1. This weekend, I was “formally” introduced to Star Wars for the first time. While sitting in a theater
surrounded by (seemingly) long term, loyal fans, it really hit me that people take Star Wars very
seriously. After seeing --what I must admit--- was an excellent movie, I went on a quest to find out what
all of the hype is about and found myself holed up in the house for the entire weekend. I finished five
out of the seven episodes (don’t judge me). The storylines are intertwined, the visual diversity is
fascinating, and the ongoing war between dark and light is captivating.
In the latest movie, there are references back to the first movie, old characters, and new friends. While
there are not many things that can last as long as the Star Wars franchise (the first movie was released
in 1977), there are even fewer things that can thrive as long as the Star Wars brand has. The effectivity
of the Star Wars formula cannot be denied, even if you are not a fan. The numbers speak for
themselves: opening weekend the movie shattered records and grossed $528 million worldwide, and
nearly $250 million in the US alone. As a believer in Universal patterns, I began to think about ways in
which our brand is (or can be) similar to Star Wars and how we can take bits of pieces of what may make
Star Wars successful and use them to achieve success within our organization. Here are some of the
patterns that I noticed throughout the saga:
Innovation: Star Wars, in many ways, was the first of its kind. Much of the appeal (especially in the
early years) was due to George Lucas (creator) pushing the envelope and exposing the audience to
ideas, characters, storylines, and technology that they’d never seen. Because what he imagined was not
conceived, the tools that he needs to carry out his vision were not always readily available. Instead of
killing his dream, he set the standard and manufactured his own tools, causing him to create Lucasfilm
and Industry Light & Magic. Why should this be important to us? In many ways, our organization is a
pioneer in its industry. As one of the nation’s first prepaid dental plans, we paved the way and
established the blueprint for other carriers. In fact, the medical industry is now recognizing that fee for
service is not an effective model and much of the industry will be working towards changing their
standards to reflect what we’ve known since 1974. We know that the model we have is a valuable one—
even if it is a bit ahead of its time. The question becomes this: how can we continue to innovate, push
the envelope, and grow our brand in a world where we are not the industry “norm”? Since most are
comfortable with the “norm”, how can we do better at standing by our model through educating our
stakeholders to bring more people out of the dark side (see what I did there)? Most importantly,
since we are innovators, what we need does not always already exist. How do we broaden our horizons
and rid ourselves of excuses in order to create what we need and own our brand vs. waiting for
someone else to set our standards?
Brand Consistency: From 1977 to 2015, Star Wars’ movies begin the same way and six consistent steps
are carried out: 1) Twentieth Century Fox graphic (queue the horns) 2)Lucasfilm logo appears 3)The
following text appears (no music): “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far, away…” (blue text, same font,
same size, black background) 4) Star Wars logo appears with horns (and pans out) 5) A three paragraph
synopsis of the current episode appears on the screen slanted backwards and scrolls up the screen (gold
text, same size, same font) 6) Text disappears into the sky, camera pans down. You may be asking
yourself why I’m going through such great lengths to provide you with an experience of the Star Wars
introduction. Before I answer that question, allow me to ask one of you: Why is a consistent brand
important? When step #3 (see above) appeared on the screen, the crowd in the theater lost it (and by
“lost it”, I mean they started screaming and cheering). There are many things that have changed
throughout the saga: new characters have been introduced, storylines have altered, the “bad guys”
won (you must watch “The Empire Strikes Back”), technology changed, etc. BUT, there is a sense of

2. excitement, nostalgia, and familiarity when the basic brand components remain the same. Without
these, Star Wars wouldn’t be Star Wars. How are our brand components at Dental Health Services
important to identifying who we are? What aspects of our brand set us apart? The first things that
come to mind for me is our “You” messaging on our marketing materials, our company font (I bet you
didn’t know that it’s Avenir LT), our boutique network that has been fully vetted for exceptional quality,
and our undying commitment to personal and local service. Without these components, Dental Health
Services is not Dental Health Services. If we took the label off of our materials and did not identify
ourselves on a phone call, would the people we serve still know who we are by the quality of our service
and our embodiment the core brand components alone? If not, then how can we work better at
strengthening our core components? How do YOU, individually, contribute to these core components?
Our operations have changed drastically over the last 35+ years, and they will continue to
change. That’s ok. We want to stay new, interesting, and innovative. However, staying recognizable to
our consumers creates both comfort and loyalty—two of the most important elements in retention.
Succession Planning: Qui-Gon Jinn to Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan Kenobi to Anakin Skywalker, Yoda to
Luke Skywalker----irrelevant of how it may seem, I am not speaking gibberish; there is a connection
between these names. All of these relationships were master/student (or teacher/apprentice) wherein
the master “passed the torch” to the student. There is much to be learned from a mentor
relationship. For the student, knowledge from someone who has been around for a while is
priceless. This person would know history, why things have been done certain ways, and would hold
facts, concepts, experiences, and know-how that can only be obtained through time. For the “master”,
the student provides a fresh perspective and an innovative way of fixing problems. Perhaps the new
way is more efficient, while the old way is more reliable. By sharing ideas, a balanced solution can be
reached. As the “master” teaches the “student” what they know, they are also ensuring that this
knowledge is not lost, should they decide to leave the company. How can we do a better job at utilizing
our in-house institutional knowledge? If you’ve been here for only a short time, I’d encourage you to
have a conversation with someone who has been for a long time. If you are in a leadership role, I’d
encourage you to take the time to teach your team the ins and outs of their craft. This will ensure that,
in due time, the “student” will become the “master”.
Legacy: Let’s face it: Star Wars has been around for a long time (nearly as long as Dental Health
Services). However, there is a thin line between epic and extinct. In order to remain relevant for such a
long period of time, interest needs to be peaked and maintained. Star Wars honors its legacy in many
ways (some of which are indicated under the “Brand Consistency” blurb). One of these ways is by not
reinventing the wheel. There were several congruencies between the latest movie and the first
movie. In fact, they are trying to destroy the same moon (turned planet) in many of the movies. The
methodology changes, the details change, but the formula is consistent. How can we honor our legacy
by not sacrificing our proven formula for unnecessary “bells and whistles”? How can we make the
wheel look appealing without reinventing it? What do you appreciate about our legacy?
Opportunity: After I left the theater (hand-in-hand with someone who was still grinning from ear to
ear), I ran into a Star Wars “pop-up” store, complete with posters, shirts, movie tickets in a glass (ok,
plastic) case, and other memorabilia. Before we could leave the building, Star Wars fans-turned-vendors
were ready to take our money in exchange for a small piece of the Star Wars franchise. This warrants
the question: do we remember that every email we send, transaction we process, conversation we
have, and acquaintance we make is a chance for a sale? How do you personally position yourself so that
the reflection of the brand is obvious throughout your interaction? Are people attracted to the

3. company or deterred from it after receiving an email from you (or having a conversation with you)? This
is your company. How does your eye for opportunity reflect that?
As you can see, I’ve gleamed much from my experience in the Star Wars galaxy. What are your thoughts
around how we can solidify our brand while being innovative and profitable? I’m excited to hear your
perspective. In the meantime, have an amazing holiday season and, of course, may the Force be with
you.