Dr. Whitney Bowe discusses branding and marketing pearls, including real-life anecdotes and experiences as well as best practices for developing and sustaining social media content and engagement.
Whitney Bowe, MD, FAAD, Advanced Dermatology, PC, Briarcliff Manor, NY.
“I’m a board-certified dermatologist, but I’m also a research scientist. And it wasn’t until I ventured beyond my clinical practice, beyond my research, that I really started to interface with the worlds of branding and marketing,” said Whitney Bowe, MD, who presented “Marketing and Branding” and participated on the social media panel “Evolving Your Digital Presence” at the 2023 Science of Skincare Summit in Austin, Texas.
“I’m the first to admit I’m not formally trained in marketing. So, what I had to offer during this conference was really from my real life experience, being the founder and CEO of my own skincare brand that I launched just over a year ago, Dr. Whitney Bowe Beauty.”
Other real-life experiences include her role as a featured expert on TV shows and as the author of the best-selling book The Beauty of Dirty Skin. She also has more than 1 million followers on social media, including Instagram and TikTok.
“So, I really pulled from those experiences to share some pearls and things that I learned about branding and marketing with the audience.”
Branding vs. Marketing
Your brand is more than just its slogan and visual representation, said Dr. Bowe.
“…when I think about brand, I think that it’s more of an emotional response that you have when you interact with that brand.”
Drawing on the well-known brands of Nike, Apple, and Harley Davidson, a well-developed brand can elicit an emotional response that clearly connects with consumers, she said.
“…branding is that emotional response. [It’s] the ‘why’ behind why you exist.”
By comparison, “Marketing is how you reach and connect with people.”
Dig Deeper to Define Who You Are
When it comes to branding, don’t focus on credentials alone, said Dr. Bowe.
“Think about your formative years—your childhood—because those cumulative experiences throughout your life, whether it’s on a conscious level or an unconscious level, they are going to shape what you have to offer in terms of a brand.”
For example, the pillar “empowering through education,” is central to Dr. Bowe’s two brands, Dr. Whitney Bowe and Dr. Whitney Bowe Beauty, is based on personal experience.
“When I grew up, my father was deaf. He was a disability rights activist. He is one of the key reasons why we have closed captioning for the hearing impaired when you turn on your screen. And he deeply believed in empowering through education and that was something that I witnessed every single day growing up….”
Having a severe case of C. diff colitis as a child also played a role in developing her brand identities.
“I emerged from that experience with this profound respect for the impact that our gut health has on our overall health. And so taking that three-dimensional, that integrated, that holistic approach to the skin has been something that really has become a common thread both in my personal brand, Dr. Whitney Bowe as an expert, as well as my skincare brand, Dr. Whitney Bowe Beauty.”
A ‘Must’ Before Marketing
When it comes to marketing, first and foremost, your products and services must deliver the results patients expect, said Dr. Bowe.
“…if you’re trying to establish yourself as an expert injector, for example, and your patient walks away with filler migration, necrosis, asymmetry, sausage lips, that person is not going to come back. They’re not going to refer their friends and family. There’s no amount of savvy marketing that’s going to undo that poor outcome.”
And the same holds true for products, she said.
“…if you decide to market a product, like a skincare line, and those skincare products don’t layer well, they cause pilling, they don’t live up to the claims on the label, then you’re never going to build an enduring brand. And all the marketing prowess in the world is not going to get you out of a product that isn’t of the best quality possible.”
Audience Reach
According to Dr. Bowe, creating two separate channels both on Instagram and Tiktok– an expert brand and a skincare brand, was a strategic decision.
“…it’s twice the work developing that kind of content, but it was worth it to me because I really wanted the brand to have its own voice. So when I think about creating content for those different channels, I think: that channel is a destination; what is that person who comes to that channel looking to get out of that channel?”
Her founder channel, @drwhitneybowe, includes content on a variety of topics, said Dr. Bowe.
“I’m talking about procedures that I do in the office: Botox, fillers, lasers, devices. I’m talking about conditions like melasma, rosacea. I’m talking about many different skincare brands, and I’m recommending brands that are completely unrelated to my own brand @drwhitneybowebeauty.”
According to Dr. Bowe, this is where she shares more personal things too, including family news, like adopting a puppy, and weekend activities.
“That’s a very different experience on my founder channel, as compared to my brand channel.”
By comparison, the brand channel, @drwhitneybowebeauty on TikTok and Instagram, is focused specifically on her product line.
“You’re going to see product shots. You’re going to see infographics. You’re going to see explanations of how to layer my skincare products as part of a skin cycling program. You’re going to hear me educating about different ingredients in the skincare products that you get in the bottle; talking about the packaging: how it’s sustainable, how it’s refillable, why I chose an airless opaque pump for my vitamin C serum. So depending on where you’re landing and what channel you’re going to, you’re going to be really experiencing very different content.”
The social media channels themselves can also influence the type and tone of posted content, said Dr. Bowe.
“I found that TikTok was a lot of fun. …I was able to really showcase my personality. I didn’t feel like it needed to be as produced, as curated. I found myself much more ready to just hit ‘post’ on something that I hadn’t thought through quite as thoroughly. …it was more just me speaking from the heart and educating about things that I talk to my patients about all day long or questions that came up in the office that I wanted to share with that wider audience.”
Authenticity Over Algorithms
Take a break from social media if you need to, said Dr. Bowe.
“If you’re feeling burned out or you’re feeling like you’re not inspired and you’re not in the mood to film content, don’t force yourself to stay on a rigorous schedule just for some algorithm.”
According to Dr. Bowe, it doesn’t work that way anyway.
“At the end of the day, if you create content that is meaningful, that is novel, that is shareable, something that people are hearing for the first time that they’re learning from that they’re implementing into their lives that are making their lives better, that are making their lives richer, that content will perform.”
So take the week off if you need to, she said. Your brand will endure and your audience will greet your return with open arms.
“…absolutely let social media be a playful, creative space where you can really have fun and you can educate and you can bring an evidence-based voice to people who are really craving that information from an expert.”