pg. 9 pg. 10 pg. 38 Advancing trust in healthcare Fragmentation within the medical community Rankings of top healthcare PR firms

Communications & New Media Oct. 2019 I Vol. 33 No. 6

THE HEALTHCARE ISSUE

When drug pricing communications go wrong Standing out in a digital healthcare landscape Communications essentials for healthcare M&A The right way to launch a medical breakthrough Communicating the value of next generation therapies Taking control of the pharma conversation Navigating an ever-changing healthcare market Navigating an ever-changing healthcare market OCTOBER 2019 | www.odwyerpr.com The use of microinfluencers in healthcare Living by the ‘future IPO’ mindset Making the most of the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference

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Vol. 33, No. 6 Oct. 2019 EDITORIAL LET’S START USING THE RIGHT TOOLS NATIONS RELY ON SOCIAL 6 36 COMMUNICATING VALUE MEDIA DISINFORMATION FOR NEXT GEN THERAPIES FAKE NEWS UNLIKELY TO 8 38 DETER SOCIAL MEDIA USE NEW OPPORTUNITIES IN 14 PAYOR COMMUNICATIONS ADVANCING TRUST IN 8 HEALTHCARE 40 THE POWER OF EXECUTIVE EXPERTISE FRAGMENTATION IS NOW 9 BUSINESS AS USUAL 42 NAVIGATING AN EVER- CHANGING MARKET 2020 VISION FOR 10 INTEGRATED MARKETING 44 BAYER CLEARS FH IN MONSANTO PROBE WHEN DRUG PRICING 12 61 COMMS. GO WRONG 44 COMMS ESSENTIALS FOR WWW.ODWYERPR.COM HEALTHCARE M&A Daily, up-to-the-minute PR news MAKING THE MOST AT 14 J.P. MORGAN 46 AD/PR EXECUTIVES GO PUBLIC ON GUN CONTROL LIVE BY THE ‘FUTURE 16 IPO’ MINDSET 46 FIGHTING CANCER THE WAY IT FIGHTS US STANDING OUT IN THE 18 DIGITAL LANDSCAPE 48 CONNECTING SPECIALISTS WITH PUBLIC, EACH OTHER WHAT’S COMING NEXT 20 IN HEALTHCARE COMMS 49 PROFILES OF HEALTHCARE COMMUNICATIONS FIRMS THE GROWING POWER 22 OF MICROINFLUENCERS 50 RANKINGS OF HEALTHCARE COMMUNICATIONS FIRMS WHAT DIGITAL COMMS 24 CAN LEARN FROM GEN Z 61 WASHINGTON REPORT EDITORIAL CALENDAR 2019 January: Crisis Comms. / Buyer’s Guide HEALTHCARE COMMS 26 GET MORE COMPLICATED 62 March: Food & Beverage 28 COLUMNS May: PR Firm Rankings HOW TO CONTROL THE July: Travel, Tourism & International PHARMA CONVERSATION PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 30 64 Fraser Seitel August: Financial, I.R. & Prof Services LAUNCHING A MEDICAL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT October: Healthcare & Medical BREAKTHROUGH 32 65 Richard Goldstein November: Technology & Social Media ADVERTISERS 5W Public Relations...... 3 GCI Health...... 11 PAN Communications...... 37 Bliss Integrated Communication...... 47 ICR...... 45 Public Communications Inc...... 13 Crosby...... 39 Jarrard Phillips Cate & Hancock...... 17 Racepoint Global...... 41 Crosswind Media & Public Relations...... 27 JPA Health Communications...... 31 The Reis Group...... 29 Edelman...... 7 LaVoieHealthScience...... 5 Syneos Health...... 23 Evoke PR & Influence...... 25 Matter Communications...... 15 W2O Group...... Inside front cover Finn Partners...... 34-35 MCS Healthcare...... 19 Weber Shandwick...... Back cover FTI Consulting...... 43 Padilla...... 33

Statement of Ownership, Management & Circulation as required by U.S. Postal Service Form 3526-R. 1. & 13. Publication Title: O’Dwyer’s. 2. Publication No.: 0003-525. 3. Filing Date: Sept. 25, 2019. 4. & 5. Frequency of issue/Number of issues: Bi-monthly/7. 6. Subscription price is $60 annually. 7. & 8. Mailing address of publication and general business office is 271 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016. 9. Publisher (John O’Dwyer) and Editor (Jon Gingerich) are at 271 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016. Stockholders: John M. O’Dwyer and Christine O’Dwyer, 271 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016. 11. There are no holders of bonds, mortgages or other securities. 14. Issue date for circulation data to follow is September 2019. A-I: Extent and nature of circulation: A. Average No. of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 1,100. Actual No. of copies of August 2019 issue: 1,100. C. Average paid and/or requested circulation during preceding 12 months: 717. Actual paid and/or requested circulation for August 2019 issue: 629. E: Average total non-requested distribution by mail and outside the mail for preceding 12 months: 212. Actual non-requested distribution by the mail and outside the mail for August 2019 issue: 250. F: Total average distribution for preceding 12 months: 929. Actual distribution of August 2019 issue: 917. G: Average number of copies not distributed preceding 12 months: 171. Actual number of copies of August 2019 issue not distributed: 183. H: Average of total distribution and copies not distributed for preceding 12 months: 1,100. Sum of total August 2019 issue distributed and not distributed: 1,100. I: Average percent paid and/or requested circulation for preceding 12 months: 77%. Actual percent paid and/or requested circulation for August 2019 issue: 73%. I certify that all information furnished above is true and complete. John O’Dwyer, Publisher, J.R. O’Dwyer Co...... EDITORIAL When the spin machine fails he spin coming out of the White House and among President Trump’s defenders in the wake of the Ukraine scandal reveals a desperate grasp for straws in their attempts to re- EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Tframe the narrative as public developments—and the prospect of impeachment—grow Kevin McCauley more troubling each day. The wheels are coming off Trump’s misinformation machine. [email protected] We all know the story by now. An unnamed whistleblower—a C.I.A. officer, according to the New York Times—filed a complaint in August alleging that Trump had pressed Ukraine Presi- dent Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate acts of corruption by 2020 prospective rival Joe Biden PUBLISHER and his son, Hunter—who was on the board of a Ukrainian energy company—allegedly inti- John O’Dwyer mating that forthcoming U.S. military aid to Ukraine may be predicated on Zelensky’s support. [email protected] The Office of the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community found the staffer’s com- plaint credible, which the White House had initially attempted to prevent from being forward- SENIOR EDITOR ed to Congress. Trump later admitted to the phone call with Zelensky, and the White House Jon Gingerich released a rough transcript of the conversation, wherein Trump asked the Ukrainian President [email protected] for “a favor” to work with Attorney General William Barr and personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani regarding Biden’s Ukraine activities. ASSOCIATE EDITOR As it turns out, using the office of President to put pressure on a foreign power to dig up dirt on Steve Barnes a political rival isn’t a “good thing,” and the subsequent formal impeachment inquiry launched [email protected] by Nancy Pelosi et al. in September has escalated at an astonishingly fast pace. The House has CONTRIBUTING EDITORS since targeted Trump’s inner circle with subpoenas to testify before Congress, itself met by a Fraser Seitel stonewalling effort from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to which the House responded by Richard Goldstein claiming such an act may be considered further evidence of obstruction of justice. What a mess. As the House’s inquiry that threatens his presidency heats up, the commander-in-chief has spent little time explaining his actions—he admitted to them, after all—and has instead resorted EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS to the predictable tantrums and attacks that’ve become routine, old hat since 2016. “Fake News!” & RESEARCH Jane Landers Trump said his July talk with Zelensky was “perfect” and referred to the House’s impeachment Melissa Webell probe as “bullshit” before advising Democrats to “get a better candidate.” He doubled down on his initial call to investigate the Bidens for being “corrupt,” claiming, without evidence, that the former Ukraine prosecutor general had previously investigated Hunter Biden before publicly Advertising Sales: calling on China to pick up the Biden investigation. He also attacked the credibility of the here- John O’Dwyer tofore unidentified whistleblower at the center of the Ukraine probe (or a “spy” and a “fraud,” as [email protected] Trump called him), swearing to uncover the whistleblower’s identity, a claim that rankled even GOP lawmakers (there’s a federal law designed to protect the anonymity of federal employees O’Dwyer’s is published seven times a year who report on wrongdoing or illegal activities occurring within the government.) The usual for $60.00 ($7.00 a single issue) by the deflection tactics were thrown in for good measure: random jabs at Hillary Clinton, threats to J.R. O’Dwyer Co., Inc. sue Robert Mueller (?!?). He’s now suggesting House Intel Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) is 271 Madison Ave., #600 guilty of “treason,” and suggested that his impeachment would result in a civil war. The strategy New York, NY 10016. is embarrassingly obvious: throw everything at the wall and see what sticks. (212) 679-2471 Fae: (212) 683-2750. Trump’s allies in the conservative media haven’t done much better keeping a lid on the Ukraine scandal, resorting to a desperate defense strategy that relies on multiple parts disin- © Copyright 2019 J.R. O’Dwyer Co., Inc. formation and deflection. Fox News host Jesse Watters said Congress is going after Trump only for exposing “Biden family corruption.” Tucker Carlson, also focusing on the Biden’s foreign OTHER PUBLICATIONS: business interests, suggested a double standard in the rules as they involve Democrats’ political profiteering. Giuliani baselessly claimed Hunter Biden received $3M in laundered money from www.odwyerpr.com Breaking news, commentary, useful data- the Ukraine. Newt Gingrich, aping Trump’s penchant for histrionics, called the impeachment bases and more. inquiry a “coup d’état.” Conservative site The Federalist (falsely) reported that whistleblower complaints must be heard firsthand in order to be valid. Several conservative outlets are now O’Dwyer’s Newsletter claiming the whistleblower met with Schiff before filing his complaint (he didn’t). Fox News on A four-page weekly with general PR Oct. 3 even promised a “bombshell” report regarding documents the network claimed proved news, media appointments and placement the former Ukraine prosecutor general was forced to dial back his investigation into the afore- opportunities. mentioned Biden-connected energy company. What Fox failed to divulge in the segment was O’Dwyer’s Directory of PR Firms that those “documents” were—wait for it—written and supplied by Rudy Giuliani. Listings of more than 1,250 PR firms It’s not merely that Trump and his defenders are struggling to get on the same page in respond- throughout the U.S. and abroad. ing to these developments—they’re struggling to find a page, any page at all. Trump’s ability to O’Dwyer’s PR Buyer’s Guide dominate the media cycle has always been his strong suit; he’s been remarkably successful at Products and services for the PR industry contouring reality in an attempt to convince his supporters to believe what he wants them to be- in 50 categories. lieve, and perhaps his greatest legacy—if you could call it that—will be the effect the Trump era has had on the value of objective truth in modern society. But unlike the Mueller investigation, jobs.odwyerpr.com O’Dwyer’s online job center has help where there was always a consistent claim of innocence from the Trump camp, the President’s wanted ads and hosts resume postings. own admissions have set this chess board in such a way that deflection, conspiracy theories and more clumsy attempts at reinterpreting reality are the only means by which they have to spin this scandal as another “witch hunt” as opposed to a bona fide Constitutional crisis. — Jon Gingerich

