolutely, for sure it does.
What we do is we have the characters, and we of course use them when we film advertisements. The other thing is the alligator was so popular, that we had a company make a mascot like you see in the NFL or NBA, and when we go out to do public events, which we do a lot of, we always have our mascot with us. So that presents our brand, and the mascot is amazingly popular, the kids chase him around and hug him all day long.
What do you think are the most important benefits of the theming?
Dr. Martin: One is that it’s a great marketing tool and it certainly cuts down on a lot of the other marketing we would otherwise be trying to do. Two, it’s great for the kids, when they walk in the office they have a place where they walk in and go wow, this is really like going to a theme park. And three, quite frankly for us as a staff, it’s my happy place. When I come in in the morning I might not have a smile on my face, but after seeing these characters and looking at the murals, I got a smile.
How was your experience with IDS?
Dr. Martin: They were fabulous. They are an amazingly creative group, really worked within a budget for me as that was of course a big concern, and they put out a plan and if I said “wow that’s just way out of my budget” then they would modify it and I was always happy with every modification that they made. The guys in charge give me their cell phones. If I need to get in touch with them, they are available.
Would you recommend IDS to others in the future?
Dr. Martin: Absolutely. Nobody in my town, haha, but absolutely to anybody.
Starting with a passion to help others, founder Dr. Bill Martin opened the doors of his first practice in 1979. Since then, his vision has blossomed into a true family practice as his team of experts expanded to his two sons Dr. Dave and Dr. Paul.
See the full bayou office theme here.
Interested in learning more about themed environments? Check out these related resources on IDS customers:
See more examples of bayou theming here.
Hear more great stories of happy IDS customers here.
Contact Imagination Design Studios (IDS) to get started transforming your office from a mundane to magical patient experience. Or download our inspiring look book and start imagining the possibilities in your office.