Growing Through Headwinds
How Valley Center Veterinary Clinic Achieved 40% Revenue Growth Amid Industry Declines
The Numbers Speak Volumes:
“The fact that our new clients and patient visits are up when the industry is showing a downward trend across the country tells me that Digital Empathy has helped us maintain and even grow during these uncertain times.”
Myriah Southard, Practice Manager**This data is in comparison with their 2019 pre-Covid benchmarks.
Backstory
Valley Center Veterinary Clinic is an AAHA-accredited, single-doctor companion animal practice operating for 15 years in a semi-rural area within an urban, high-cost-of-living county. This unique location presented two distinctly different client bases and marketing challenges.
Myriah joined the team amidst the Covid veterinary boom, a time when marketing was non-existent:
“Our website was dated, our social media was stagnant and we were so busy that we did not have the time to work on the business because we were so caught up in working in it. ”
Myriah Southard, Practice Manager
After strengthening their internal operations and culture, Valley Center sought to market their enhanced practice. That’s when Myriah reached out to Digital Empathy.
Positioning and Gameplan
Myriah collaborated directly with Robert, Digital Empathy’s CEO, to clarify their strategy. Valley Center didn’t simply need a new website—they needed compelling positioning to clearly differentiate their practice.
In a comprehensive 60-minute discovery session, Robert and Myriah focused on:
This session clarified Valley Center’s strengths:
A practice deeply invested in connection, with team members driven by passion rather than clock-punching. Offering an elevated medical standard previously unavailable in their community, clients became integral members of the healthcare team – educated, engaged, and empowered rather than pressured or overwhelmed.
With a clear narrative around relationship-driven care, Valley Center set itself apart from nearby corporate veterinary models.
Their strategic approach combined clear positioning with targeted digital marketing:
Results
The tangible impact of clear, differentiated positioning:
“Our new clients are roughly 26% higher, patient visits are roughly 7% higher, ACT is 32% higher and revenue is up roughly 40% this YTD when compared to the same period prior to the Covid boom. The fact that our new clients and patient visits are up when the industry is showing a downward trend across the country tells me that Digital Empathy has helped us maintain and even grow during these uncertain times”
Myriah Southard, Practice ManagerMyriah and team were ecstatic by the tangible results that clear positioning brought them. We are ecstatic for them – they sculpted their practice with deep intention and pride. We just helped them show that to the world.
Pro Tip
Always verify whether your marketing agency separates general searches from branded ones. Blending these metrics can significantly distort campaign performance perception, inflating apparent results. At Digital Empathy, we maintain complete transparency to accurately reflect your campaign’s true performance.
Why We Focus on Understanding Pet Owners
One of Digital Empathy’s core Brand Promises is to bring the voice of the pet owner into the room – so you feel better prepared to market and communicate in a way that resonates.
Through ongoing research into modern pet-owner behaviors, preferences, and decision-making criteria, we identified a compelling trend: Millennial and Gen-Z pet owners strongly prefer veterinary practices that provide clear, upfront pricing information.
Acting on this insight, we recommended a fee transparency initiative during a monthly performance review with Myriah, who enthusiastically embraced the idea. The impact was swift and substantial
“Our website was dated, our social media was stagnant and we were so busy that we did not have the time to work on the business because we were so caught up in working in it. ”
Myriah Southard, Practice ManagerMarketing is not my personal strength, especially during these economically uncertain times. Digital Empathy takes a huge burden off my shoulders. I trust them implicitly. They haven’t steered us wrong yet.
Myriah Southard, Practice Manager