6 OCTOBER 2019 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM

MEDIA REPORT Dozens of nations rely on social media disinformation Political governments or parties across 70 countries used social power and influence, reported Oxford. media disinformation to shape domestic public opinion in 2018, Facebook is the number-one platform for according to an Oxford University study. More than a half-dozen cyber troop activity due to its market size as nations used social media to engage in foreign influence activities. well as its links to close family members and friends, amount of political news/informa- By Kevin McCauley tion and ability to form groups. Cyber troops also use the video and im- olitical parties or governments in 70 They also found highly sophisticated for- age-sharing platforms such as Instagram countries launched disinformation eign influence operations in seven coun- and YouTube, as well as WhatsApp. Pcampaigns to shape domestic public tries: China, India, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, Oxford notes that disinformation, dis- attitudes in 2018, according to a Sept. report Saudi Arabia and Venezuela trust, polarization and the decline in de- published by Oxford University. The researchers noted that China, which mocracy existed prior to the development Their cyber-troops rely on “political bots” has traditionally manipulated public opin- of the Internet and social media. to amplify hate speech or other forms on ion at home via domestic platforms like The researchers believe strong democracy manipulated content; engage in illegal har- WeChat, Weibo and QQ, has stepped up requires access to high-quality information vesting of data or micro-targeting and de- foreign influence activity. and ability for citizens to come together to ploy an array of “trolls” to bully or harass The Chinese government this year em- debate, discuss, deliberate, empathize and dissidents and journalists online. ployed global social media to paint Hong make concessions. Oxford researchers found that authori- Kong’s democracy advocates as violent rad- They ask: Are social media platforms re- tarian governments in 26 nations relied on icals with little support at home. ally creating a space for public deliberation social media as a tool of information control “The growing sophistication and use and democracy, or are they amplifying dis- to suppress human rights, discredit political of global social networking technologies information, inciting violence and lowering opponents and drown out dissenting opin- demonstrates how China is also turning to levels of trust in media and democratic in- ions. these technologies as a tool of geopolitical stitutions?  Fake news unlikely to deter social media use Americans recognize that “fake news” is a problem, but few seem willing to change their social media habits, perhaps because most ter how regularly they encounter it. More remain confident in their ability to spot fake news. than half of Facebook users (53 percent) By Jon Gingerich said fake news doesn’t impact their use of the platform, and a similar percentage said ost Americans agree that “fake Altogether, more than half (53 percent) of their use of YouTube (50 percent), Twitter news” is a problem that negatively respondents said fake news negatively im- and Pinterest (both 49 percent), Instagram Mimpacts their opinions of social me- pacts their opinions of social media. (46 percent), Snapchat and Reddit (both 45 dia networks, but few are willing to change Puzzlingly, however—and perhaps due to percent) and LinkedIn (37 percent) would their social media habits in light of the phe- their presumptions that they can spot fake not change in light of it. nomenon, according to a recent survey re- news so easily—the survey discovered fake Only one percent of people said that fake leased by business news site The Manifest. news doesn’t appear to deter most Ameri- news was cause enough for them to cancel The survey, which sought to gauge social cans from using social networks, no mat- their Facebook accounts.  media users’ ability to identify fake news as well as how the fake news phenomenon Americans concerned by state of media influences their social media habits, found that virtually all respondents agree that fake agendas (34 percent), the practice of “got- news is a problem, regardless of where they By Jon Gingerich cha journalism” (33 percent) and right- fall on the political spectrum: 94 percent ost Americans are troubled by the wing agendas (32 percent) followed. of conservatives, 94 percent of moderates current state of the media as well A majority of Americans also think jour- and 92 percent of liberals think fake news Mas ethics in the field of journalism nalism in the U.S. has gotten more unethi- on social media is an issue, according to the today, according to a recent study released cal. Nearly half of respondents (43 percent) survey. by tech PR firm Bospar. believe journalism is less ethical now than Amazingly, almost all respondents (97 per- According to the study, virtually all re- before, while more than a third (37 percent) cent) expressed confidence in their ability to spondents polled (95 percent) said they’re think ethics in the field hasn’t changed. spot fake news, and most reported regularly troubled by the current state of the media in Only one in five (20 percent) think journal- encountering news on social media plat- the United States. ists today are more ethical than they were forms they thought was fake: More than half Asked to list the top reasons for their con- in the past. said they’ve seen fake news on Facebook (70 cerns, more than half (53 percent) cited the Perhaps, for this reason, more than two- percent) and Twitter (54 percent) in the past “fake news” phenomenon, followed by a thirds of Americans polled (67 percent) month, while others reported encountering penchant for reporting gossip (49 percent). said they also expect ethics in journalism to fake news on YouTube (47 percent), Reddit Lying spokespeople (48 percent), favoring decline even further during the 2020 presi- (43 percent) and Instagram (40 percent). celebrity opinions (36 percent), left-wing dential campaign. 

8 OCTOBER 2019 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM Advancing trust in healthcare

leverage their owned media channels to The healthcare industry has witnessed historic innovations. Is reach consumers. consumer trust following suit? Finally, to earn and keep trust, healthcare By Susan Isenberg companies must be transparent, particular- ly about pricing. ealthcare has advanced by leaps and women are often the “chief medical officer” The Edelman Trust Barometer found that bounds in recent years, from the for their families and lead healthcare de- globally, being transparent around the cost Hemergence of more precise diagnos- cisions across generations of family mem- of products and services was the most im- tic tools, to the discoveries of life-saving bers, they are a critical group for restoring portant factor for how treatments for rare diseases, to the use of trust. healthcare companies artificial intelligence to empower clinical One area where healthcare companies can earn and keep trust. trials, patient records and robotics-assisted may have more room to build trust is This should be no sur- surgeries, among other remarkable innova- around technological advances. The Edel- prise as pricing is one of tions. But is trust in healthcare advancing man Trust Barometer shows that, globally, the top issues dominat- as rapidly as the industry itself? people feel generally positive about health ing global healthcare The Edelman Trust Barometer found tech, with 76 percent agreeing they trust headlines. All health- healthcare was just barely trusted in 2019, health tech to make life better for “people care companies must with only 61 percent of Americans agree- like me.” be prepared to discuss Susan Isenberg ing they trust the sector to do what is right. People trust tech as much as they see their cost, particularly in While this score represents an eight-point own benefits linked to it, though personal markets like the U.S., where there’s been a rebound in trust from 2018, in the U.S. data can be the Achilles’ heel. For health- call for government action. healthcare ranks among the bottom three care companies to build on the trust halo The innovations healthcare companies of all sectors of business studied in terms around their technology, consumers must provide to society are remarkable and of trust, tying with fashion and with only know their data is private and protected. much needed to prevent and treat dis- financial services behind it. How will patient data be leveraged to create ease and enhance overall human wellness. Trust in healthcare also has concerning efficiencies in the delivery of care and more When speaking to these advancements, our disparities across several important popu- personalized treatments? How will tech- healthcare stories need to match audience lations. nology provide behavioral reinforcements expectations so that the industry’s remark- Though globally the industry is trusted by that improve patient adherence and com- able breakthroughs are trusted. both the informed public (defined as those pliance needs? These questions will need Susan Isenberg is Global Chair at Edelman who are between 25-64 years of age, college to be clearly explained as health and tech Health.  educated, in the top 25 percent of house- continue to merge. hold income per age group in each market Telling a company’s health tech story is PR news brief and report significant media consumption one opportunity to build trust. Another and engagement in public policy and busi- avenue is to activate across multiple com- Newspapers outperform TV, web ness news) and the mass population, this munications channels to ensure key audi- outlets, radio on local level year marked a record high in inequality be- ences—particularly women and the mass Local newspapers significantly outperform compet- tween trust levels across these two groups. population—are reached. ing news outlets in producing more original, local jour- There’s a global ten-point trust gap between Globally, the Edelman Trust Barometer nalistic content, according to recent research. The News Measures Research Project, a joint initia- these two audiences, with 75 percent of the found that while media is still distrust- tive comprised of students and post-grads from Duke, informed public reporting that they trust ed, media engagement actually rose this UNC Chapel Hill and Rutgers, conducted a study of lo- healthcare versus only 65 percent of the year; meaning more people are reporting cal media outlets (radio stations, TV stations, newspa- mass population reporting the same. This consuming news weekly or more. Trust pers and online-only publishers) in randomly-sampled communities across the U.S. and analyzed the stories widening gap underscores the instability of in both traditional media and search en- of each medium to gauge their journalistic perfor- trust. It also may be reflective of the mass gines also rose. Traditional media remains mance and determine what outlets are best meeting population continuing to feel left behind an important part of the communications the informational needs of their communities. in their ability to access healthcare innova- model, but it is important for health com- The study discovered that while local papers ac- tions even as they recognize the advances panies to recognize that this does not fulfill counted for only about a quarter of the local media outlets in the study’s sample, these publications were being made. Given the environment today, the need for organizations to also tell their responsible for producing almost 60 percent of the sto- and that the mass population is particular- own stories. In fact, trust in owned me- ries researchers gathered that were of a local nature. ly less trusting, healthcare may continue dia—that’s a company’s own channels like a Moreover, local papers also produced nearly half (47 to see increasing demands for change and corporate website, blog, application, etc.— percent) of all original news items they found as well. By contrast, only about 12 percent of local TV out- regulation. saw an eight-point jump, one of the largest lets’ output consisted of original stories. Local radio There’s also a gap in how men and women increases we have seen across the types of produced about 32 percent of original stories and on- trust healthcare across the general popula- media studied. line-only outlets produced less than 10 percent. tion, with the highest disparity of all mar- Additionally, Edelman Trust Barometer The study also discovered that among the stories kets studied in the U.S. Only 53 percent of data showed healthcare companies’ con- produced by local papers, more than half (53 percent) were original, compared to 48 percent for online-only American women said they trust health- tent about medical conditions and their outlets and 32 percent for both TV and radio sources. care, verses 69 percent of American men, a treatments is seen as credible by 68 percent And more than a quarter (26 percent) of local news- 16-point gap. Also concerning, this divide globally, and this increased by four points paper stories were local in nature, compared with 25 between women and men has continued since the 2018 Trust Barometer. This is a percent for online-only outlets, nine percent for TV and to grow over the last few years. Given that clear opportunity for health companies to eight percent for radio.

WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | OCTOBER 2019 9 FEATURE Fragmentation is no anomaly — it’s business as usual Communicators’ ability to navigate the organized chaos that characterizes today’s health ecosystem is crucial to patient outcomes and client success. By Gil Bashe, Kristie Kuhl and Fern Lazar

