PennWell Dental Community
ADA/idm - A bad union after all?
It should certainly not be a surprise to anyone that I really, really enjoy writing. I’ve discussed my addiction with a few friends who are likewise afflicted - professionals as well as amateurs like me. Several agree that the compelling appeal of sharing with others our latest most-important-yet discoveries - one right after another - is only part of the hook. The true kick comes from building words into creations that most accurately reflect what we feel - intricate, precise post-renaissance wordsmithing. The computer makes it so much easier than it was our founding fathers during their post-renaissance information boom. Not to mention improved lighting. And air-conditioning.
As an amateur, I feel additionally fortunate for the freedom I can afford compared to commercial artists and other more seriously oppressed people in the world who are held in line by risks far more precious than one’s employment. I’m thinking of Iran, of course. What would happen to Iranian citizens if the world stopped tweeting?
Humbled and grateful, I cannot lose perspective about my no-risk obligations as one who is equipped and able to help those who cannot represent themselves - my dental patients. If I don’t speak up for them, who will?
The problem with ADA/idm is deeper than start-up capitalization woes.
After a little over a year together, there is credible evidence that within the ADA/idm, the partnership has turned sour in the worse way - publicly. Why did it have to come to damaging the reputation of the ADA? I warned them, but nobody listened to me. One day they will learn.
The original idea behind the partnership was for IDM to sell logos, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tricks and direct mail advertisements to ADA members with the help of the ADA News. The pitch that sold the ADA House of Delegates on the partnership was certain profits for everyone. Now what could possibly go wrong in that complicated business plan?
Yesterday, I was shocked when a Twitter acquaintance informed me that Trajan King was ousted as CEO of ADA/idm over a month ago. I had no idea. The last contact I had with Trajan was when he preemptively blocked me from following him on Twitter before I even had a chance to tweet him a welcome. That was around the first of May. Such an abrupt, in-your-face avoidance of a dentist by a leader in the dental marketing industry might seem odd if one didn’t know that Trajan King and I have a history.
I should point out that I haven’t yet read a confirmation of the corporate shake-up from the ADA, but nevertheless, when another piece of information came to me from another source, it lent credibility to the news of Trajan’s ouster. One should understand that the ADA is secretive about the arrangement with ADA/idm. And I have to hand it to ADA leadership: Yours is a very tight and disciplined organization. Nobody has yet betrayed the reason behind Dr. James Bramson’s firing from his executive director position. It will be 14 months this week. That’s impressive. I thought you’d only last 8 months. Your crew is cohesive and tough.
Here are the two messages, from two distinct parties, that are posted on the ada/idm.com Website. The first is undated.
“ADA/IDM’s customer base is currently at its capacity limit. So we may meet the fulfillment demands of existing customers, ADA/IDM has determined that no new customer accounts will be accepted at this time. We’d be happy to take your contact information and follow up with you when we are in a position to accept new customers.”
Did you notice anything unusual the comment? How long has it been since you have heard of an advertising business turning away work because they were “over-capacity”? Don’t feel bad. I missed it also until this morning.
Someone who is somehow oblivious to the state of the economy, as well as the competition in the advertising world, might read the ADA/IDM statement and come to the conclusion that as recently as five days ago, business was surprisingly booming. But four days ago, someone with authority posted the second message on the ADA/idm Website:
“Update from the ADA (6/17/2009) - The ADA has recently determined that the timely delivery of services to many ADA/idm customers has been impaired. This Update is to let you know that the situation is being thoroughly examined, and the ADA is now in close contact with ADA/idm staff. As always, the interests of our members is of paramount importance to the ADA.”
Do you know how I can tell if a note is from the ADA or IDM? Intelligent Dental Marketing calls the partnership ADA/IDM, whereas the ADA calls it ADA/idm. This shouts to me loud and clear that there have been problems between the ADA and IDM for a long time - at least as far back as when they couldn’t agree to what to call their Rube Goldberg business entity.
