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Isn’t It About Time?By Donald M. Petersen Jr., BS, HCD(hc), FICC(h), Publisher In 2006, most doctors were still pretty skeptical - and why shouldn't they have been? We have all been victims of too many promises and not enough delivery. Besides, it had never been done successfully in chiropractic. By the end of 2007, we saw results. Then the question became, "But will it last?" In the past, it was always a flash in the pan that quickly faded. We are now almost through the first quarter of 2009 and it - a campaign to promote chiropractic - is still going strong. Consider what the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (FCP) has accomplished in less than three years. Our advertising campaign has placed full or half-page ads in the following publications, representing more than 50 million advertising impressions. (View the complete FCP advertising schedule online at www.f4cp.com/AdvertisingProgram.htm.)
*Denotes purchase of partial circulation due to budget constraints. In addition to the above advertising campaign, the foundation is involved in an aggressive radio and print public-relations campaign. (The 2008 Public Relations Summary Report is available online at www.dynamicchiropractic.com/f4cp.) In less than three years, the foundation has placed numerous positive articles as well as television and radio spots, including chiropractic public service announcements (PSAs) on more than 250 radio stations (more than 350 total airings); radio interviews with DCs/spokespersons on 14 radio stations across the country; editorial interviews in 12 print publications including Fitness, Strut, Teen Graffiti, Total Health and New Living (total circulation of for all publications is almost 2.8 million); television interviews on local stations in San Diego and Dallas; 2,100 chiropractic advertorials placed in newspapers across the country with a combined readership exposure exceeding 194 million; and 353 news Web site placements for chiropractic articles online. And this is just the beginning. Now that the PR and advertising processes are in place, the foundation is ready to move forward with even more positive exposure for chiropractic. As you probably already know, the FCP has secured football legend Jerry Rice as the spokesperson for chiropractic. All this has been accomplished with the support of our chiropractic associations, colleges, vendors, about 500 doctors (less than 1 percent of the profession) and several hundred chiropractic students. And while Big Pharma and Big Medicine are spending considerably more, our message is still going out. What we need now is, very simply, more money. Not a lot from anyone, but something from everyone. Believe it or not, if 1,100 DCs donated $25 each per month, we could literally double our advertising and PR budget for 2008. That would bring us up to a total of less than 3 percent of the profession supporting the FCP. Imagine what we could do if everyone pitched in. What I'm asking you to do is begin donating a set amount per month to the foundation. Because Foot Levelers is paying for all administrative costs, 100 percent of every dollar goes directly into promoting chiropractic. If you can donate $25 per month, that would be great. Do what you can, but please do something. Visit the foundation Web site (www.f4cp.com) and make your pledge. If you're not sure why you should donate or if you need more information, contact Dr. Mike Flynn, who has asked me to provide you with his phone number (985-872-5072). You can call him anytime. He is ready to talk to you about why the foundation is so important. Now, I know what you're thinking. What will I get out of this? What's in this for me? Well, I can't promise you anything more than a stronger profession. But what I can tell you is that doctors are getting new patients from our efforts. Read Dr. Tom Klapp's article, "New Patient Comes to Chiropractic as Direct Result of Jerry Rice Ad," on page 22 of this issue. He was the first doctor of chiropractic to contribute to the FCP. His story will help you better understanding how the foundation's efforts to enlighten and inform people in your community are paying tangible dividends. Please understand: This is not just Don or Dynamic Chiropractic asking. I am honored to be part of a group of dedicated individuals with different philosophies and points of view, all of whom have joined hands as members of the FCP Board to spread the good news about chiropractic. Won't you please join us? Signatures: Kent Greenawalt Click here for more information about Donald M. Petersen Jr., BS, HCD(hc), FICC(h), Publisher.
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