When I met Dr. Darren Riopelle, he had a big idea about how to change the way dental care is delivered. He had successfully built a multi-specialty practice in Grand Haven, Michigan, and was ready to expand. He invited me to join his team, managing the branding and marketing efforts. Over the next four years, we grew Smile Dental Partners from a single practice to five West Michigan locations along with a pediatric surgical center in Grand Rapids.
By focusing on one thing—easy, integrated dental care—Smile was able to offer families a new, more convenient dental experience for the entire family. The Smile team rallied around a shared passion to reimagine dentistry and how people experienced it.
Smile’s brand (and logo) had been masterfully created by RCP Marketing. I had the privilege of building on that foundation, highlighting the following “Uniques” as we expanded into new markets.
1) A One-Stop Destination with Specialties for the Entire Family
Smile combines adult dentistry, pediatric dentistry, and orthodontics under one roof.
2) In-House Surgical Resources with Minimal Wait Time
Smile Dental Partners opened Daydreams Procedure Center, specializing in pediatric dental care under general anesthesia. This provided a valuable resource for pediatric dental surgery, reducing wait time from months to weeks. (See Daydreams’ case study for details.)
3) High-Touch Patient Experience