Hey, ADA employee. Yea, you. The one who never bothered to respond. I also posted my concerns about IDM over 6 months ago, in a comment titled "Time is up, Intelligent Dental Marketing." Did you read it? To locate the article, googlesearch "ADA/idm" or "ADA/IDM." Either way, it is the third hit. You can't miss it. As a matter of fact, nobody can miss it.
"As always, the interests of our members is of paramount importance to the ADA." - an as yet anonymous ADA employee, June 17, 2009. One day, I will learn the name of who wrote those words. I find the statement incredible.
“The world is my country. To be good my religion.” - Thomas Paine, another post-renaissance wordsmith. He was unpopular for a hundred years until his writings were re-discovered by Thomas Edison.
I’m even more patient than he was.
D. Kellus Pruitt DDS
As an amateur, I feel additionally fortunate for the freedom I can afford compared to commercial artists and other more seriously oppressed people in the world who are held in line by risks far more precious than one’s employment. I’m thinking of Iran, of course. What would happen to Iranian citizens if the world stopped tweeting?
Humbled and grateful, I cannot lose perspective about my no-risk obligations as one who is equipped and able to help those who cannot represent themselves - my dental patients. If I don’t speak up for them, who will?
The problem with ADA/idm is deeper than start-up capitalization woes.
After a little over a year together, there is credible evidence that within the ADA/idm, the partnership has turned sour in the worse way - publicly. Why did it have to come to damaging the reputation of the ADA? I warned them, but nobody listened to me. One day they will learn.
The original idea behind the partnership was for IDM to sell logos, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tricks and direct mail advertisements to ADA members with the help of the ADA News. The pitch that sold the ADA House of Delegates on the partnership was certain profits for everyone. Now what could possibly go wrong in that complicated business plan?
Yesterday, I was shocked when a Twitter acquaintance informed me that Trajan King was ousted as CEO of ADA/idm over a month ago. I had no idea. The last contact I had with Trajan was when he preemptively blocked me from following him on Twitter before I even had a chance to tweet him a welcome. That was around the first of May. Such an abrupt, in-your-face avoidance of a dentist by a leader in the dental marketing industry might seem odd if one didn’t know that Trajan King and I have a history.
I should point out that I haven’t yet read a confirmation of the corporate shake-up from the ADA, but nevertheless, when another piece of information came to me from another source, it lent credibility to the news of Trajan’s ouster. One should understand that the ADA is secretive about the arrangement with ADA/idm. And I have to hand it to ADA leadership: Yours is a very tight and disciplined organization. Nobody has yet betrayed the reason behind Dr. James Bramson’s firing from his executive director position. It will be 14 months this week. That’s impressive. I thought you’d only last 8 months. Your crew is cohesive and tough.
Here are the two messages, from two distinct parties, that are posted on the ada/idm.com Website. The first is undated.
“ADA/IDM’s customer base is currently at its capacity limit. So we may meet the fulfillment demands of existing customers, ADA/IDM has determined that no new customer accounts will be accepted at this time. We’d be happy to take your contact information and follow up with you when we are in a position to accept new customers.”
Did you notice anything unusual the comment? How long has it been since you have heard of an advertising business turning away work because they were “over-capacity”? Don’t feel bad. I missed it also until this morning.
Someone who is somehow oblivious to the state of the economy, as well as the competition in the advertising world, might read the ADA/IDM statement and come to the conclusion that as recently as five days ago, business was surprisingly booming. But four days ago, someone with authority posted the second message on the ADA/idm Website:
“Update from the ADA (6/17/2009) - The ADA has recently determined that the timely delivery of services to many ADA/idm customers has been impaired. This Update is to let you know that the situation is being thoroughly examined, and the ADA is now in close contact with ADA/idm staff. As always, the interests of our members is of paramount importance to the ADA.”
Do you know how I can tell if a note is from the ADA or IDM? Intelligent Dental Marketing calls the partnership ADA/IDM, whereas the ADA calls it ADA/idm. This shouts to me loud and clear that there have been problems between the ADA and IDM for a long time - at least as far back as when they couldn’t agree to what to call their Rube Goldberg business entity.
