The power of your brand is equal to the surplus you can charge for the same product or service offered by alternatives in the market (your competitor).

If your brand is strong, you can charge significantly more than your competitors (or rivals – whatever you wish to call them), even if you offer a similar service.

The power of your brand equates to the extra value people perceive, which they’re more than willing to pay for.

Think about a white T-shirt that sells for £5 on Amazon. Stitch a Nike logo on it, that same white T-shirt will sell for £20. Remove the Nike logo from the front and replace it with a BOSS label on the inside, and it’s £35.

Don’t believe me? Look it up.

Yet, branding isn’t about logos… or catchy slogans, colours, or even the words you use. Branding is the act of pairing your product’s or service’s outcomes with your customers’ dream outcomes.

Perceived status? Perceived success? Doesn’t matter.

Good branding is like playing business on “easy-mode”.

1. It lets you charge more for the same service everyone else offers.
2. It helps you get referred and repeat customers
3. It nearly guarantees sales for new offerings.

For private-practice ophthalmologists, success is when potential patients see you as THE choice, not an option. Why? Because you’ve paired (or been paired) with other things they want.

Most practices get branding wrong. They focus on elements that don’t connect with their target audience, like generic imagery or empty taglines. The right approach creates a standout brand. It pairs your service with experiences, values, and outcomes that matter. This brand attracts patients and commands premium prices.

A strong brand is powerful through consistency. Patients must associate you with a better life and nothing less. It increases loyalty, draws in new patients, and ensures that your practice stays top of mind.

I’ve put together ten actionable steps to help you craft a brand that does that (check out my latest article in Eye News. Thank you, David Lockington for the invitation to contribute my views on this topic.)

Dive in and build a brand that changes how patients pair you with their dream outcomes—and drive them to choose you.