Branding in Plastic Surgery:
Patient Perception of Branded vs Unbranded Practices

Exploratory 2025 Study by Jen Ahlsten

Summary

The global demand for aesthetic plastic surgery has increased rapidly during the past decade. While most clinics invest in advertising and social media, the impact of branding on patient perceptions remains underexplored. This exploratory study investigates how branding influences potential patients' evaluations of plastic surgery practices across five constructs: trust, professionalism, safety, intent to book, and willingness to pay a price premium.

Method

A mixed-methods design was applied. The quantitative phase consisted of a comparative perception survey (n = 40) comparing participants' first impressions of six clinics-three professionally branded and three unbranded-using a five-point Likert scale. The qualitative phase included five semi-structured interviews that explored the reasoning behind these perceptions.

Key Findings

— The results show that branded clinics scored consistently higher across all measured constructs

— Largest differences occurred in perceived trustworthiness (M = 3.5 vs. 2.8) and willingness to pay higher prices (M = 3.1 vs. 2.3).

— Interview data revealed that participants associated clear presentation of the surgeon, professional design, and easy access to high-quality before-and-after galleries with credibility and safety.

— In contrast, unbranded clinics with poor imagery and missing information were perceived as riskier and more unprofessional.

Interpretation

The findings indicate that branding functions as a credibility-building tool in plastic surgery and offer practical implications for surgeons seeking to strengthen their online presence and patient confidence.

Conclusion

Branding is likely to impact how patients evaluate plastic surgery clinics before consultation. The study found that clinics with consistent, well-structured branding are perceived as more trustworthy and worth paying a higher price.