Vol. 10 •Issue 2
• Page 56
Promote Hearing Conservation through Community Activities
Sponsoring a local event takes some time and planning, but such efforts can bring great value to your community and recognition for your practice.
By Jody Norwood
Make a difference in people's lives. You don't have to be a large company to help spread the message. Yes, large organizations and companies have been organizing campaigns, fundraisers and attention-grabbing events to raise awareness of hearing conservation for years, but the secret is out—even the smallest of practices can create an event or help raise awareness. And they can make a big impact within their communities.
Evergreen Speech & Hearing Clinic, a private practice with three offices east of Seattle, WA, found this to be true. With a staff that includes five audiologists, we decided to make hearing health and conservation our outreach to the community. The events we created packed a punch and have generated a buzz throughout our community.
With a few simple steps, your practice, too, can put together a successful hearing conservation event and increase your local and regional reputation.
Passion and Commitment
For most of us, a passion for hearing conservation comes naturally. We have experienced something that drove us to the field of audiology, and we have a desire to help others. Each day we notice, or are even subjected to, auditory overload and know well the dangers of excessive noise. Being educated and trained in hearing health, we feel the need to spread the "good ear word," letting people know that treating their ears with care today will affect how they hear with them tomorrow.
When thinking of ways to spread your knowledge of loss prevention and conservation through community events, find activities and objectives that align with your company's goals and mission. By bringing your practice to your community, you bring your community into your practice. This interaction with people at large enables you to put your mission statement into action. The old adage is true: "Actions speak louder than words." So go for it—commit to giving voice to your passion for hearing conservation.
Innovate and Create
This is the fun part! Now that you have made the commitment, you have to decide how you are going to deliver your message.
Start by looking through community bulletins, local newspapers and online sources to find current trends and hot local community issues.
When Evergreen Speech & Hearing Clinic was asked to speak at a middle school health fair last year, we took a look at what middle school kids were interested in so that we could figure out how we might grasp their attention. Most middle schoolers don't know anything about hearing health and protection. Yet, MP3-style player sales are rocketing, posing a dangerous threat to listeners' ears. Terence Limb, AuD, who spoke at the event, brought along a sound level reader and asked for volunteers to bring up their MP3 players and turn them on to see how loud they were listening to their music. The kids were amazed when Dr. Limb compared their MP3 sound levels to other noises they were familiar with. They were shocked to learn that they were pumping the tunes of chain saws, firecrackers, sirens and even jet engines into their ears whenever they turned on their musical players. This is an example of a simple, yet effective event. It was interactive, linked to a current trend and exposed an issue that got the kids talking and thinking about their own hearing health.
It is not difficult to find other innovative and creative ways to bring relevant hearing issues to your audience. That's the way to spread valuable information while creating a lasting impression.
Need some creative help? Consider these tips:
Connect—support a current national campaign such as those created by H.E.A.R. or The House Ear Institute. Your contribution will help bring national hearing conservation efforts to your own neighborhood.
Educate—talk to local schools, workforces, institutions, clubs and organizations. They are always looking for volunteers, and they appreciate those who bring important topics to share.
Rock out–talk to local restaurants, bars and musical venues and ask if you can help sponsor a "turned down" night where the sound level is kept at safe levels.
Protect—give away ear protection at established events or venues that are loud, from a rodeo to a concert. Everyone can benefit from hearing protection.
Research and Plan
1 Start your event planning by creating a goal for your community activity. For example, a goal can be the number of attendees or people you wish to influence. Be realistic. This goal will help guide you through the planning process.
2 Research your audience and customize your hearing conservation message to them. Don't try to influence all demographics at once–target one specific group at a time. That's the way to focus your efforts. For example, say you are doing a presentation at a high school; your audience would be 14- to 18-year-olds. What's going to get their attention? Usually music. What about athletes? Perhaps you plan to hand out information on MP3 safety at a competitive 5K run. The audience you would be catering to would be young adults and baby boomers.
3 Once you have determined the audience for your event, create a profile of your "typical attendee." Ask yourself: Where do they go? What do they do? What interests them? How can you grasp their attention? All of these questions will help you formulate ways to impart the hearing conservation message.
