Donald M. Petersen Jr., BS, HCD(hc), FICC(h), Publisher
The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (FCP) just completed its second year with one of the most successful public relations campaigns in our history. This initiative has generated positive press for the chiropractic profession by educating the public about the benefits of chiropractic care, reaching consumers, business leaders and health care decision-makers with more than a quarter-billion media impressions.
Since its launch, the foundation has united chiropractic leadership and vendor communities, including all of the major national chiropractic associations, state associations and national publications. It also has reached significant milestones for the chiropractic profession, including:
- a positive chiropractic commercial on the Fox Network with a 30-second spot featuring Sarah Harding-Traverso, Ms. Fitness USA, talking about the benefits of chiropractic care;
- a national media press conference, attended by representatives of The Washington Post and Consumer Reports, presenting the latest research supporting the benefits of chiropractic care;
- a nationally recognized award for distributing a chiropractic advertorial carried by at least 750 newspapers with a total circulation of 40 million;
- front-page headlines in a major news publication when the Seattle Post-Intelligencer featured a story about the effects of reducing blood pressure via the chiropractic adjustment; and
- advertising in a national publication featuring testimonials from three prominent medical doctors about the importance of chiropractic (see more below).
The foundation is working to tell the good news about chiropractic in partnership with the very effective New Jersey-based public relations agency CPR Communications. CPR is working to generate exciting positive press to complement the FCP advertising campaign. Estimates show the campaign has yielded approximately $3.5 million in public relations value thus far, while the number of positive media exposures has reached an estimated 250 million and growing.
A comprehensive broadcast public relations campaign to tell the chiropractic story has provided valuable education about the benefits of chiropractic care, with public service announcements (PSAs) distributed to more than 2,400 AM/FM radio stations. More than 250 radio stations in the country - including a growing number of Spanish-language stations - are carrying our message. Additionally, the foundation's PSAs have generated radio interviews, including interviews with top 40 broadcast stations, with a reach of more than 100,000 watts.
The chiropractic campaign also includes monthly press releases to major newspapers in the country, which have generated numerous interviews and stories. Advertorials also play a major role in the chiropractic print campaign, with multiple messages disseminated to more than 10,000 newspapers nationwide.
The 2008 chiropractic campaign will continue to build upon these successes by placing an increasing number of resources into the FCP public relations campaign. The foundation has hired a full-time public relations specialist who handles the day-to-day activities. The emphasis on print and radio media also will include the development of television advertorials.
Complementing this public relations campaign, the FCP has implemented a strategic program that includes advertising featuring positive testimonials from prominent medical doctors about chiropractic, which will run in USA Today. This ad will run at least three more times before the end of the year.
Additionally, the foundation has created a new advertisement about the cost-effectiveness of chiropractic, featuring the president of Alternative Medicine Integration (AMI). This ad will be placed in the September issue of US News & World Report and will run three times in Business Insurance, a prominent insurance and human resources publication.
What makes all this possible? A relatively small number of dedicated chiropractic companies, a number of chiropractic associations and more than 500 doctors of chiropractic committed to making small monthly donations.
Want to see more positive media exposure about the importance of chiropractic care? That's easy. All you have to do is visit the FCP Web site (www.foundation4cp.com) and make a pledge and/or contribution.
The more positive messages we send through the media, the less people will hear the verbal attacks from our enemies. Please take a moment to join me in supporting our effort to tell the chiropractic story. It will only cost you a small amount each month to make a big difference. If we all join, the impact will be overwhelming!
Let's keep telling our good news.
