“I KNEW I came to the right place when you started singing,” is what one patient told Dr. Kandi Moller, owner of Eye Candy Optical in Gig Harbor, WA, who’s been known to burst into song during pretesting. Moller’s upbeat personality infuses her practice, and is reflected in its sunny, colorful branding.
Asked to translate Eye Candy’s branding into words, Moller only needs a few: “Fun! Lighthearted, not stiff. Our motto is, ‘Sweet treats for your eyes.’”
At the center of the brand is the logo — a piece of candy with an eye in the middle —which was created by a professional graphic designer. “Everyone that sees it loves it and our name,” says Moller. “When we moved into the office, most of the walls were gray, which we kept, and the focus wall was mustard yellow — blech! — so we repainted it lavender, and that has made lavender/purple our focus color. My business cards are not boring black and white — lots of purple and our fun logo. Our office is not boring white or corporate bland.”
Other branded items include signage, marketing materials, cleaning cloths and cases. “T-shirts and caps my hubby and I wear when volunteering around here,” says Moller. “Plus magnets, bags. When we make more money, I’d love to have personalized candy.”
Eye Candy does not target a specific demographic beyond “folks who don’t want b-o-r-i-n-g and who want premium frames and lenses. Most of our frames are independent lines and we want to be known for carrying funky frame styles and colors,” she says.
Visually, the primary inspiration is — you guessed it — candy, which is distributed free from giant jars. The office even smells like candy, says Moller. “Glasses are eye candy for your face! Our local website designer incorporates candy and fun into our website, and patients have commented that they have chosen us because of it.” Moller hires local printers to make many of the branded items, and another local firm handles her website and lively social media presence.
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Dr. Moller’s husband contributed a signature element by making a giant pair of wooden glasses that are placed outside the office, which kids and dogs stop to take pictures with.
Moller advises other ECPs looking for a branding boost to create a unique name and identity. “‘Anytown Family Vision’ works for many, but not me,” she says.
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