4 Plan your event. Think it through and sweat the details. Run your plan past colleagues and ask them to spot planning gaps. Don't forget to line up your resources and volunteer manpower. Define roles, and make sure everyone has a job to do.
Getting the Word Out
At this point, you've finished several things on your checklist: Express your passion for hearing conservation—check. Apply innovation and creativity to your planned message—check. Conduct your audience research and planning—check. Develop the event and line up your team—check. But wait! There is still one key task that you have to accomplish in order to gain the best results.
To have a successful event, you need people to attend. There are many ways you can produce buzz and recognition. Here are some ideas to generate interest:
Create a press release. Send it out to local publications, news media and bulletins. Most of the contact information for these publications can be found online or with a few quick phone calls to the news source. Learn as much as you can about each publication. Who reads it? What are they interested in? If you want to get an editor's attention, you will frame each release to capture the attention of the newspaper's readers. Remember, most publications are trying to increase their circulation. Help them out by writing a release that will be clear, succinct and yet appealing. Then send your release to editors and relevant calendar listings. A few days after you have sent the release give the publication a call to pitch the story again, ensure they received the release and see if they need any further information from you.
Consider purchasing advertising space in your com-munity newspaper to announce the event.
Use the Internet! Post on social networking sites such as myspace, facebook, meetup and craigslist to get the word out.
Cross-promote. Ask any companies you are connected with to help sponsor your event. Maybe they would be willing to post your event on their Web site or in any of their internal or external publications.
Utilize your database by sending out information to your contact list, including patients. Use your own newsletter to promote the event. Add inserts into your billing envelopes. Create mailers. Offer useful items, such as earplugs, and interesting stickers to practice visitors. These can all be linked to the event.
Now that the word is out, it is time to relax and have fun at the event that you have spilled your heart and soul into. When the big day comes, bring your personable attitude to the event. This is your chance to go into your community to meet and positively affect the lives of those within it!
Case Study
Recently Evergreen Speech & Hearing Clinic was trying to craft a fresh take on our traditional Better Hearing and Speech Month celebration. We decided to make a generational switch and reach out to the younger generations that are constantly exposing themselves to loud music. This includes listeners, of course, but we also were interested in getting the word out to musicians, whose line of work can be extremely dangerous for hearing health.
With the profile we created for these two demographics, we decided that the best way to influence younger music lovers and professional musicians was to inaugurate an educational concert. We called the rock concert, "Turn It Down: an EAR-responsible Concert," and advertised it as a "safe listening venue." Sound levels were kept below 100 dB throughout the night, earplugs were distributed at the door, and informative brochures and information were available to all attendees.
We collaborated with The Old Redmond Firehouse teen center, near one of our clinics, to attract local youth. The center was excited to combine fun and education for teens, while benefiting from the press and attention that was generated by this unique concert. We also established sponsorship opportunities through the donation of materials and information with Westone, H.E.A.R., The House Ear Institute, and Oticon Pediatrics. All of these sponsors brought knowledge, resources and credibility to the event. Overall, our research and planning resulted in a successful event that generated rave reviews.
A tip: Research, planning and publicity may seem like a lot of work, but we have found that it is crucial for success. Your event will only be as good as the thought and time put into the planning process.
Follow Up
The event is completed, but it is not over. Use your story in future newsletters to patients, potential patients and physicians. Create a community section on your Web site (visit ours online at www.everhear.com). Find ways to display your accomplishments in your lobby, diagnostic rooms and offices to show your dedication to your community and local businesses.
Results
Besides the value it brings to your fellow citizens and neighbors, your community outreach builds your practice and image. These events can also influence your patient volume and even attract prospective employees when they see the value you put into your community.
Yes, it is hard work. Yes, it needs planning, a budget, a commitment—but what a joy to experience the results and connect to your community. Make an impact—you won't regret it.
Jody Norwood is the marketing director for Evergreen Speech & Hearing Clinic Inc., Redmond, WA. She works extensively with community events through Evergreen, the City of Redmond, and Bold Hat Productions. Contact her at 425-882-4347 or jnorwood@everhear.com.
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