‘Oral Heathcare Can’t Wait’
Industry initiative designed to encourage maintenance of oral health even
in tough economic times
Sales reps whose customers are looking at declining patient visits in today’s tight economy can now direct them to some no-cost, professional marketing assistance. Of course, if the Dental Trade Alliance’s plans unfold as predicted, most of those customers will have heard of it anyway.
"Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait" is the name of a multipronged, push-pull marketing campaign from the Dental Trade Alliance. The initiative, which was launched July 1, includes a variety of public service announcements, ads and resources for the dentist – including patient flyers, posters, sample "Letters to the editor," marketing newsletter pieces, etc. – all designed to impress upon the public the need to maintain their oral health even in tough economic times.
"Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait’ promises to be a very ambitious campaign, with the ultimate goal being to sustain and improve oral health in America," said Gary Price, chief executive officer of the DTA.
First Impressions readers can find a variety of resources that they and their dental customers can use to spread the word about the importance of oral health at the "Resource Center" of the "Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait" Web site (www.oralhealthcarecantwait.com). These resources are designed to impress on the public the fact that postponing oral health visits is risky and can lead to much more expensive oral-health treatment down the line, not to mention adverse effects on various systemic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes. The resources include:
- A sample press release to be sent by the dental practice to local media promoting the campaign and its underlying message.
- A sample "Letter to the Editor" with the same message.
- Patient education brochures and posters to be printed and displayed in the dentist’s office.
- An email template to be used in communication with patients, reinforcing the need to stay current with oral health maintenance.
- Ads for local newspapers.
As he introduced the initiative, Price expressed thanks to the PR agency Lanmark (which designed the marketing materials), dental industry publications that had agreed to run ads, and various distributors (including Benco, Darby, Henry Schein, Iowa Dental and Patterson) for their support. "We will also be counting on the support of DTA members in other areas, such as funding for direct-to-consumer advertising in national newspapers, television and radio," he said. "If we work together, we can make a difference."
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