Chiropractors are well-trained and well-aware of the structure and function of the human body. They know all of the physiological aspects of health, and the symptoms and signs of diseases.
But in the modern world of communications, even being an outstanding health care practitioner is not enough. To be successful, one has to understand what makes people tick ... mentally. Oh yes, chiropractors know the beat of the heart is what pushes blood through the arteries to reach all of the vital organs, and that "tick" is what sustains life. But that's not what I'm talking about.
I'm talking about the "tick" that occurs in the brain - the impulses that trigger all of our senses and make people respond in certain ways; the words, phrases, colors and designs that motivate people; the myriad of external influences that affect people's thinking, actions and responses.
I think chiropractors, along with many other professionals, often know too little about motivation. Perhaps they should learn a little more about the psychology of what makes people "tick."
Advertising people know it well, and successful marketers practice it every day - on you, on me, and on your patients. They know how to sell their wares and build their images. They know how to package their products and services in ways that are appealing to their consumers. They understand how to apply the benefits of their proposal to the self-interests of their buyers; to overcome fears and anxieties; and to make their message coincide (not conflict) with the lifestyle of their prospect. They know how to contribute to the desires, ambitions and dreams of their target group. Call it brand-building, market presentation, or marketing, if you like - it is the psychology of motivation, and it is an art.
The most recent students of this art are the drug manufacturers. I don't need to detail the tactics that have been used by drug manufacturers in the past few years. You know them well. What you may not know is that they are spending billions of dollars, and the return on their investment has more than paid off.
There must be something to the idea of communicating in marketing terms! Indeed, there is; otherwise, communications would not be so vital a function to every successful company, organization and movement in free-enterprise-based countries throughout the world.
That's what the exciting Campaign for Chiropractic, sponsored by the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress and underwritten by the chiropractic profession, is all about. That's its reason and purpose. It's about putting chiropractic's best foot forward and motivating consumers to consider doctors of chiropractic for their health needs. It is not just about seeking out a chiropractor as a last resort or using one because the patient is one of a small group of loyal advocates of natural health. Rather, it is about using a chiropractor because the consumer believes in the chiropractic physician's ability to give results; because chiropractors are mainstream; because DCs are first and foremost in the consumer's mind; because the consumer feels confident turning their needs and their family's health needs over to a DC; and yes, because others will not look upon them as unorthodox for selecting a nonmedical practitioner. (When you study motivations, you soon realize that most people want to go with the flow.)
Once and for all, chiropractic not only has a national marketing campaign, but also has one that is psychologically sound. It speaks to consumers with a message that connects. It has the ingredients to make them "think again" about their health needs and how their doctor of chiropractic can benefit them.
This is a "thinking campaign" for a "thinking generation." Appealing to a thinking generation, the Campaign for Chiropractic presents chiropractic aggressively on both an intellectual and emotional level. It gives chiropractic the opportunity to gain the broad media exposure and the consumer utilization it always has wanted.
Chiropractic has a unique opportunity to get its story heard and gain mass public acceptance. But we must realize that time is of the essence, since other health professions are vying for position as well. If chiropractic does not build a position in the marketplace, it could miss the window of opportunity, and perhaps even lose the place it enjoys now.
I urge every doctor of chiropractic to look around and recognize the rapid changes taking place in our media-powered society; see how fast many old ideas and stagnant companies have faded, and how quickly new ideas and progressive organizations have risen to the top. Analyze what moves people, and think again about what makes people tick. If you do, you'll come to the same conclusion as has the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress: that a mass-market communications campaign is not only needed, but also essential.
The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress needs the commitment of every member of the profession to sustain this all-important program. You are urged to enroll in the Campaign for Chiropractic now and start enjoying its many benefits.
Gene Veno
President, Foundation for Chiropractic Progress
Editor's note: For further information on the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress and its Campaign for Chiropractic, please send an e-mail to
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