harma brands once saw patent cliffs as being shifted to another therapy. It happens fold increase in their hospitalization. These their greatest challenge. They sought every day. Fragmentation carries a cost. It outcomes of non-medical switching in- Pto establish as many “good years” results in diminished patient care. It can re- crease both financial and human costs, but in the market as possible to recoup years sult in death. who tracks total cost of patient care when of drug development investment. Today, Market approval is no longer bench-to- someone inside a formulary group makes brand-building challenges start years be- bedside expressway a non-medical decision to change access fore the Food and Drug Administration The frequent refrains of “requiring pri- to a particular drug? No grants a company approval to market. No or authorization,” “fail first” or “step ther- one. longer is the communicator’s goal simply apy”—which require the least expensive Organized chaos creating awareness and “see your doctor” drug to be prescribed first, even if a phy- within the health sys- moments during the lead-up to launch. sician believes a different therapy is in the tem isn’t part of any Now, among their changing tasks are help- best interest for their patient—result in master plan. It’s the re- ing clients to define why their medication kicking the proverbial can of cost toward sult of inwardly focused should be easy-to-access on formulary, or someone else in the medical chain. Those economic structures acting to shield the product from non-med- extra calls to inform patients, lost time centering around four ical switches. from work to see a physician about a new decision-making health Historically, health public relations and medication, or the time gap caused by ob- sectors: payers, policy- Gil Bashe investor relations pros tailored their com- taining the new medication —all increase makers, product inno- munications to three main audiences: those costs in the end, negating the intended sav- vators and providers. most likely to benefit from a particular ings from a “less expensive” medication. But the fifth sector, the medication, physicians or investors. Com- The hassle factor can even result in a higher one which everyone is munication must now include those who societal cost, such as loss of life. focused on “helping”— determine access: from payers to regulators, Among the most high-profile lifesaving patients—doesn’t have and everyone who influences both. Under- drugs that recently failed to secure market a reserved seat at the standing how to navigate the health eco- traction have been the cholesterol reducers decision-making table. system, and working to build connections called PCSK9 inhibitors. Financial analysts While their interests among decision makers, reduces the risk of predicted blockbuster sales for PCSK9s, are often left outside Kristie Kuhl falling victim to fragmentation among the reaching $6 billion annually. Companies the conference room, myriad of players who determine access to saw these predictions as a signal that pay- patients undoubted- care. er and provider were aboard. But insurers ly have the most skin Fragmentation within the medical com- and pharmacy benefit managers balked, in the life-preserving munity has become more than just the “left refusing to pay for these high-priced medi- game. hand not knowing what the right is doing.” cines. They required doctors and patients to Years before becom- Now, it often appears as though the left jump through “prior authorization” hoops ing FDA Commission- hand is actively working against its right. In to secure access. Even a massive outcomes er, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, this climate, rising costs are the bi-partisan trial of almost 20,000 patients that showed then with the Amer- decision-maker’s primary concern, but this PCSK9s could reduce deaths as much as 29 ican Enterprise Insti- focus misses the real—and necessary—ex- percent for people with the highest choles- tute, saw how a range of Fern Lazar pense of keeping people healthier, happier terol level was not enough to make insurers drug development poli- and out of the hospital. open the gates. And, when their developers cies between regulators and drug develop- Economist Dr. Alain C. Enthoven wrote finally slashed prices for these cholester- ers interfered with patient care. He argued more than a decade ago: “Our healthcare ol-lowering drugs, payers responded only that FDA caution is hazardous to public system is fragmented, with a misalignment lethargically. health, that the system needed to stream- of incentives, or lack of coordination, that Innovators, providers and patients face line and find common connection. While spawns inefficient allocation of resources. access challenges he made considerable progress during his Fragmentation adversely impacts quality, The system creates all sorts of winding tenure at the Agency, there’s much more to cost, and outcomes.” Not much has changed curves for patients along the path to care, be done to reduce fragmentation among since these words were penned. and communicators need to be far more health sectors. Fragmentation rears its head at every level aware of the access land mines awaiting Communicators who are savvy about of care. Imagine a patient with prescription brands. For example, people taking med- how the ecosystem operates—from secur- in hand going into a pharmacy, only to be ications for irregular heartbeat confront ing a seat at the table for patient advocacy told that their physician’s medication rec- all-too-frequent unplanned treatment in- to recognizing the importance of the Cen- ommendation isn’t covered by their health terruptions due to non-medical switch- ter for Medicare and Medicaid Part D sys- insurance formulary. Imagine people ad- ing. The seemingly innocuous decision by tem, as well as acting on the need for more herent on a medication for a life-threaten- payers to change their formularies carries give and take in the commercial formulary ing condition told unexpectedly that, due real impacts: a five-fold increase in a pa- to a non-medical switch decision, they’re tient having a stroke and a two-to-three- _ Continued on page 21

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FEATURE 2020 vision for integrated healthcare marketing Why enhancing brand reputation and awareness are becoming more important than ever for today’s healthcare companies. By Ryan Lilly hen asked what the purpose of and public relations programs that address be asked early and often by healthcare mar- marketing is, most healthcare ex- priority stakeholders and decision makers keting pros. Wecutives will say something like with the right messages, at the right times Understanding and prioritizing perso- “to drive sales.” While that’s certainly cor- across the right channels will be more im- nas will be more important than ever for rect, it’s an increasingly simplistic, and even portant than ever for modern healthcare marketers moving forward. Not only will shortsighted, approach to marketing in the brands and marketing departments. The it inform your underlying brand strategy modern era of healthcare. Brand reputation question for many has become: where to and messaging, it will is more important than ever. Meaningful start? also advise more tacti- engagement has significant value, even be- Taking stock cal decisions and specif- yond a sale. Data derived from marketing The answer is at the beginning. Even if ic campaigns. Building initiatives can be deployed in meaningful you’re years into an established marketing and segmenting a data- ways and used to inform activities across program, 2020 constitutes an ideal moment base is something that’s programs. These are just a few examples in time to revisit core strategy, goals and ef- never actually complete. of the impact of effective communications. ficacy. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach Just like healthcare or- Conversion-focused marketing will always to healthcare marketing, and even an es- ganizations focused on have a place in healthcare, but the industry tablished program must evolve over time. mining clinical and op- Ryan Lilly is at a major inflection point, which requires Earlier stage healthcare companies may be erational data for mean- more nuanced and highly integrated mar- looking to increase brand awareness and ingful insights, healthcare marketers must keting programs in order to reach all the will generally prioritize activities that bol- continue to measure and analyze data re- right stakeholders, with the right messages, ster the top of their marketing funnel, such lated to customer behaviors and preferenc- at the right time, across the right channels. as PR (media, speaking, awards, etc.). On es in order to continuously sharpen their In December of 2018, key provider and the other hand, more established brands marketing strategy. What content performs payer organizations issued the “Transfor- may want to prioritize lead generation and best? What channel has the highest rate mation Progress Report,” which tied nearly sales-focused activities, such as email mar- of engagement? Where are we losing peo- 50 percent of their business to value. That keting or social advertising. While there ple on the website and why? How can we number is forecasted to grow as high as 75 will generally be a way to prioritize mar- reprioritize activities or reallocate resourc- percent by 2020 and will very likely reach keting activities, most organizations will es based on the answers to these kinds of 100 percent in the not too distant future. benefit from a healthy mix of tactics. The questions? Put simply, this means that reimbursement key is finding the right balance and map- Creating conversations will be tied to quality, outcomes and cost ping each tactic or campaign back to higher While targeting decision makers direct- efficiency, as compared to competitors and level business objectives to ensure the right ly using digital marketing and automation or industry benchmarks. This is in com- muscle and resources are put behind the will continue to play a key role in many plete opposition to the traditional fee-for- right activities. To move the needle, you brands’ marketing efforts moving forward, service models healthcare has relied on for just need to know what the needle should it’s important not to overlook the value of decades, where a service is provided, and be measuring. top of the funnel activities such as PR. It’s as long as it is covered by insurers, it will Knowing your audience certainly not as easy to map a feature arti- be reimbursed regardless of the outcome Once you understand business goals, the cle in the Wall Street Journal directly to a or necessity of it. While these changes have next step is to understand your audiences. conversion, however, there’s inherent value the most immediate and direct impact on The channels and messages used to reach in general brand awareness and validation payers, providers and patients, the ramifi- prospective investors will inherently look that comes with things like earned media, cations are far reaching and will drive be- very different from the channels and mes- speaking slots and awards. These things havior and operational changes across the sages used to reach prospective customers. have value on their own and can go a long entire continuum of care. Even if you know that customer-centric way toward getting people into the top of As brands continue to adapt to new mod- marketing activities will be a priority in your funnel, but the marketing teams’ job els, it’s clear that marketing is less of a luxu- 2020, who are your customers and what doesn’t stop when the article publishes or ry and more of a necessity. In 2020, expect does their journey or path to purchase look the award is announced. to see healthcare brands reexamining how like? Healthcare marketers should have an Putting it all together they market to an increasingly complex in depth understanding of their priority This is where truly integrated marketing and always evolving set of stakeholders, personas. A young visionary chief medi- programs shine, as they ensure that ev- while also navigating shifting financial and cal officer may respond well to multimedia ery message or opportunity is multiplied regulatory models. The patient has a bigger content deployed through less traditional and deployed across channels to have the voice than ever and is an increasingly dis- social media channels. On the other hand, greatest possible impact. Integrated PR and cerning consumer of care. Even B2B brands an established, more risk-averse hospital marketing teams will be able to “squeeze all that have traditionally not paid much atten- CFO will likely want to see more tradition- the juice” out of every piece of coverage or tion to patients are starting to take notice al white papers or case studies deployed award or speaking opportunity, by promot- and refocus messaging on how their prod- through email marketing or more familiar ing on social, including in email campaigns, uct or service actually impacts the patient. channels. Will a patient be more likely to publishing on the website, arming sales, Whether prioritizing patients, physicians respond to a patient testimonial or a phy- or pharmacists, truly integrated marketing sician? These are the questions that should _ Continued on page 21

12 OCTOBER 2019 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM

FEATURE When drug pricing communications go wrong Effective value communications in an era increasingly defined by of a medicine based upon the outcomes it an increased attention to price. delivers, such as value-based contracting. By Miriam Kalnicki The new value communications playbook As policy proposals evolve and media at- t starts with something that used to be setting are key. Price increases on drugs tention shifts, individual companies need a routine: disclosing the list price of a new that cost less than $5,000 per month can plan for value communications. Extensive Iprescription medicine. But in today’s en- generate as much or more national media planning goes into any pricing decision a vironment, that simple action can trigger a attention as drugs launched at price points pharmaceutical company makes. Just as cascade setting off a corporate crisis. in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. much forethought should go into prepar- Disclosing a therapy’s price has become Last year, the cascade we describe above ing a product’s value communications to a a potential point of conflagration, because contributed to one rare disease company range of interested audiences. pharmaceutical manufacturers are sound- losing a whopping 29 percent of its market Preparation must start early. The first step ly in the crosshairs of a public concerned value. The therapy triggering the backlash is a close examination about rising medical costs. Polling on the had long been the subject of pricing specu- of who the important U.S. right and the left shows deep popu- lation—even before it’s approved. When the stakeholders will be— list frustrations about mounting costs of actual price was disclosed, reporters imme- patients and advocates, care. The concerns are justified: healthcare diately called patients and influential physi- payers, analysts, KOLs spending has grown at greater than four cians. The rare disease community thought and prescribers—and percent for two consecutive years, outpac- the price was too high and voiced their develop a thorough ing the per capita growth of GDP. Last year, objections in social and traditional media. understanding of con- per-person spending on healthcare reached They generated enough attention that Sen- cerns and how they de- an all-time high of $5,564. As a result, the ator Bernie Sanders publicly criticized the fine value. Conducting Miriam Kalnicki cost of health insurance is rising as well, CEO. Through the course of the negative research with primary and salary growth is not keeping pace with attention, the stock price fell steadily from influencers can reveal what their priorities the rate of insurance premium increases. its post-launch high. are, who they influence, and where they are While the contribution of drug prices to With the heightened environment, there’s most likely to speak out. The insights un- healthcare costs has stayed relatively static been no shortage of proposed reforms tar- covered in that process will indicate how in recent years, it’s one of the most routine geting pharmaceutical pricing. Some mea- we must communicate to address their pri- and direct costs that patients encounter, sures, such as adopting a form of interna- orities. which may be why their concerns are placed tional pricing referencing or putting price Armed with these insights, your team is on medicine companies instead of insurers. pressure on branded drugs by exempting prepared to create value messaging cus- Real risk to business those copays from deductibles, may be tomized to these audiences’ priorities. The Regardless, the risk of issues is real. When plausible. Others requiring drug advertis- goal of the messaging is to communicate drug pricing communications go wrong, it ing to consumers to list drug prices or en- the value of the drug and the company’s almost always follows a predictable cas- acting a single-payer, Medicare for All sys- overall contributions to what the commu- cade. The issues begin with a key stake- tem are less likely in the near-term. What nity needs. holder group, such as a patient or hospital we can count on: continued debate on drug Through 1:1 meetings with influential feeling aggrieved and unheard by the com- pricing through the 2020 election cycle! stakeholders, you can begin to lay the foun- pany. Frustrated patients often bring their An era of experimentation dational messages for the value of the ther- concerns to the press, where the issue es- As reforms are slow to take shape, com- apy and begin to set expectations on price. calates, often into national visibility. As the panies and brands are developing different Risk assessments can help develop an topic draws more attention, policymakers approaches to price disclosure. Earlier this understanding of each of those parties and engage, particularly given the polling man- year, members of the PhRMA trade asso- their concerns, as well as identify which date by American constituents. Politicians ciation proactively committed to be more voices are likely to seek attention and ele- ask pointed questions—often in public— transparent about price information, with vate their concerns. Developing scenario demand answers, and even convene Con- most participants hosting that information plans helps your team prepare for pushback gressional hearings. on brand.com. The best practice is to dis- from payers or third-party groups. Once this cascade is triggered, it can be close the average out-of-pocket cost that Finally, the plan should include post-ap- hard to reverse and damaging to business. patients are likely to pay, rather than the list proval access communications. Monitoring Both the brand and the company name be- price, which few people actually pay. online forums and social media channels come linked to the public outrage over the And yet, the conversation has already will indicate where patients may face access perceived runaway cost of healthcare. As shifted from pricing to value. Three years challenges and can be directed to financial corporate reputation sinks, advocates with- ago, a handful of companies adopted “pric- assistance or other support services. draw support, investigations gain momen- ing pledges,” announcing voluntary limits The outcome of all this is consistent com- tum toward litigation, and the stock price to their own price adjustments. The posi- munications that deliver a clear under- often suffers. tive attention those announcements gen- standing of what the medicine will deliver Many life science executives ask if there’s erated did not last. Why? Halting price to key stakeholders for the price, as opposed a price point or range that won’t draw risk. increases essentially reads to patients as to a number alone. It can be done, and it has Our data shows that in this environment, promising to abstain from a behavior they been done. One recent launch with a thera- no price threshold escapes scrutiny. Com- already disliked. A more resonant message: munications and stakeholder expectation focus on proving and paying for the value _ Continued on page 21

