The chiropractic profession in the U.S. has turned a critical corner with the unveiling of an unprecedented public awareness effort. At last, the profession is coming together as one, to tell its story and change its world.
Plans for the Campaign for Chiropractic, a major, multimedia public relations and marketing campaign, were shared with the profession for the first time at the Parker Seminar in Las Vegas in January.
The campaign is the work of Foot Levelers President Kent Greenawalt. "The Campaign for Chiropractic is about one thing and one thing only - getting patients to go see chiropractors," he said. According to Greenawalt, only about 5 to 10 percent of Americans currently visit a chiropractor and the small amount of media coverage about chiropractic is usually negative or wrong.
"For too long, we have talked to ourselves about the poor public image of the profession, and about the lack of understanding and appreciation of the many health benefits of chiropractic," said Greenawalt. "We haven't done enough talking to the public to enhance our image or to improve public understanding of our profession.
"That ends today with The Campaign For Chiropractic. Through it, we will be one voice speaking to the American public about what Americans want and need. Speaking about what chiropractic offers and how it delivers."
Mark Sarner, president of Manifest Communications and lead strategist behind the campaign, says the profession suffers from a public image problem. "Americans just don't get us. The Campaign will tell the story of chiropractic, which is filled with things Americans want to hear."
The campaign will be a multi-year, multi-tiered effort. It will result in a major increase in media stories about the benefits of chiropractic. It will also create powerful new resources to help chiropractors educate and motivate their patients to value and use chiropractic services. And down the road, the campaign will feature advertising that delivers breakthrough messages directly to those most likely to use chiropractic services.
Every major chiropractic organization in the U.S. has endorsed this effort and it has the active support of the profession's leaders across the country. More than 30 chiropractic industry leaders, including senior officials from state and national associations, and college presidents, joined Greenawalt on stage during the unveiling.
The Campaign for Chiropractic enjoys unprecedented support from leaders in the chiropractic profession. A show of that support was seen at the January unveiling, where leaders were eager to show their support visually as well as verbally:
"If the chiropractic profession is to continue blossoming, it will be through the combined efforts of many. I believe the PR initiative started by Foot Levelers and so resoundingly supported at the Parker Seminars will create and inspire success in the profession. It was indeed my honor to witness the groundswell of support in Las Vegas."
~Peter D. Ferguson, DC,
Chairman of the NBCE Board of Directors
"I think for decades the public or the media has received a terribly imbalanced view of chiropractic; and it has always been through the physician, the patient, and private contacts that patients have known otherwise, as well as from the research that has been published. The public relations effort that Foot Levelers is initiating, I think, seeks to level the playing field instead of the patient in disseminating the types of information that have been hidden and suppressed up to this date. And I'm very hopeful that the profession will be able to send out a unified and compellingly documented message through this undertaking."
~Anthony L. Rosner, PhD, LLD [Hon.],
Director of Research and Education for the FCER
"The United National Public Relations initiative is both necessary and timely. I am optimistic that given a clear and compelling voice, it will generate significant interest in chiropractic among patients and prospective students."
~Frank J. Nicchi, DC, MS,
President of New York Chiropractic College
"I commend Kent Greenawalt for taking the initiative as a non-chiropractor to do what this profession needs. He has brought to doctors of chiropractic the message that will change people's behavior and encourage them to seek chiropractic care. He has done what this profession could not do, but the implementation will be up to us. This campaign is for the patients who so badly need chiropractic care. For them we will succeed."
~Daryl D. Wills, DC,
Immediate Past President of the ACA
"It is clearly time for the 'best kept secret' in health care to stop being whispered. I heartily support the efforts of the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress, and urge everyone involved in chiropractic to contribute to this program."
~Carl S. Cleveland III, DC,
President of Cleveland Chiropractic College,
Kansas City and Los Angeles campuses
"A consistent PR campaign that reinforces chiropractic's high standards and strives to educate the public about chiropractic can reap great rewards."
~David O'Bryon,
Executive Director of the Association of Chiropractic Colleges
"The time is now for a professionally researched and well-thought-out public relations campaign to tell the story on how well chiropractic fits into health care for all Americans. In our overmedicated, undernourished, out-of-shape and out-of-adjustment society, the chiropractic message is compelling and important. Doctors, students, vendors and friends of the profession will need to get behind this campaign and make it a resounding success."
~J. Michael Flynn, DC,
Chairman, National Chiropractic Legal Action Fund,
Secretary/Treasurer, World Federation of Chiropractic
"The ACA is a strong supporter of your efforts to put together a unified public relations campaign. The results of the recent survey of the consumer public conducted by the Manifest Company show the ignorance of the public regarding this profession, including those that are chiropractic patients, and the need for a simple message on what is most important."
~Garrett Cuneo
ACA Executive Vice President
"I believe every chiropractor today should be supporting the vision of Kent Greenawalt and the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress with their emotional and financial commitment. We can no longer stand on the sidelines and do nothing. I believe this campaign will elevate the image of chiropractic to a level it so rightfully deserves."
~Terry R. Yochum, DC, DACBR, Fellow of the ACCR
Denver, Colorado
"I am excited that the profession will be moving forward in this PR program united. This is a most important endeavor for the profession. Hopefully, the success of this united action will be recognized to be effective and then adopted in other areas of need in our profession."
~Donald Krippendorf, DC,
ACA President
All have pledged their support of the campaign, and two have already made financial commitments, said Greenawalt, noting that Dr. Mark Sanna, CEO of Breakthrough Coaching, has pledged $500,000 and Joe Doyle, president of the Doyle Group, has committed $100,000.
At Parker Las Vegas, Greenawalt asked all members of the profession to join the campaign by financially backing it. "We will only be successful if we all come together and support this effort," he said.
For more information, please contact the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress at director@foundationforchiropracticprogress.org or toll free at 800-777-4860. The Foundation is a registered nonprofit, 503(c) organization.
