November 2008

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Community relations and word-of-mouth advertising

Social responsibility is not a new term, but is something that not only benefits the community around a business, but the business itself. Getting more involved in the community can both help the less fortunate, as well as elevate a business within its community, especially for chiropractors and doctors, which rely heavily on “word of mouth” recommendations.

In the past few years, large corporations have invested more in socially responsible programs and there is no doubt that those who do are more successful.  Public perception often dictates the success of companies by creating a positive image, and most importantly, by increasing the “word of mouth” recommendations.

The Reputation Institute and the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship recently created the Corporate Social Responsibility Index, or CRSI, which measures a corporation’s social responsibility on a scale of 0-100.  The institute then ranked 200 of the top companies in the United States and measured people’s perceptions of the corporations.  The study found that of the top 20 companies, 66 percent of people would recommend that company to someone else.  Of the bottom 20 companies, the study found that only 26 percent of people would recommend those to someone else.

So, what does this mean for DCs?

Simple, embracing a local charitable campaign, especially during the holiday season, can be extremely beneficial to your practice.

One perfect example is a food drive led by Dr. Dana Berthaiume of Destin Chiropractic Arts and Publix Supermarkets in Destin, FL. The food drive, called “Feeding Families 2008 Thanksgiving Food Drive,” aims to feed 100 families during the Thanksgiving holiday. The food drive shows how your practice can get involved in the community to create a more positive public perception.

Following a break-in at the South Walton Rotary Club, in which groceries intended for needy families were stolen, Dr Berthiaume and his wife, Holly, felt they could help

In exchange for a $40 donation, which promises to feed one family a Thanksgiving dinner, Dr. Berthaiume is offering a complementary evaluation, normally a $150 value. Along with the free evaluation, each donor is also entered to win a $100 gift certificate from Publix. While the free evaluation is a $150 value, it builds a patient base that will hopefully lead to future visits, along with more “word of mouth” recommendations.

Over the years Dr. Berthiaume has been practicing, he has been part of food drives in Pensacola, FL and the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. His wife Holly says that it has always been beneficial to his practice and has raised awareness in the community for a good cause; two things that establish a more socially responsible image.

Other than food drives, you can also utilize sponsorship opportunities throughout the community.  Organizations such as the United Way and Habitat for Humanities are always active in the community and your support of those organizations will always show that you are an active and vital member of the community. These types of activism all help to create the positive public perception that should be a goal of any practice.

“Word of mouth” recommendations are something that is vital to the success of any chiropractic practice and there is no better way to garner support than through your local community. When public perception of your practice is positive, you will get recommendations from people who have never even visited your practice, something that cannot be done with any kind of advertising.

Blake Gill is a freelance writer and frequent contributor to ChiroEco.com.  He can be reached at blakefgill@gmail.com.

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