Ford’s current slogan is “Built Ford Tough”, but before that it was “Quality is Job 1.”  This was their attempt to speak particularly to those often referred to as the “Greatest Generation” (i.e. people who are old enough to remember WWII), for whom quality was extremely important.  Ironically, Ford used this as their slogan during a time when they were getting their rear ends handed to them by the Japanese and Germans, but that is perhaps a topic for another post.  If you SAY quality is important, you better mean it:  consumers are less and less forgiving.

For this week's post, I’ll borrow liberally from one of my favorite movies and discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of online reviews.  While the most popular places for reviews may change over the years, the underlying concept of consumers telling other consumers about their experience is not going to go away.  Here are some things that you should be thinking about, focused specifically on veterinary medicine.

It wasn’t that long ago that differentiation for a veterinary practice meant how your Yellow Pages ad looked compared to those of the other veterinary hospitals in town.  Or maybe that you did an annual Open House to promote interest in the local community.  Today, our society has become so connected through sites like Angie’s List, Facebook, Yelp! and Pinterest that traditional means of promoting your practice, like print advertising, aren’t as effective as they once were.  

Valentine’s Day is full of treats and special surprises for all of our loved ones. Pet owners need to be aware, though, of how their holiday plans could impact some of the most important critters in their lives. Many common Valentine’s Day candies and confections are not so sweet for our four-legged loves. Do you know what Valentine’s Day Pet Dangers are lurking in your Whitman Sampler this year?