14 OCTOBER 2019 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM

FEATURE Making the most at J.P. Morgan Media outreach strategies that drive results at the J.P. Morgan spans are short. Twitter also can be an Healthcare Conference. excellent way to keep track of reporters you By Carrie Jones care about to get a sense of what they’re focusing on and following during the he annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare days to reserve locations or get materials conference. Conference—which will take place approved by legal. But don’t do this T13-16 January in San Francisco—has Keep every communication succinct. Don’t delay in following up as soon as become a can’t-miss moment for hundreds And we mean brief. Reporters are swamped the agenda is released. Journalists often of companies and thousands of attendees with interview requests, which means the wait on the agenda before confirming every year. The proximity of the conference most direct e-mails are the most useful. Our any bookings. However, the window of to the end of most companies’ fiscal year pitches are often just a couple of sentences opportunity to lock in those meetings once makes it a powerful forcing function for that provide journalists with key reasons the agenda comes out is very small. We closing out the previous 12 months and on why they should meet with a company, recommend getting on laying out expectations for the year ahead. along with topics executives can address in reporters’ radars and It’s also a magnet for a huge volume of news current or future stories. Also, for public providing availability opportunities. companies, don’t forget to include your in advance of the Reporters and their outlets consider the ticker symbol. agenda release and then conference a one-stop shop for sourcing Provide the spokesperson you offered. following up the day the current and future news. The majority of It makes perfect sense to split up meetings agenda is distributed to them take publication-wide notes to build across the C-suite to lighten the load on lock it in. a reservoir of stories for the year ahead, a busy CEO. However, if a reporter has Don’t ignore what doing so during official presentations and as been offered a briefing with the CEO, reporters aren’t telling Carrie Jones many in-person briefings as their schedules that’s who they’ll be expecting. Changing you. Successful media can accommodate. Ask any journalist at the spokespeople at the last-minute feels like relations is all about end of the conference and they’ll tell you it a bait and switch and is harmful to the balance and knowing when to say when. feels like they just finished a marathon. relationship with the reporter over the long Push too hard, and you’ll lose a relationship Even large companies benefitting from term. Our advice is to align tiers or types for life. But don’t push hard enough, and a steady drumbeat of media coverage of media with specific executives ahead of you may just get lost in the shuffle. Avoid strategically align major deals around time, and then stick to this arrangement going around people, and make sure you’re the meeting’s news cycle. In 2019, Lilly from the first pitch to the actual interview. being helpful, not annoying. arranged for a surprise purchase of Loxo If a journalist misses an appointment or an Don’t ignore the laws of physics. In Oncology, grabbing scores of headlines unforeseen circumstance arises, such as a regular life, a 15-minute walk is reasonable, and flummoxing industry-watchers who travel delay, then it’s reasonable to offer an but it’s out of the question in the fast-paced surmised the company might have saved alternative. J.P Morgan conference environment, millions of dollars by waiting just a few When possible, have your executive in especially when your competitors have weeks. As a result of these clever maneuvers, one location for interviews. Back-to-back onsite meeting rooms and are willing to reporters have an exceedingly high bar for briefings are truly a best-case scenario, but meet in a lobby or corridor. In this case, breaking news at the conference. when it does happen, you’ll want to have proximity and convenience trump all other For smaller companies—or those with your executive’s location locked in for the considerations; this is no time for excessive longer-term news opportunities—there duration. If funds allow, booking a hotel formality. The one exception? Be sure you remain many reasons to build relationships, suite on the same block as the conference have a quiet space available if you’re doing a provide context for future news and even venue is ideal, though you may need to video interview. work their way into competitors’ stories by book it a year in advance. If this isn’t Don’t cave to FOMO. The J.P. Morgan being in the right place at the right time. possible, make sure to leave plenty of buffer conference is a big opportunity, which Having supported dozens of small and time between interviews for getting to new is why so many companies experience mid-sized companies over the course of locations. serious fear of missing out. But it’s a several J.P. Morgan conferences, we’ve Ask for cell numbers early. Trust me, huge investment of time and precious learned what it takes to succeed from a you’ll need them. Once the meeting has communications dollars—and it’s not the corporate communications perspective. started, it can be very tough to track anyone only opportunity to get noticed. We always Here’s your primer for what works and down via e-mail, especially reporters consider whether it’s worth a full-court what doesn’t, based on our experience who are constantly running to their next press around the conference, or whether driving media results. meeting. We often get cell numbers as the client’s story might be better told before Strategies that work we are confirming the interviews. That or afterwards. Have your materials and logistics locked way, when—not if—someone gets lost, is With thousands of investors, startups, in before the first pitch goes out. In order running late, or you can’t find each other, industry leaders, patient advocates, to snap up space in reporters’ schedules you’ll have an immediate way to get in media and of course, executives and their before the competition, you’ll need to touch. communications teams all elbow-to-elbow, have your spokesperson bios, availability, Create surround sound with a strong the frenetic pace of these jam-packed few location, and onsite contact numbers ready social media presence. We counsel our days at the beginning of the year offer to go. This will ensure that when a reporter clients to be deft in their use of social media tremendous opportunities for companies replies with interest in an interview, you during the conference to make sure they can seal the deal quickly without waiting are visible beyond its walls, where attention _ Continued on page 21

16 OCTOBER 2019 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM

FEATURE Live by the ‘future IPO’ mindset

By preparing now, corporate communications professionals will be ready to take advantage of the many collaboration opportunities taking place amid the historic medical and financial innovations that are currently shaping the healthcare and life sciences industries. By Terri Clevenger s the rock ’n roll generation begins you need it, an IPO communications strat- other typical avenues of communications, settling into their senior years, the egy—which will position you well for the it’s okay to continue with them. The quiet A“Baby Boomer factor” is wielding future. period isn’t the time to its heavy influence on healthcare just as it Develop a consistent narrative across begin new communi- has on other industries. Healthcare spend- audiences cation habits, though, ing has grown substantially over the past Presumably you’re already communicat- so the more you have few decades, and demand will likely re- ing with important audiences, which could in place well in advance main strong as the number of Americans include KOLs, healthcare providers, pa- of the IPO process, the aged 65 and older will more than double tient advocacy groups, hospital networks, better. by 2060. At the same time, technologies or others, depending on your company’s Set ground rules. such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, product or service. It’s important to tell Establish communi- software-as-a-medical-device and other your story with the healthcare business cations protocol from advances are transforming the healthcare media, as well, to ensure your position as a the outset. Ensure that Terri Clevenger industry and threatening the status quo growing healthcare company is established all employees are aware through rich networks of connection, col- and properly understood. Opportunities of protocols for dealing with media re- laboration and interdependence. for private companies do exist, not only by quests and that those who are designated as In this environment, the industry is ex- leveraging milestone announcements, but spokespersons, as well as board members periencing prolific and accelerating inno- also, by inserting the company into trend and scientific advisors, are versed in your vation. Smart thinkers are seeing incredible or innovation stories. And even if your company’s messaging and have undergone opportunity to collaborate differently with ability to secure coverage is limited, initi- regular media training. A few high-profile patients and regulators to improve accu- ating that dialogue with key business and IPOs have made missteps in this area. Be- racy in patient care, to create value, and to financial reporters early on will benefit fore entering the IPO process and quiet pe- make the industry function more effectively you later. Companies can also demonstrate riod, communicate clearly and specifically and efficiently. They’re building companies leadership through submitted content, about changes to communications protocol around their ideas, and there’s a lot of mon- speakerships and recognition opportuni- and strategy. Take time to meet with each ey behind them. Just last year, nearly 15 ties. It goes without saying that regardless spokesperson and equip them with mes- percent of funds invested during the largest of audience or speaker, the core messages sages and resources they can use if they are venture capital investment year in nearly 20 being delivered about your company or asked any questions. They’ll need to “stick years went into life sciences companies. The product should be consistent and build the to the script” and be more responsive and number of life science IPOs nearly doubled story you want people to understand about less proactive for this period of time. compared to the previous year, including your brand. Customize your planning. The IPO it- three companies whose values exceeded Establish a professional profile self requires a special IPO communications $250 million. It’s an exciting time, as more While earlier stage companies are un- strategy, including targeted messaging, ma- are in pursuit of an IPO in 2020. derstandably focused on developing their terials development, training spokespeople Why is this important for the corporate science, scaling the business and raising and a prioritized media outreach for “List- communications professional? If you work capital, it is important to remember that ing Day,” the day your stock goes public— in healthcare/life sciences, you’re likely to important constituencies are watching you. all prepared in advance and timed to a tee. encounter a company involved in the IPO And you want to look your best. Develop a You will also need to prepare contingency process, either through a partner relation- professional website and keep the content plans, because the IPO process can be un- ship or because your company or client up to date. Create sharp looking materials predictable. You will need to coordinate company is going through the process. that effectively convey your story and con- very closely with your investor relations Many communications professionals hav- sider the value of video, as it’s increasingly team, whether that is an internal IRO or an en’t had first-hand experience with an IPO, becoming the preferred mechanism for sto- external agency, and you will want to seri- and knowing how it all works may not seem ry-telling. ously consider partnering with an agency all that relevant to the day-to-day work that Create a habit of communicating. Once or expert who has deep experience in this you do. your company starts the IPO, the Securi- area. However, understanding the IPO time- ties and Exchange Commission imposes During the IPO process, all the founda- line and process can be valuable in helping a “quiet period.” Established in an effort tional work you’ve done comes into play. you create more effective communications to prevent “hyping” of stocks, companies Having established your story through strategies even when there’s no talk of an in a quiet period are generally cautious in media relationships that you’ve developed IPO taking place any time soon. In fact, if their communications and avoid proactive prior to the quiet period mitigates the pos- you handle communications for a private media outreach. However, continuation of sibility for misperceptions about what your company that hasn’t yet made a public of- the “normal course of business” communi- company does, particularly if your compa- fering, it’s important to operate from the as- cations is generally accepted, so if you have ny has a complex offering. Relationships sumption that it will happen in the future. a track record of posting on a company you’ve established with third-party part- This mindset will enable you to lay a solid blog, attending conferences or trade shows, communications foundation—and when running surveys, sending a newsletter, or _ Continued on page 21

