Veterinary Practice Partners (Trade Show)
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Veterinary Practice Partners, VPP, is a professional management company that partners with veterinary practices to build high quality, growing and profitable practices that deliver superior client service and a positive environment for staff to thrive. As a veteran of the human healthcare industry, founder and CEO Rich Lester, decided to apply the partnership business model to veterinary medicine. The veterinarians lead the clinical and client service functions while maintaining the practice’s local culture and VPP leads the financial, marketing and administrative areas. For more information about VPP, please visit www.vetpartners.com.
Project: VPP hired Fetching Communications to build brand awareness among veterinarians with the ultimate goal of facilitating practice acquisitions. Fetching implemented a three-pronged campaign to introduce VPP that included direct mail marketing, PR outreach to trade publications, and a strong presence at industry trade shows—specifically the 2011 AVMA Annual Convention in St. Louis, which attracts nearly 10,000 attendees from around the world.
Situation: VPP was founded in 2011, and as an adolescent company had yet to acquire a single partner practice when Fetching stepped in. There wasn't much time before the AVMA Conference, but it was critical that we have a presence at the show. After all, the exhibit hall would be filled to bursting with VPP's target audience: current practice owners, DVMs preparing to retire, graduating vet students and anyone else thinking of launching his or her own veterinary practice.
Solution: Fetching implemented an extensive public relations campaign that targeted veterinary industry trade publications. The campaign included the development of a press kit that included a company bio, FAQ’s and press release announcing VPP’s business goals. Most importantly, the press materials addressed how VPP could help veterinarians grow their practices despite a rapidly changing economic climate. This intensive media outreach resulted in significant coverage for VPP, including a front-page story on the cover of the April 2011 issue of Veterinary Practice News, one of the veterinary industry's most respected, and well-read, publications.
Concurrently, Fetching designed and launched VPP's website, and created marketing collateral to support the company’s grand debut. In addition to corporate branding (logo, letterhead and business cards), Fetching also designed several direct mail pieces, rack brochures, and tradeshow booth displays (8’ x 10’ curved backwall and retractable banner).
An oversized postcard mailed just prior to the conference, encouraged attendees to visit VPP's booth to learn more about the benefits of the partnership approach, as well as enter a drawing to win an iPad 2. Signage at the booth mirrored the colors and imagery used in the direct mail campaign to further cement recognition of the VPP brand. A Fetching team member accompanied VPP to the conference to facilitate media inquiries and booth tours, allowing the client to focus solely on networking and interacting with conference attendees. Promo items, including memo pads, pens, and polo shirts, were imprinted with the VPP logo and website URL. These highly practical takeaways ensured that the VPP brand would stay in the forefront of the minds of the target audience, even after the conclusion of the conference.
These efforts resulted in numerous prospects and VPP's first acquisition, Sangaree Animal Hospital… the client was so pleased with the results that he extended Fetching’s contract!
