Council on Communications Report
Dr. Devek Frech
The Council on Communications (COC) meets in-person twice per year, along with conference calls and other communications. Our council is charged with improving communications of the AAO, within the organization, and with the AAO members and the public. The COC met November 30-December 1, 2007 and July 18-20, 2008.
Our own Gayle Glenn served as the trustee liaison in 2007. Morris Poole served as the trustee liaison this summer. Gayle and Morris both provided the council with invaluable advice and guidance. We are in good hands at the Board level.
The Consumer Awareness program is obviously our biggest project. The program has continued to show an increase in the number of web site visits. The COC is looking for ways to measure the public impact relative to their knowledge about the orthodontist professional. Anecdotal accounts among the council members show that there is an impact on the public. Statements to our council members in response to “Who is your orthodontist?” are yielding some interesting responses. One member reports that the patient replied that they are going to a “general dentist” for their orthodontics. That’s not good is it? So we are having an impact on public education. It is difficult to measure.
The council has several projects ongoing. I will highlight the major ones.
The Consumer Awareness Program continues with venues in the cable market, magazines, radio announcements, etc. The Schupp Company is employed to help the AAO with the strategy and research to determine the best use of our dollars. We were able to effectively double our campaign coverage with a modest increase in the dollars spent. We also use various other agencies to research the effectiveness of the campaign, and as a check-and-balance method of making sure that we get true value for our money.
Our message is that orthodontists receive an additional 2-3 years of specialized education beyond dental school to learn the proper way to align and straighten teeth. This was the message that our research stated was most likely to change a mom’s mind on who should treat their children. Our target audience is mothers with children in a certain economic zone. If you are a male and you are not seeing our message, two general findings are responsible: fathers are not making the decisions regarding their kids’ health-related treatment, and/or they more likely seek orthodontic care. If you will start reading the same magazines and viewing the same TV shows that the female audience is viewing, you will start seeing our message.
The traffic to our web site has more than tripled since the beginning of the campaign. Our member orthodontists names have been given out over 2.6 million times and counting. Our online banners have had over 16.1 million measurable AAO impressions.
The BOT has approved the individual use of the campaign message. You can customize the message with your name and web site, etc. Constituents and components have also used the message for their members. Local campaign customization materials can be reviewed on AAOmembers.org. The message is very well done and has been very effective for those who have used it. The AAO’s marketing communications agency (Schupp) will prepare customized materials for AAO review. Schupp can also recommend a local media buy. This is an option—not a requirement. All members participating in a local campaign are responsible for costs involved, which can include customization of TV, print, or web banner ads, the cost of purchasing advertising, and agency fees. If you want to use the message contact the AAO for instructions on how to customize the message for your use. A fall webinar is also being planned to teach members how to customize the Consumer Awareness message for individuals.
The adult hygiene DVD is almost complete and ready for release soon. The COC is working on a new and compact interdisciplinary DVD. Some ideas for a continuous loop reception room video are being discussed.
Other COC projects involve the National Facial protection month and new AAO brochures that are available, as well as updating some old brochures with a new a fresh look. Check out the AAO web site for the new brochures.
The COC continues to survey our members and general dentists to make sure that we communicate well with each group. We are planning a 2008 patient census survey.
Linda Gladden and Pam Paladin continue to be exemplary in their performance for our council and the AAO members. Their dedication goes beyond the typical with messages often received as late as 6-10 pm at night. Please let them know how much we appreciate what they do for our organization. It is a pleasure to be able to work with them and the other council members.