MAC Public Relations – Putting Chiropractic in the Spotlight
A strong public relations initiative is critical to
the achievement of the MAC goals. Public relations revolves around a
simple truth – people act upon their perceptions. By managing and
influencing those perceptions, an organization with a successful public
relations campaign can initiate changes in attitudes that will help the
organization achieve its objectives.
The MAC PR Committee’s goal is to start and manage a
new public conversation about chiropractic and its benefit to the
community. The MAC Journal is the primary means for communication
with chiropractors in and out of our association. In addition, the PR
Committee and the MAC office provide press releases, our website,
www.chiromi.com , and a wide array of written materials to our members,
other DCs in the state, the public at large (patients and potential
patients), and the business community.
The PR committee has designed a strategy to support
the ambitious agenda that emerged from the Strategic Planning Meeting. Our
public relations projects will focus on communicating with three main
audiences: doctors of chiropractic (members and non-members), the public
(patients and non-patients), and public decision makers
(employers/purchasers of insurance, executives of the insurance community
and legislators).
Public Relations to Doctors of Chiropractic
Through MAC Journals and Action Reports
and other emails/faxes, the MAC PR committee aims to keep Michigan DCs up
to date on the latest news affecting chiropractors and their practices. We
plan to broaden the content to our website, including members-only
briefings, forms, current research, and other critical information. The
goal is to make it a valuable resource with useful content for members and
non-members alike.
The MAC has formed a Research & Technology Committee
to access to research relevant to Chiropractic and chiropractic issues. It
is our goal to provide compilations of studies to back up the safety,
efficacy, efficiency, and cost effectiveness of chiropractic care when any
DC in the state needs them. This data will also be critical in marketing
to the public and to employers/buyers of insurance.
Public Relations to the Population at Large
The PR Committee is currently working on contributing
to the national effort to elevate the public perception of chiropractic.
We are in the process of developing a unified and consistent message that
we can put in all communications.
We will soon be developing a public
relations marketing campaign hitting all major media outlets – TV, radio,
and print. The Public Relations Committee will develop a “Speakers
Bureau” of doctors. Media training for these DC’s, will
equip them to interact more professionally with the media and even to
participate in local talk shows. Many DCs around the state have appeared
on local radio and television, spreading the word about chiropractic.
Having all DC’s be “on message” will improve the impact and influence of
these appearances. This type of local exposure is critical to the
perception of chiropractic throughout the state.
Public Relations to
Employers/Buyers of Insurance, Insurance Company Executives and
Legislators
Michigan manufacturing is in a crisis
that is worsened by the rising cost of health insurance. Chiropractic has
the potential to reduce this cost and we can prove it! Chiropractic care
is more effective and less expensive than medical care and there are a
number of studies to support this. That is the message we must get out to
employers and buyers of insurance: Chiropractic will save you money and
get your workers back on the job more quickly. Employers and legislators
must be shown that chiropractic coverage in insurance plans is not a cost
driver, but will actually save money. This message will be repeated over
and over again by our Public Relations consultants, Communication &
Research; by our Speakers’ Bureau and our Research and Technology
Committee.
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