FALL 2003 VOLUME 94 ISSUE 2 - Website

president’s
m e s s a g e
Public Relations in the Twenty-first Century
By Dr. Stephen Glenn
Beginning in September of
1996, the Oklahoma Dental
Association embarked on an
aggressive campaign to
inform the citizens of the state
as to the importance of good
oral health and the value of
seeking dental care from
members of the Association. With the help and
assistance of Jordan Associates, we produced and
aired a series of television infomercials and public
service announcements. That was followed, over
the ensuing years, by other messages transmitted
by radio, newspaper advertisements and inserts,
billboards and even restaurant placemats. In fact,
our partnership with Braums has been a resounding
success in reaching children and their parents.
Over the past seven years, the ODA has invested
some serious money in telling our story to the
public.
As successful as the program has been, it has
not been without its critics. The yearly assessment
appearing on the dues statements of members
made many pause before writing the check.
There was confusion among the membership as
to the actual purpose of the effort. Were we trying
to entice more patients into our chairs or were we
really just trying to fulfill our public obligation to
educate the citizens of the state about the benefits
of good oral health? On several occasions I
attended a meeting of the House with the premonition
that the Delegates would no longer support
the PR program and, on each occasion, I
walked out of the House both surprised and
pleased that the PR program was intact.
Regardless, the program has been continually
buffeted by the feeling that it had “run its course”
and lacked sufficient budget to be truly effective.
The Council on Dental Education and the Subcouncil
on Public Relations have proposed a bold
redirection of our PR Program. Our ongoing contract
with Jordan Associates will be terminated
and we will utilize their services on an “as needed”
basis for specific projects. Many of the functions
they have provided will be moved “in
house” and a new staff position is being created
to oversee our public relations efforts as well as
our website development and maintenance. The
Council realizes that in today’s world, when individuals
need information, the first place they look
is on the internet. Newspapers were the best way
to disseminate information in the late nineteenth
and early twentieth centuries, followed by radio,
billboards and television as the twentieth century
progressed. But the digital age has changed all
that and if the Association wants to get its message
out, we must assure that message is available
on the web. Trust me, those who benefit by
spreading misinformation about amalgam safety
or fluoride have their information available on
the web. We must act!
To emphasize this new direction and focus, the
Public Relations Program has been renamed the
Public Information Program. Your for-profit subsidiary,
ODASCO, has provided the resources to
develop a truly state-of-the-art website and the
Council plans to provide access for both the public
and the profession. Our colleague and perennial
workhorse, Raymond Cohlmia, has laid a
tremendous foundation for this effort, but no single
volunteer can devote the energy required to
bring this dream to fruition. We envision a website
where the public can access a “Find a Dentist”
directory or, utilizing hyperlinks, find answers to
questions about their oral health and treatment
options. There are already plans for interactive
sections that can be utilized in classrooms across
the state. On the professional side, members will
be able to preview a calendar of events and agendas,
register online, post announcements, and chat
online. Beyond tremendous savings when compared
to past PR efforts, we will now have the
tools to effectively deliver our message in the
twenty-first century. •
6 www.okdentassoc.org ODA JOURNAL FALL 2003