Cricket and PT - Branding Woes

This blog was posted on myphysicaltherapyspace.com on September 26th

After a recent conversation I realize that there is an analogy that for me shows how it feels trying to communicate what PT is without a success brand:

Imagine going your friends, family and business contacts and try to get them to buy tickets to a Cricket game. They have heard of it, have their own idea of what it is but, if pressed, have no idea of the reality of the game. They would make comments like: isn’t that like Baseball? (Same as – isn’t that like a massage therapist or a personal trainer?), Don’t know if I’d like it. (Same as I don’t think it will help my condition), Never been to a Cricket Game before so I don’t think I want to take the time. (Same as never been to PT and so why would I take the time if I am not sure what it is, or I can exercise on my own?) What are the rules of the game? (Same as – I didn’t know that you could treat that, or I didn’t know you could do manipulation…), and they wouldn’t think to ask who is playing because one team is just like the rest given their perspective (they go where the MD tells them to with go or an MD just sends them to the closest PT).

PT is like Cricket because we have no Brand in this country, the public has heard of us but has no true understanding of what we do. I fear that our existence (with diminished benefits, higher co-pays and a state of significant undervalue in the market place) is truly at risk. Do the powers to be at the APTA understand what Cricket really is? If not then they have an opportunity to understand how the vast majority of the public, many physicians and almost all payors perceive PT.

Been to a Cricket game lately??? - Jeff