Maverick Dental Lab Drives Patient Referrals to Clients

A new fleet of delivery cars has turned into a double bonus for Maverick Dental Lab, Export, Pennsylvania: it's saving on delivery costs and reaping the benefits of a unique and effective direct-to-consumer marketing strategy.

Last June when Maverick Dental Lab's President and Co-Owner Joe Fey and CFO Dale Chandler were number crunching to cut costs, they realized the laboratory could save 20% per year by purchasing its own delivery cars rather than reimbursing its drivers for using their own cars. Owning their own vehicles also gave Chandler--who had a fresh "consumer" perspective thanks to his background in public relations and advertising--another idea. He saw an opportunity to create a marketing campaign that raises dental health awareness and drives patients to the lab's clients. Through that, the "Follow Me to a Great Dentist" campaign was born.

Serving southwestern Pennsylvania, the 35-person laboratory purchased...