Think back: Have you ever read a negative article in a newspaper that was biased against chiropractic? Have you ever heard that you are not a "real doctor" because you are a chiropractor? Have you ever heard our profession referred to as being composed of a bunch of "quacks"? I bet you have even felt like an outsider in the health care industry because of a bad experience with an insurance company.
It is all changing for the better, thanks to the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (F4CP). We are building a dream that will change our future for the better. Take a look at what we have done so far from August 2006 to December 2006. The foundation has:
- more than doubled the number of doctors who contribute monthly to the foundation;
- created advertisements about the good news of chiropractic in several national publications, including Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report, Business Week and Sports Illustrated - reaching more than 18.5 million people;
- acquired Sarah Harding, Ms. Fitness USA 2004 and 2006, as spokesperson for chiropractic; and
- hired the prominent public relations agency, CPR Communications, to generate positive press, including: multiple press releases on Sarah Harding, a cover story on Sarah and the foundation in Total Health magazine, and articles about chiropractic and the F4CP in The New York Times and New Living Magazine.
But the work doesn't stop there. Sarah Harding speaks volumes about the benefits of chiropractic care. In February of this year, she made a personal appearance at the Parker Seminars in Las Vegas to share her testimonial of how chiropractic changed her life. There, she also accepted a check from Parker Seminars on behalf of the F4CP for $25,000.
We're All in This Together
The ACA is in. The ICA is in. With their support, it's clear the foundation is picking up steam and rolling toward its ultimate goal of promoting chiropractic to the public. We are headed in the right direction, and we need your help to get the public thinking about chiropractic when they choose a health care provider. The more our profession gives to the F4CP, the more the foundation can give back to chiropractic. Here are just a few examples of our support:
- State Associations: From August 2006 until December 2006, the number of state associations financially supporting the foundation increased from 13 to 19.
- National Organizations: The ACA House of Delegates passed a resolution in September 2006 authorizing the ACA to contribute up to $50,000 during the current year.
- Colleges: The Association of Chiropractic Colleges passed a motion authorizing a $50,000 contribution to the F4CP. It also encouraged college members to make individual contributions.
More Bang for Your Buck
You will love this - the public relations firm that is working for us, CPR Communications, is doing so pro bono. CPR Communications is a top-notch, high-quality, get-it-done firm that believes in our dream. None of your donations are used to pay for their wisdom. Instead, all of the money is used for the goals of the foundation.
You can rest assured that you will get the most for your dollar when you contribute to the F4CP. We spend our budget wisely and go out of our way to make sure the funds are being used to their full potential. A prime example of this is that we use remnant space to buy advertising in national publications. Remnant space is the unused ad space that must be filled before the publication goes to print. We get that space at a significant savings! On average, it costs $210,000 to buy a full-page ad in Sports Illustrated. However, when we purchased a remnant ad with SI, we paid about $28,000. That is almost one-tenth of the regular price! You can take pride in the fact that we work hard to get the most accomplished with your gracious donations.
Big Year, Big Plans
This year started off with a bang. The first TV commercial produced by the foundation aired on a major network during the weekend of Jan. 6-7. The Fox Network ran a 30-second spot featuring Sarah Harding during the Ms. Fitness USA 2007 contest. The spot ran twice during the one-hour program: once in the first half and again just before the announcement of the winner. It is estimated that the multiple showing of the spot reached 150 million households!
Other foundation plans for 2007 include the following:
- Increase the number of doctors who become monthly contributors.
- Develop an aggressive public relations plan for the rest of the year.
- Send a monthly press release to the general media on a topic related to the profession.
- Create public service announcements (PSAs) for print, TV and radio.
- Publish advertorials, which are content that appear to be a news story, but in reality are sales messages. This is a great way to get our message to the masses!
- Developed a Health Seekers Calendar, which will provide appropriate health tips to consumers who come to the foundation's Web page.
- Continue to advertise in national publications with circulations of more than 1 million readers.
- Establish a blog on the foundation's Web page, appointing guest bloggers who will update information regarding the profession. Also, monitor the health blogs of other publications to be certain the chiropractic story is told.
Help Create the Avalanche
The F4CP is like a snowball, starting to gain speed and momentum as it rolls down the mountain. Just like the thousands of snowflakes it takes to blanket the mountain with snow, the foundation needs a consistent effort from all of the profession, including you, to keep the ball rolling. Just like those snowflakes, each donation is just as important as the next to build our dream. We need to create an avalanche of support that will change the way chiropractic is perceived.
It's up to you to build a better future for yourself and your profession. We ask that you pledge $25, $50, or $100 each month to help spread the word of chiropractic. The amount is not important; your participation is. Take a look at our ad in this issue of Dynamic Chiropractic. Fill out the coupon, send it in, and join a cause that is committed to helping you succeed. Join the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress today.
Close your eyes. Picture how you would feel to be considered the best in health care. Imagine what you would do with an office filled with patients who chose chiropractic first because they know it can help them. This is our dream. Open your eyes: The dream is becoming reality. Join us.
Contact Information:
The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress
P. O. Box 560
Carmichael, CA 95609-0560
www.foundation4cp.com
Click here for previous articles by Kent Greenawalt.