18 OCTOBER 2019 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM

FEATURE Standing out in today’s digital healthcare landscape Strategies for healthcare marketers to build awareness across channels. by leveraging brand influencers and advo- By Dan Martin cates and associate your brand with indus- try influencers to establish credibility and oday’s healthcare landscape is contin- inside your company to consistently address create content. ually changing, shifting and striving the challenges and pain points of your tar- As with any marketing program, your de- Tto increase efficiencies, reduce costs get audience via multiple channels and for- partment will be chal- and improve quality of care for patients. mats. Simply put, it’s the answers to “what lenged with measuring At the heart of this is data, analytics and keeps the decision makers at your cus- the success of thought overall digitization, a true convergence of tomers and prospects up at night?” These leadership efforts. Skip healthcare and technology to drive inno- answers will vary depending on whether the vanity metrics and vation. you are a virtual care, population health or go right to the results Industry statistics show that VCs poured consumer directed healthcare provider, or a that matter most. Rely a total of $99.5 billion into all companies in biotech, life sciences or biopharma services on Google Analyt- over 5,536 deals in 2018. Specifically, with- company—and that’s the point; tailor your ics and social media/ in healthcare, there’s no shortage of money thought leadership program and pillars influencer marketing Dan Martin flowing into the market. Investors continue (key messages or story lines) to your indus- tools like Audiense that to fund digital health at a steady clip. Ac- try and your ideal decision maker. will share insights that cording to Rock Health, digital health com- So, where should you begin? highlight which content is driving traffic, panies raised a total of $4.2 billion across Analyze and assess brand credibility which content might need some SEO im- 180 deals through the first half of 2019. Consider your social media presence, provement, time on site and share of voice If this pace holds steady, the sector is on how much earned media is gained, Share “SOV” compared to competitors. Other track for an $8.4 billion year in 2019, which of Voice and how/if your brand is being metrics that are more predictive of how would beat 2018’s record-breaking annual recognized and mentioned in conjunction thought leadership is aligned with top-line funding total of $8.1 billion. Within the life with top influencers and analysts. Not sure revenue goals include: how well your brand science sector, the pace is similar, making how your brand is measuring against its is received at industry events, ease of deci- up 14.6 percent (approx. $13.9 billion) of competitors? Think about a visibility as- sion on selling products, increase in deal all venture deal flow in 2018, according to sessment to help identify green space for size, shorter sales cycle in comparison to Venture Monitor. thought leadership. Define your brand’s your competitors, thought leadership driv- What does this mean for brands and purpose and intent as it relates to thought en leads and MQLs that result in sales. marketers? Competition is fierce, there are leadership before making any moves. Then, Thought leadership in combination with many players—both emerging and estab- you’ll have a clear roadmap to success. content marketing will establish your brand lished—looking to capitalize on the mo- Solidify brand messaging and positioning with a solid reputation that will be defined mentum across the industry, differentiate Reputation and authority within your as innovative, futuristic and trustworthy. themselves amongst a sea of competitors as specific healthcare segment is based on a Key components of a successful influ- well as non-traditional big brands entering blended mixture from key stakeholders, ad- encer marketing strategy the market and capturing mindshare (Goo- vocates, employees, prospective talent, hat- According to Social Media Today influ- gle, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon and others), ers and yes, even competitors. That’s why encer marketing budgets have nearly dou- tell their stories and create the right aware- it’s so important to solidify messaging and bled in the last year. That’s why starting, or ness and visibility with key stakeholders to positioning from the start. Determine your enhancing your existing strategy, should be help them move the needle. And, there’s brand’s competitive differentiator, define at the top of your marketing “to do” list. tremendous pressure from the executive and develop foundational brand language, But, where do you begin and what do you team and/or board of directors to increase test and assess positioning and messaging do? Here are a few key components to a the brand’s valuation, secure funding or with your audiences and channels, person- successful program: take the next step in its growth trajectory. alize and segment thought leadership ef- Set your goals. Remember that influenc- There are many ways in which to accom- forts to align with buyer personas and train er marketing is all about how ideas move plish these goals and add value to the com- your executive thought leadership team for from one influencer type to the next. At the pany’s overall mission. However, two tried success across earned, owned and shared end of the campaign, what do you want in- and true strategies can achieve sustainable initiatives. fluencers to say about you? results to give your brand —and the people Now you’re ready to build your thought Creating SMART goals, KPIs or setting driving it—a nice lift: thought leadership leadership program and, subsequently, in- a predetermined ROI for your influenc- and influencer relations. crease awareness by partnering with brand er campaign will help you determine how Using thought leadership effectively advocates. We all have knowledge, expe- much to budget, whom to target and what Thought leadership has been around for rience and a point of view. But ultimately, to measure. a while, but the term has made a recent thought leaders need to inspire customers Discover your influencer network. Find comeback. In fact, according to Forrester, to act. You can break it down into four cate- influencers for whom your brand is a nat- thought leadership content has a greater gories: Subject Matter Executives, Employ- ural fit. Influencers aren’t necessarily ce- impact on lead gen than all other forms of ee Advocacy, Voice of the Customer and lebrities who have millions of followers. content marketing. Influencer Marketing. They’re influential because they have some For the sake of this article, let’s define It’s important to note the integration point degree of expertise in a topic, validated by thought leadership as a methodology that here between influencers and thought lead- utilizes the talent, experience and passion ership. Amplify thought leadership content _ Continued on next page

20 OCTOBER 2019 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM HEALTHCARE’S DIGITAL LANDSCAPE _ Continued from page 20 social as their broadcast channel. not, so you’re able to effectively steer your Paid influencer strategy. When entering strategy. How do your ideas move over into a paid engagement, use sites such as time? Monitoring where each idea is on the the number of relationships they have built Audiense to validate an influencer’s reach trajectory of influence will help determine in the space. or to develop your influencer network. Re- next steps and measure success. Engage with your influencers. Remem- member to be transparent! By utilizing strategic thought leadership ber that influencer marketing is a per- Owned influencer strategy. There are and influencer programs, healthcare mar- son-to-person exercise. Engage with them several options here, each of them present- keters can set their brands and executives and add value to their efforts before asking ing their own unique opportunities: Em- up for success, whether that be a financial for something in return. They will be judg- ployee advocates: Subject matter specialists event (M&A, IPO, next funding round), ing your credibility as much as you are as- who are passionate about topics relevant to new partnerships, expanded national or sessing theirs, so keep that in mind as you your audience. Thought leadership: Pre-ex- global footprint, or more awareness and establish contact. isting in your organization in the form of visibility to drive sales. When used effec- Develop paid, earned, owned strategies executives, managers, customer service tively and in an integrated manner with PR Select the right influencer for the right reps, board members or salespeople. Align and marketing initiatives, marketers can goal for each channel. to specific content needs and support with rest assured that they are increasing the Earned influencer strategy. There’s a a social strategy. Owned content channels: reach and frequency of their messages with great deal of synergy between PR and Use blogs, social media pages and websites key decision makers for positive business earned influencer efforts. Think of influ- to generate organic shares from influencers. impact. encers as members of the media who use Measure the impact Dan Martin is Senior Vice President Early and often, measure key analytics of PAN Communications’ Healthcare Prac- to determine what’s working and what’s tice.  INTEGRATED HEALTHCARE MARKETING _ Continued from page 21 etc. By doing this, you’re able to borrow FRAGMENTATION IN HEALTHCARE DRUG PRICING COMMUNICATIONS _ Continued from page 10 the validation that comes with earned me- _ Continued from page 14 dia or exposure, and deploy it in a targeted way to your decision makers, regardless of system—must speak out. They must begin py list price of more than $400,000 received whether they attended the presentation or to outline how demonstrating and support- no negative press. All media coverage of happened to read the article. Doing this will ing brand value across the health ecosystem the launch included contextual messaging again require keen understanding of your chain, years before a drug is even deter- about value. That coverage was the outcome personas, integration across the marketing mined to be safe and effective, is crucial to of a cross-functional team working on val- team and the ability to effectively repurpose patient outcomes as well as reducing over- ue communications 15 months before the and redeploy content across channels. all system costs. Their work might well pre- anticipated approval date. They communi- The year of value-based marketing vent life-enhancing and -saving medicines cated both their intentions to ensure patient As healthcare brands look to 2020, they’ll from ending up on the formulary cutting access in advance of launch and delivered see significant change and challenges on the room floor. fair value for payers. horizon, but also a moment to examine and Gil Bashe is a Managing Partner, Global In the end, all that work had value of its re-examine their brand and overall strate- Health, Finn Partners. Kristie Kuhl, JD, is own. gy. It’s important to think through the ways a Managing Partner, Health, Finn Partners. Miriam Kalnicki is Reputation & Risk that the shifting regulatory and competitive Fern Lazar is a Managing Partner, Health, Management Strategist at Syneos Health landscape may impact a business and or its Finn Partners.  Communications.  customers. Decision makers or influencers may have changed, or their perception of your product or service may have changed. Bands must ask and re-ask: how will that J.P. MORGAN CONFERENCE THE ‘FUTURE IPO’ MINDSET impact your communications with them? _ Continued from page 16 _ Continued from page 18 Once you understand your priority per- sonas, taking a truly integrated approach ners, such as patient advocacy organiza- to reaching them is the difference between to tell their stories in a forum that can have tions, may bear fruit if the media seek their marketing that checks the boxes and mar- a major impact on their bottom lines. perspective on your company. keting that delivers true value. Ensure that We’ve only just scratched the surface Maintaining a “future IPO” mindset not messages are being deployed strategically on what it takes to make the J.P. Morgan only positions your company well for a po- across channels, and that you’re getting the Healthcare Conference a communications tential stock offering, it also ensures a robust most from every piece of content. Focus success. There’s so much more to and disciplined communications strategy on continuous analysis and measurement consider, and every situation is unique. that will serve your company well for myr- to ensure visibility into behavior change It’s an environment where experience and iad situations, whether you’re working to and the impact of communications efforts relationships matter as much as a smart establish and amplify your voice, prepare for across all marketing functions. plan and responsive team, areas where JPA potential crises or undertake an IPO. Based in Boston, Ryan Lilly leads the Health delivers tremendous value for its Terri Clevenger is Managing Director healthcare practice at Matter Communica- clients. of Westwicke/ICR Healthcare Public Rela- tions.  Carrie Jones is Principal at JPA Health.  tions. 

WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | OCTOBER 2019 21 FEATURE Preparing for the next era in healthcare comms

Industry experts share insights on the trends expected to power the how their condition affects the other parts of their life—the whole of their life. future of healthcare and the communications sector, along with tips As the commercialization of medical care for staying ahead of the curve. continues and medical visits over-index on By Kimberly Hobbs labs and functional scores, research shows that people want to discuss how their con- recently had the opportunity to partici- gaging them, patients and healthcare pro- dition is affecting their job, their relation- pate in a panel, “2020: 20 Things You Can viders now expect deeper, more personal- ships, their full life. IDo to Prepare for The Next Era in Health- ized experiences. “We need to bring value In the future, Saunders predicts that har- care Communications,” at the ExL Phar- in an authentic way by contributing to the nessing the power of storytelling and the ma Public Relations and Communications community dialogue, being part of the con- value of online community will be vital to Summit. versation, not just talking at ‘them’,” Saun- helping navigate health The lively discussion featured insights ders said. “Let community insights guide issues, and that the abil- from a diverse group of co-panelists, in- the way to actual conversations and learn ity to tap into shared, cluding: Mike Hudnall, Global Client Lead- from the feedback.” emotional experiences er, Global Practice Lead, Health, WPP; Brad In addition, it’s key to remember that will be as effective, if Saunders, Vice President, Strategic Partner- barriers to better care aren’t only medical not more effective, than ships, The Mighty; and Kathy Steinberg, treatment and access, but also cultural, en- information coming Senior Consultant, PR Research, The Har- vironmental and health literacy. Communi- from the “experts.” ris Poll. With backgrounds spanning across cations efforts need to consider these reali- Patients aren’t the multi-channel marketing, digital health, ties when coming up with a strategy of who only group that wants advocacy relations and research analytics, to reach and how. to be treated like peo- Kimberly Hobbs there was fantastic dialogue based on our From crowdsourced diagnoses to crowd- ple. Healthcare providers unique perspectives and understanding of funding to pay for medical treatment and are overworked, stressed and burnt out. To the influential trends that will be powering even “scientists” as young as high school capture their attention, be a partner. Don’t the work we do in 2020 and beyond. age, Steinberg believes our targets are vast give them something else to add to their Trust is the North Star in demographics and psychographics, so we day; instead, show them how something Investing time and effort to build a foun- need to take a broader approach to who we else can simplify their day, improve patient dation of trust among patients and patient hope to reach. satisfaction scores and get them home in Balance personalization and privacy communities has never been more essential time for dinner with family. to success. Today, consumers seek answers To create personalized experiences for the So, while health systems and technology from a variety of sources—accurate or growing demands of our consumer mindset may evolve and transform across the globe, not—and, at times, trust these sources more audience, we must understand how to lever- people’s beliefs and behaviors don’t shift so than their healthcare providers. age emerging technologies, data and intel- quickly or dramatically. A holistic approach “Marketers need to keep pace with the ligence that are suddenly at our fingertips. to healthcare—one that keeps people at the communities they’re looking to reach,” said While this makes the practice of medi- center of every message and balances per- Saunders. “People are hungry for advice, cine more complex, Hudnall explained that sonalized, authentic experiences with the but don’t know where to turn—trust is the it also presents opportunities for tailored desire for transparency and privacy—will North Star, but who and what we trust is experiences and precise, targeted relation- always be one of the most powerful as- changing.” ships. “Companies are embracing the tech- sets for communicators to create positive So, with medical authority up for grabs, nology revolution, with the goals of signifi- change for those we work to serve. communications efforts must be part solid cantly transforming business operations, Kimberly Hobbs is Executive Vice Presi- science and part personal experience. It’s the speeding the approval of and access to new dent, Director, Advocacy & Patient Engage- melding of the two that creates the strongest medicines and automating processes and ment, GCI Health.  trust as people look for a one-stop-shop for even new self-service platforms.” health information and people “like me” to As communicators make the most of PR news brief learn from. these new skills—including wearable tech, While establishing trust is a significant re- telehealth and the use of “gamification” and Cotton group farms sustainability sponsibility, Hudnall reminds us it’s also an virtual reality—Steinberg recommends pro- work to H+K opportunity for brands to demonstrate their ceeding with caution and bracing for the in- Hill+Knowlton Strategies edged out a dozen shops commitment to a larger purpose. “We’re evitable “tech-lash.” to win the sustainability pitch of Cotton Council Inter- seeing a more proactive focus on a connec- “Despite improving adherence and out- national, non-profit that promotes US cotton fiber and manufactured products around the globe. tion to society, reputation, behavior and cul- comes in healthcare, there is backlash due Launched in November 2018 at the Sourcing USA ture,” he said. “People today care about the to privacy concerns,” she said. “Communi- Summit in Scottsdale, AZ, the US Trust Protocol is de- behavior of the companies they do business cators need to understand the importance signed as an integrated data collection, measurement with and, while many health companies are of transparency and security when talking and verification procedure to document US production under fire, they do an enormous amount of about tech integration in health.” practices and their environmental impact. The Proto- Keep people at the center col is slated to launch in the 2020 growing year. good in the world. Let’s tell that story.” Sam Lythgoe, H&K’s Global Chief Business Devel- Engagement vs. marketing People living with a health condition do opment Officer, leads the effort, which includes help- Panelists agreed that while traditional not want to be defined by it. They want to be ing CCI identify and prioritize potential partners and marketing efforts have focused on pushing seen as people, not just as patients, and want developing a campaign to create awareness, adop- information to audiences rather than en- companies and providers to understand tion and advocacy of the Protocol.

22 OCTOBER 2019 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM

FEATURE The power of microinfluencers in healthcare Tips and opportunities for healthcare marketers debating a collaboration with patient influencers. By Kate Callan ith the growth of social media, rate with microinfluencers in healthcare in isn’t going to change. While taking the time savvy marketers began seeing the both an organic and paid capacity. While to identify the right influencer partner is Wvalue of leveraging celebrities and some relationship building and information crucial, the process doesn’t end there. prominent bloggers to reach new audiences sharing is typically unpaid, it’s important to A high-level view of influencer engage- because of their influence and reach. Over remember they should be compensated for ment process includes four key steps: the past year, worldwide spending on influ- their work just like any other spokesperson Discovery: Identifi- encer campaigns has grown to be a $6.3 bil- or influencer when providing companies cation (reach and rele- lion business. While influencer marketing with valuable insights and content. And vance), social listening began with celebrity and top-tier influenc- when working on paid collaborations, don’t and discussion assess- ers touting follower counts in the millions, forget to follow the Federal Trade Commis- ment to vet. as social algorithms changed, engagement sion’s Endorsement Guidance regarding Engagement: Tai- rates declined and follower count was no proper disclosures and transparency. lored outreach based longer a primary indicator of success. Enter A few examples of how health and well- on program objective the “microinfluencer.” ness companies can collaborate with pa- (earned/paid, etc.). Who are microinfluencers? tient influencers include: Program brief review. Kate Callan Microinfluencers are everyday people • Sharing news or events they might be Collaboration: Con- with a focused, yet highly engaged social interested in, similar to how we approach tent delivery and client review process; go following of less than 100,000. They tend earned media outreach. This is often a nice live with content or events. to be more relatable and reflective of their first touch to introduce ourselves and the Measurement: Based on campaign ob- peer group, so their followers trust and seek types of content we provide. jectives, key performance indicators. out their advice and opinions. Because they • Inviting patients to meet and greets and What’s most important to remember have a tighter audience, we often see mi- get-to-know-you events to introduce clients about engaging with patient influencers is croinfluencers in the health space treating and stakeholders to potential patient influ- to approach the relationship with empa- their followers as a community. They spend encers. We often include a mix of company thy as they are often sharing very personal time responding to comments and offering and third-party speakers, but the primary aspects of their lives. At Evoke KYNE, we general support to their network. focus is on the patients themselves versus view these engagements as true collabo- Microinfluencers’ role in healthcare a one-way presentation from the company. rations, ensuring we’re aligned on mutual The average consumer engages with • Advisory boards are great opportunities objectives and success factors, and that the healthcare brands or campaign channels, to test draft concepts, messaging and mate- influencer, our client and our target audi- but not as much as with their own patient rials to ensure they hit the mark and inspire ence see value in what we’re developing and community. In a 2019 WEGO Health sur- action. These closed sessions include con- sharing. In an age where word of mouth is vey of more than 400 patients, 93 percent fidentiality agreements and compensation more powerful than anything a company or said they would ask their physicians about for the insights patients provide. brand can say, the question all of us work- health information shared by a trusted in- • Once an initial relationship is estab- ing in healthcare communications must fluencer. More than 87 percent said they’re lished, these influencers may be contract- begin to ask ourselves is not if we should likely to speak to their doctor about treat- ed to serve as ongoing consultants on an partner with microinfluencers to achieve ment after hearing about it from a trusted annual basis across a variety of initiatives, our goals, but rather how we should begin patient influencer. providing many opportunities to test your to collaborate. In healthcare, microinfluencers are often work and ensure it’s effective in its message. Kate Callan is Senior Vice President of So- patients living with a specific condition • Given their prominence in patient com- cial Strategy at Evoke KYNE.  whose followers consist of other patients, munities, we often work with influencers support network and healthcare providers. to host digital events like Twitter chats and These patients serve as advocates not only Facebook Lives on their pages or brand or PR news brief for themselves but for those who follow campaign channels. Turner aces pitch for Wisconsin them and seek their advice on many differ- • Sponsored content is traditionally ent topics related to their particular experi- thought of as a consumer influencer tactic, travel PR ence. but we’ve also seen great success working The Wisconsin Dept. of Tourism has selected Den- Working with patient influencers allows with patient influencers to develop blog ver-based Turner following a competitive pitch to healthcare companies to connect directly and social posts for their pages that can also handle the PR component of its integrated marketing with their target audiences with more au- be reposted on company channels. When communications push. The state issued a $12 million marcomm RFP in thenticity than they are able to on owned collaborating on sponsored content, we de- June, which generated 27 bids from 17 agencies in channels because their message is informed velop a brief to outline objectives, key mes- nine states. and delivered by the patients themselves. sages and guardrails, but the content itself Ad agency Hiebing and website developer Simplev- With greater authority in certain subjects, is developed by the influencer to ensure au- iew join Turner on Team Wisconsin, replacing incum- microinfluencers are intrinsically more gen- thenticity and relevance for their audiences. bents Laughlin Constable and Ascedia. Turner’s contract runs for three years with the op- uine and their recommendations tend to be Making the decision to engage with tion of two one-year extensions. more trusted and valued by their audiences. patient influencers Columbus, Ohio-based Fahlgren Mortine owns Collaborating with patient influencers The notion that people trust other people Turner. There are many opportunities to collabo- more than they do companies or brands