Hey, ADA employee. Yea, you. The one who never bothered to respond. I also posted my concerns about IDM over 6 months ago, in a comment titled "Time is up, Intelligent Dental Marketing." Did you read it? To locate the article, googlesearch "ADA/idm" or "ADA/IDM." Either way, it is the third hit. You can't miss it. As a matter of fact, nobody can miss it.
"As always, the interests of our members is of paramount importance to the ADA." - an as yet anonymous ADA employee, June 17, 2009. One day, I will learn the name of who wrote those words. I find the statement incredible.
“The world is my country. To be good my religion.” - Thomas Paine, another post-renaissance wordsmith. He was unpopular for a hundred years until his writings were re-discovered by Thomas Edison.
I’m even more patient than he was.
D. Kellus Pruitt DDS
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Darrell Pruitt on -
The downside of winning
Twitter is an incredibly fast and nimble platform for surfing the edge of the event horizon. Inevitable real-time gossip, moving too fast for spin, is just what this nation needs to become lean, mean and decentralized. We are competing for nothing less than our survival in the world economy. And like everything else of importance, it starts with a pissed off dentist.
For example: How would a soon-to-be former employee of Intelligent Dental Marketing, who was intent on sharing important information with a certain dentist hundreds of miles away, have ever found me without Twitter? And if the alert department head hadn’t come across my writings, how would you, in turn, have known before almost all other ADA members that the ADA/IDM partnership was sinking fast?
Now then, how long do you think it will be before we read about this on ADA News Online? Before committing yourself to a date, remember that we are waiting on a slow-moving dinosaur with a committee as a central nervous system to tell us bad news that cuts right to the core of ADA leadership. I suspect that right now a very lonely person in Chicago is frantically, but stoically, looking for PR help with the ADA/IDM failure. It will be interesting to see what kind of spin the story will acquire before it is published - I say no sooner than this Friday, June 25. (No wagering please) The past stories about ADA/IDM have been lacking bylines. I wonder which reporter will be given the task to roll this one out. Will we ever know?
I won’t mention the ADA/IDM employee’s identity here, because it’s not important for this comment. However, if one is interested in hiring an ambitious former department head with seven years of experience in web design and development - and a sharp understanding of transparency on the Internet - one can find him through our conversation on Twitter under “Proots.”
As you can see from some of his recent tweets, the union is indeed breaking apart. They pick up the story of the imminent collapse of ADA/IDM starting two months ago. They also tell of a man with a family who, like so many others these days, is anxiously looking for a new place to work. Even though I look forward to resolution for this problem in my ADA, the short-term effects on innocent employees of IDM don’t make me happy.
- feeling bad, for having to give 2 employees a "not needed notice". Do they pay me enough to can my department?
11:59 PM Apr 23rd from web
- 10 hrs from now, I will now my employment status. Anyone need a well versed Web Designer or know anyone who is hiring? http://bit.ly/Gmgu2
12:17 AM Jun 17th from Tweetie
- It's official. ADA IDM is winding down. 30 days, 90 days, who knows. In the meantime, I am looking for work. http://bit.ly/PNJNv
2:53 AM Jun 18th from Tweetie
- Know anyone needing a website for their business? Basic websites for only $50,000. j/k only $500. Limited to first 10 twits to respond.
1:35 AM Jun 20th from web
He’s sharp and he’s talented. He’ll land on his feet. Besides, there was never a future for anyone at ADA/IDM. It was a dead-end job, right from the giddy start.
D. Kellus Pruitt DDS
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Permalink Reply by tharper on -
As Mr Pruitt's Twitter acquaintance, I must correct him, as I never said Trajan was "ousted". Trajan wasn't ousted, he left.
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Permalink Reply by Darrell Pruitt on
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Thanks. I stand corrected. It was a guess. Darrell
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General dentist in Fort Worth, Texas. I surround myself with the most wonderful staff and the kindest patients in the nation. It is our mutual confidence and respect that grants me the freedom to stand nose-to-nose with anyone in the marketplace. I’m blessed. And I like to write.
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