24 OCTOBER 2019 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM

FEATURE What digital communicators can learn from Gen Z communications to reflect what brands of- The expectations of the first truly digital native generation reflect fer and that the expressed values of compa- best practices in digital customer experience design. nies are manifest in substantive action, not greenwashing. For pharma and healthcare, By Dan Burgess what appeals to Gen Z is an emphasis on condition-related content, a focus on legit- ommunicators in pharmaceuticals Good digital communications to Gen Z imate patient stories and the amplification and healthcare only recently got a is what it’s learned from Google and Apple of corporate social responsibility efforts Chandle on Millennials, and already and Amazon and Netflix: namely, digital that genuinely fit the business. we find ourselves sprinting to understand experiences that are timely, trustworthy, Tolerant. Generation Generation Z. As well we should. Compris- transparent and tolerant. What Gen Z val- Z embraces its diver- ing one-quarter of the US population today, ues in digital is the result of the best efforts sity and respects the these Americans born after 1995 are expect- of user experience designers and digital range of opinions and ed to represent 40 percent of all consumers customer experience architects over the identities in the human in 2020. Fortunately, we already know what last 40 years, and especially over the last experience. Gen Zers Gen Z wants from digital communications, decade, with the coming of the iPhone. expect to be part of that because we were the ones who shaped their Whereas previous generations respond pluralistic conversation expectations of digital in the first place. more positively to user-centered design, and are native creators Much is made of the unique socioeco- Gen Z expects it. of content that express- nomic characteristics of Gen Z. It’s the most Timely. Digital customer experiences es their opinions. They Dan Burgess racially and ethnically diverse generation in must deliver valuable information on de- want to engage with history, has the highest rates of high school mand. There should be no unreasonable you on digital channels, including social, graduation and college attendance, and is delays or other unnecessary “seams” that and to amplify your content without being least likely to live in rural America. What’s disrupt the flow of content or bungle the forced to adhere to guidelines that serve truly differentiating and of paramount im- transitions between discovering, learning, only the brand. They understand that dig- portance for communicators is Gen Z’s re- assessing and doing. Gen Zers expect to ital can deliver personalized experiences lationship to technology. Gen Z is the first move between mobile and the real world and expect digital healthcare communica- generation to have been born into an envi- without missing a beat or losing their per- tions that anticipate their needs and inter- ronment constantly conditioning them with sonal information or previously expressed ests without being too intrusive or creepy. smartphone alerts and behavioral modifica- preferences. Access to health information They see that one-size-fits-all too often is tion algorithms, a virtual Skinner box. should be intuitive and uncomplicated, interesting to none. Paradoxically—and thankfully—this al- whether via a search engine or inside a We believe that being Fluent in Human ways-on experience seems to have left Gen branded and owned experience. Booking is central to engaging with Gen Z and the Zers unimpressed with glitzy veneers and an appointment should be efficient and continually increasing digital audience. unmoved by tactics that motivated previ- reliable, and health interventions should Digital communicators can design us- ous generations. Gen Zers are after truth be accompanied by reasonable reminders er-centric programs that reflect the prefer- and authenticity, and it remains to be seen and useful tips that fit naturally into the pa- ences of the intended audiences, but only whether their alarmingly high rates of de- tient’s everyday life. by understanding what motivates them pression and anxiety are the result of con- Trustworthy. The “no filter” generation and what leads them to tune out can we stant connection or the frustrating realiza- understands how content can be manipulat- build the compelling stories and personal tion that genuineness too often can be in ed and pursues authenticity. Although Gen connections they want. Only through hu- short supply. To beat a dead horse, for Gen Zers may lack the cynicism of their Gen X man-centric engagement strategies can we Zers, content truly is king, and they’re set parents, they see merit in questioning what together create meaningful change. on separating the real stuff from the fluff. seems stable. Gen Zers witnessed their Dan Burgess is Director of Digital Engage- What is good digital to Gen Z? parents lose 40 percent of their net worth ment at Health Unlimited. Pharma and health communicators have during the Great Recession of December learned to adapt to meet the needs and 2007 to June 2009, and they want both the PR news brief expectations of our audiences as media real price of goods and services and an hon- W2O lands AIDS 2O2O conference technologies have evolved to deliver our est value comparison to help them in their messages. We’ve followed the advances in purchasing decisions. They value credibili- W2O will promote the International AIDS Society’s AIDS 2020 conference slated for the PR firm’s home communications for each generation: tele- ty, not celebrity, in testimonials and in their city of San Francisco and neighboring Oakland. vision for the Baby Boomers, computers for social media influencers, and to be taken The July 2020 event will mark the return of the IAS Generation X, the Internet for Millennials. seriously, those informed advocates both conference to the Bay Area after a 30-year hiatus and In contrast, Gen Zers were born into a rel- should look like society at large. be the first time two cities co-host the world’s largest gathering of medical experts and activists on HIV and atively mature space for all these technol- Transparent. Gen Zers are suspicious AIDS. ogies and were given it all in a handheld of the underlying motivations of commu- Themed “Resilience,” the program will include device before they were out of elementa- nications professionals and expect to be more than 20 pre-conferences, satellite sessions, a ry school. Little wonder that they have an able to engage openly and easily in two- global village and exhibition area. average attention span of eight seconds; way conversations with company service In providing regional communications support for AIDS 2020, W2O will apply its analytics savvy to me- they must continually evaluate and decide representatives via social media, chatbots, dia relations, content strategy and social media. whether the newest piece of digital infor- live chat or voice. Gen Zers do accept the It also will create an image-based PR campaign mation coming at them is worth their time role of campaigns and brand messaging in to celebrate resilience of people who embody the or can be dismissed. catching their attention, but they expect strength of the HIV community.

26 OCTOBER 2019 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM

FEATURE The complexity of being a healthcare communicator The cross-over effects of the PESO model and best practices for a multichannel approach to drive business results. By Carrie Young dmit it: if you’re a healthcare com- outlets to try to discern fact from fiction. tent game. When creating content, think municator, you know that media Digital domination has impacted every digital, or more specifically, mobile-first. Aplanning has never been more con- quadrant of the PESO model. Invest in short-form video and light motion founding. Blame it on social media. Every- Paid: Now that digital is king, paid me- graphics as part of your content strategy. one is everywhere, all of the time. And ev- dia is no longer synonymous with print, Prioritize paid. Creating owned content? erything is interconnected. TV and radio ads. According to eMarketer, Pay to amplify it. Posting an earned media Social media’s quicksilver qualities make digital media buys this year will officially piece? Put dollars behind it. Search engine the venerable PESO model—thank you, surpass traditional media ad spending. marketing and paid social media should be Gini Dietrich—feel static and siloed, just At the same time, paid search spending two of your top priori- when we need to be fluid. That means be- accounts for 39 percent of advertisers’ to- ties. ing everywhere our stakeholders are and tal budgets. The digital revolution of paid Test and optimize. creating consistent customer experience on media will likely continue in the form of Today’s media changes every platform and channel. voice search. By 2020, it’s predicted that 50 daily and the beauty of Don’t toss the PESO model just yet, percent of all online searches will be voice digital is you can test, though. In fact, it’s our thinking that needs searches, and by 2025, voice is expected to learn and adjust in real stretching. be a $40 billion channel. time. Enlightened communicators understand Earned: More media outlets, more posts, A multichannel mar- that each channel in the model—paid, more chances for your earned content to be keting approach takes Carrie Young earned, shared and owned—has multiple missed. As the landscape shifts, earned me- resources, both human merits and cross-over effects. And each dia should also be amplified through paid and financial. Healthcare communicators channel can be a hybrid. Think: paid influ- social and shared on owned channels to have to navigate through their organiza- encers or search engine marketing. build brand loyalty that leads to advocacy. tion’s silos in order to merge and align mar- The media streams are all interconnected Shared: This is the most obvious shift in keting, communications, brand, HR and from our stakeholders’ points of view. And communication. Social media is where the even IT, all with the goal of delivering time- our campaigns and messages should be too. consumers are and where all brands want ly, relevant, audience-appropriate content. Take social media. Once simply shared to be. With so many users and brands vying Carrie Young is a Vice President in Padil- media, social media now includes brand- for attention, employing a purely organic la’s Health Practice.  ed YouTube videos, online-only news me- social strategy means you’re not guaranteed dia and paid ads, effectively placing it into access to your audience. It’s free to sign up PR news brief every section of the PESO model. Creating but not free to play. only a shared-media strategy is impossible. Owned: As digital dominates, organiza- Hotwire launches Chicago office Healthcare communicators must apply a tions need to create relevant content and US and UK-based tech PR specialist Hotwire has multichannel approach—or miss connect- experiences designed to change based on launched a new pop-up office in Chicago. ing fully with their audiences. real-time behavioral analytics. Owned Hotwire’s Windy City digs, which is officially open, But let’s back up. Why is this happening? properties like blogs, apps, landing pages, is located in The National building in the heart of the Loop. The new outpost will allow the New York-head- What landscape changes are creating the podcasts and video can’t simply be intuitive, quartered agency to support its roster of regional need for a multichannel approach? they must be built and designed to deliver a clients, strengthen its portfolio of consumer and tech An evolving landscape personal experience for every stakeholder. companies and attract area top talent. When we think of the media, outlets like The multichannel approach Hotwire currently maintains a growing base of CNN, Fox News, Modern Healthcare and To resonate with their audiences, health- Midwest clients, including project44, named one of Chicago’s five hottest tech startups, as well as inRiver the New York Times often come to mind. care organizations need to develop content and Calabrio. With the digital influx, though, new outlets and engage in conversations that provide “Chicago has been top of our list for possible ex- are popping up and gaining audiences ev- shared value, and that isn’t happening via pansion cities for some time,” Heather Kernahan, ery day. a single tactic anymore. Instead, a multi- President of Hotwire North America and Australia, told O’Dwyer’s. “It is recognized as a top city for in- This trend is shaking up the communi- channel approach that considers how paid, novation brands, consumer leaders and as a tech hub. cation landscape. First, increased competi- earned, shared and owned channels all Global companies are coming to Chicago to connect tion has driven the need for new revenue work hand-in-hand is the key to success. with customers, influencers and industry leaders. streams. We’re seeing media companies There’s no perfect multichannel market- There’s also a lot of communications and marketing lean more heavily into sponsored content, ing strategy template, but there are some talent based in Chicago who want to work with a progressive global agency like Hotwire. We’re proud especially as ad blockers become main- best practices and tips: to now be part of the Chicago business community.” stream. Put your audience at the center of your Leading the agency’s Chicago team will be Senior Second, more digital-first outlets mean strategy. Regardless of the tactic, good Director of Media Strategy Sharon Kane, Director more opportunities for fake news. Most strategy keeps key stakeholders top of mind Austin Weedfall and Account Manager Tammy Olson. Hotwire said the pop-up model allows the agency Americans—86 percent—feel online news with every communication. Clearly define to attract talent who want to work with global com- websites have reported fake news in the your audience before you’re able to figure panies without a need to relocate. Hotwire currently U.S. In response, the days of a single source out what “right channel, right time” means operates additional pop-up offices in Minneapolis and of news authority are gone. Instead, we’re for them. Mexico City and plans to continue to expand across seeking out multiple experts, platforms and Remember, digital has changed the con- North America with additional forthcoming locations.

28 OCTOBER 2019 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM

FEATURE Taking control of the pharma conversation

It’s time for our pharmaceutical leaders to get real on social media. By Eileen O’Brien full picture. We like to say to our clients, n recent years, my mantra was “social Resources “Don’t feed the trolls or let them distract media is free like a puppy is free” to con- Analytics, including the use of AI and you but monitor them.” People looking Ivey the resources required to do social machine learning, can help us automate for a constructive conversation should media right. This was to cover the basics: pulling the data, but we still need to lay- be engaged and know that they are being content strategy, paid promotion, commu- er on human intelligence for social media heard. We use data and experience to ad- nity management and measurement. engagement. It’s basic customer service to dress these sometimes complex situations. I’ve spent the past 10 years of my career respond to questions via social media even While we aren’t going to please everyone, focused on biopharma social media and I when the question or comment is critical. it’s important to get our perspective into can assure you that, in 2019, the basics are However, it’s important to keep in mind the conversation. no longer enough; we need to take advan- that social media isn’t necessarily the place Empowered employees tage of the power of social media to have to be having nuanced conversations about It’s easy for people to authentic conversations with our stake- a personal medical condition. Those con- “hate” big pharma com- holders. Social media is where audiences versations should be taken offline in many panies, but it’s harder are spending a significant amount of time cases. to hate a person. Es- and offers a great medium to tell stories. Guts pecially if that person In this year’s Gallup survey on industry Taking a stand and having a perspective is your neighbor who reputation, pharmaceutical companies can be risky. However, as recent current is on LinkedIn shar- sank to the very bottom with only nine events around gun control have shown, ing the positive impact percent of Americans holding a “very pos- consumers increasingly want to know her pharma company itive” view of the industry, and 18 percent where companies stand on issues. Mil- is having in your local Eileen O’Brien having a “somewhat positive” view. One lennials, in particular, care about pur- community. Biopharma way to help reverse that trend is to start us- pose-driven brands. Earlier this year, CEOs have started to utilize social media, ing social media to humanize pharma and PureTech Health’s CEO Daphne Zohar and our analytics show that they typically take control of the conversation. responded to Senator Elizabeth Warren’s receive neutral to positive comments. It’s True, authentic interaction on social me- criticism of the pharma industry, remind- during times of business challenges that dia takes the following: ing her that pharma companies are made consumers and investors are quick to share Preparation up of people. Zohar received significant their frustrations. While it’s great to see Companies need systems in place to engagement from stakeholders on Twitter. members of the C-site use social media, monitor the conversation and be able to The majority agreed with Zohar’s point and most, if they engage at all, are responding nimbly respond. The best example of this did not agree with Senator Warren’s gener- to media, policy and public figures and not was Sanofi’s response to Roseanne Barr’s alization of the industry. Biopharma com- to the average person. assertion that its medication for insomnia panies need to stand behind their products However, it’s not only the C-suite who was the reason she posted a racist tweet. and practices. should be using social media to share the There were two critical pieces to the suc- life-changing work of biopharma compa- cess of Sanofi’s post: One, the speed at nies. Most companies have clearly defined which the company responded, and sec- social media policies that empower their ond, the relatable tone. (Please note that I employees to share on social media (ex- was not involved in this response.) Sano- cluding brand mentions). We have started fi clearly had a process in place to get the to see employees in various roles up-level right decision makers quickly aligned on a their social media channels in order to in- plan of action. teract with stakeholders, including patient As demonstrated by this example, a de- and physician influencers. Many are start- tailed monitoring, engagement and issues ing to use social media to build authentic protocol is essential to do social media relationships around a shared interest in well. healthcare and elevate the science. In conclusion, relevant, authentic en- gagement can be done! We have been able to collaborate with forward-thinking bio- pharma clients and create processes using guardrails to do nearly real-time, unique engagement. While social media isn’t easy, Expectation setting it can positively impact a company’s busi- Understand that there will be trolls— ness. However, it’s simply not enough to dedicated to disparaging others—and de- push out content on social media. We must tractors. It’s important to evaluate the in- be willing to engage in real conversation. fluence of the person commenting, and the Eileen O’Brien is Managing Director of So- number of followers doesn’t always give the cial Media at W2O Group. 

30 OCTOBER 2019 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM

FEATURE The right way to launch a medical breakthrough Tips for educating the media on medical innovations. to reach the public is via the third-party By Frank Tortorici endorsements of journalists covering the appropriate market sector. hen introducing a medical inno- semen testing experience and allowed con- A great way to spread the word to the vation to the media, it’s vital to sumers to measure and track an additional right reporters is by developing and staging Wget your ducks in a row on sev- parameter for their reproductive health and an event—whether it be a lunch, breakfast eral important matters relating to potential chances of conception. or press conference—that allows journalists coverage. With such medical breakthroughs, the to ask tough medical and financial ques- It goes without saying that you should product’s communications representatives’ tions. prepare a thorough media list of medical qualifications come into play. An expe- In the case of Trak, and science reporters of major print and rienced PR executive who has a history we planned a breakfast broadcast media in order to increase your working with both medical and financial that had all the right re- chances of your client’s breakthrough get- reporters has the best shot to effectively porters from the medi- ting the attention it ranks in the correct me- get the word out to the masses. Though cal community as well dia vehicles. contrary to how search executives usually as senior writers from Make sure you describe the medical in- handle the hunt for a PR position, the indi- media, such as Business novation with the seriousness it deserves, vidual whose career has featured a blend of Insider and Huffington while at the same time keeping your ver- disciplines is often the best choice. Post, who were able to biage conversational so that the non-medi- We’re also very fortunate to have the cur- distill the information Frank Tortorici cal experts among your audience pay atten- rent responsibility of representing a new into easily digestible tion and can understand the changes your medical product that has the potential to sound bites to the general public. client is bringing to the table, such as a sig- radically alter the state of genetic testing In such events, it’s vital to include phy- nificant technological advance of a medical throughout the world. Breaking a disrup- sicians who are affiliated with the product test or device. tive technology into a market brings with you’re introducing and who can describe It’s the PR person’s responsibility, in such it many challenges, including convincing the scientific details associated with the new a new product introduction, to go beyond skeptical consumers and journalists that technology you’re promoting. Such doctors medical trades. Another important area of your new device is all that it says it is and lend credence to the viability of your med- vital coverage is the business/finance media functions the way it’s supposed to. ical innovation and will be able to answer who keep track of scientific developments This new revolutionary technology is questions from the most knowledgeable of that have the potential to transform prod- from IV therapy company REVIV. REVIV media members present. uct categories and/or bring forth a healthy is launching the first accurate at-home test For the long run of your account, it’s also IPO. that uses genetics to determine how to best important to pay careful attention at your Marketing Maven last year worked with address individual wellness via IV therapies press event and take copious notes of what Sandstone Diagnostics, a medical device and supplements. findings—both medical and financial—are company focused on a data-driven ap- Working with a global array of leading being challenged and/or easily accepted proach to men’s reproductive health, to physicians, REVIV has developed the pro- and make sure both are continuously ad- introduce the Trak Volume Cup, the first tocol for testing all parts of a person’s chro- dressed in all your communications mate- FDA-cleared device allowing men to mea- mosomes, which enables the company to rials for the product moving forward. sure semen volume and diagnose hypo- provide the most accurate recommenda- Frank Tortorici is Senior Strategist of Me- spermia, or low semen volume, at home. tions on how to keep each individual tester dia Relations at Marketing Maven and leads We had to explain, in layman’s terms, the healthy and happy for as long as their DNA the healthcare and professional services PR importance of the product. According to makes that possible. REVIV will provide from its NY office.  the World Health Organization, men who each consumer with a map to follow that regularly produce less than 1.5 milliliters of will enable them to look and feel their very PR news brief semen may be at risk for infertility, as low best. Each tester’s map will include ways Ruder Finn gobbles up SPI Group volume can inhibit the ability of sperm to to keep their skin revitalized and healthy, Ruder Finn has acquired SPI Group, the Jer- reach the female reproductive tract. Low foods to eat that will help individual body sey-based shop that ranked No. 17 in O’Dwyer’s 2018 semen volume can also be associated with composition and lead to longevity and a healthcare rankings with fees of $5 million. reduced sexual function and pleasure, low complete analysis on how to treat every Launched in 1997, SPI provides internal communi- testosterone and an increased risk of other part of a person’s body for optimal health. cations services to clients such as Bayer, Novo Nor- urological conditions and chronic diseases. REVIV aims to become the first wellness disk, Merck, Regeneron, Pfizer and Novartis. RF CEO Kathy Bloomgarden considers employees The Trak Volume Cup is the first at-home brand to offer a lifestyle one-stop shop that the driving force behind productivity, growth and in- testing product that accurately measures will educate each user as to what works best novation in today’s fast-paced corporate world. semen volume. It’s the only FDA-cleared for their body type and to suggest thera- “Companies must no longer view their workforce as device that integrates volume measurement pies and supplements that will enable every ‘employees’ but instead treat them as highly valuable customers,” said Bloomgarden. “SPI Group uses dig- directly into the collection cup itself. consumer to become the healthiest person ital solutions to create experiences that not only en- But the key message to convey to medi- they can be. gage and activate employees but build an authentic, cal and business writers was that low semen In both examples I’ve described, it’s of the transparent and highly motivated community.” volume is an important but often over- utmost importance to convince the public Steve Goodman launched SPI in 1997. The firm’s looked health and fertility yardstick. This of the veracity of each of these products’ 30-members bolsters RF healthcare unit to about 250 staffers. innovative device further improved the claims. PR people know that the best way

32 OCTOBER 2019 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM

FEATURE Let’s start using the right tools Many healthcare providers are struggling to effectively utilize new technologies that were intended to streamline operations and make their lives—and the lives of their patients—easier. Here’s why the communications sector is uniquely poised to provide healthcare clients with the tools that allow them to accomplish their goals in a smarter, more strategic fashion. By David Jarrard and Reed Smith e’re a consumer-driven soci- a subject or to hire more people. In other It starts with a very simple question: “Do ety. It’s a fact of life that comes words, we’re asking technology to make our we need all of this?” Wwith pros and cons for today’s lives easier, to take some of the responsibili- Let’s return to defining our objectives and PR agency. Today, agencies have a signif- ty off us, to solve our needs instead of those setting our goals. Instead of looking to plug icant opportunity to build trust and grow of our customers. gaps and duct tape together solutions, let’s their business by managing—and catering The result? We’ve reached a strange place focus first on the big picture of what we’re to—the right consumer expectations and where we look up and all we’ve really ac- trying to accomplish and work back from behaviors, while recalibrating thinking on complished is acquire a lot of technology. there to the technology we need. The next behaviors that aren’t helpful. We haven’t solved the real problems, and step is to consider in- Consumers today don’t delineate between we don’t have tools that fit together. teroperability. Do the industries. They’ve been given convenience Take the venerable customer relationship tools we have—or are in their transportation (Uber, Lyft), pur- management system or software. It was in- considering—work to- chasing (Amazon) and travel (Hotels.com). troduced to help manage long sales cycles gether? Do we really As a result, they’ve come to expect conve- and repetitive transactions. Very quickly, need 47 logins or can nience in other aspects of life. For example, the CRM was mythologized as a silver bul- we cut down on the as a firm exclusively devoted to healthcare, let. Marketing got excited because now there number of disparate we see healthcare providers struggling to was a streamlined, “easy” way to show ROI. systems? implement what—to other industries—are And while most of that is true—and good— We then have to do David Jarrard relatively basic features: online schedul- the assumption that a strong CRM will the same thing for ing, easy-pay methods, etc. Meanwhile, make it all easy isn’t. CRMs don’t alleviate our clients. As a good consumers aren’t comparing one hospital the need for more employees, they necessi- steward of our clients’ or doctor with another, they’re comparing tate more. Someone has to know how to use dollars, we need to be their doctor with GrubHub. When those it, and it doesn’t hurt to have a data scientist smarter about their comparisons reveal gaps, frustration grows. or two on staff to really figure out what it all technology, what it To combat this problem, consumer-fac- means. That’s not inherently bad, it’s just not does, what it doesn’t ing businesses have been buying up any and what we perceived the promise to be. do and what promises all tools to plug the gaps. Which has turned Enough of the bad news. The intentions are real. It’s easy to look into its own problem. We just keep buying were good, the consequences not quite for short-term fixes, but things instead of understanding what the what we expected. So, how do we get back those are, tautological- Reed Smith need is. We’ve bought off the promise of a to where we were originally headed: Con- ly, not going to last. Our technology vendor. Too often, that promise venience for customers and streamlined clients need smart advice that allows them is to alleviate our need to be smart about operations for our agencies. to accomplish their goals in a strategic fash- ion. One option here is to create a different model where the agency maintains the re- Big biz challenges Congress to challenge lationship with the technology vendor. We can serve as a buffer between the tyranny of our clients’ urgent need to plug gaps and Trump on tariffs By Kevin McCauley the many point-solutions out there. Inter- he National Foreign Council in Sep- In a letter to the Republican and Dem- mediaries aren’t very popular in today’s tember urged Congress to stand up to ocratic leaders of the Senate finance and convenience-driven consumer world—see Tpresident Trump by conducting over- House ways and means committees, the mattresses, home security and investing sight to ensure that his tariff policy serves Coalition says it’s critical to weigh the platforms—but sometimes having one is the overall national interest. downside of the Administration’s tariff ac- the right thing to do. In this case, our agen- The group, which represents manufac- tions on American manufacturers, farmers cies can take care of the due diligence and turers, automotive, retail and agricultur- and ranchers, exporters and consumers. contextualize the information for our cli- al trade groups, has established the Tariff Those levies “have had significant collat- ents. We could possibly even manage the Reform Coalition to pressure Congress to eral effects on domestic prices and have led tools for them, and thereby protect them assert its role in managing U.S. trade policy. to extensive retaliation against our exports.” from themselves. Because convenience isn’t TRC pledges to work with lawmakers to Found in 1914, the NFC includes the having more things, it’s having the right craft legislation “that will restore the long- American Chemistry Council, Grocery things. standing balance between Congress and the Manufacturers of America, National Retail David Jarrard is Founding Partner and Executive Branch in devising a U.S. trade Federation, Assn. Of Global Automakers CEO at Jarrard Phillips Cate & Hancock. policy that helps US businesses flourish in and Truck & Engine Manufacturers Assn. Reed Smith is Vice President of Digital Strat- the global economy.” and Assn. of Equipment Manufacturers.  egy at Jarrard Phillips Cate & Hancock. 

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FEATURE Communicating the value of next generation therapies Making the case for value, especially in an environment as complex as healthcare, is imperative. But in an era of personalized medicine and historic innovation, justifying and communicating the value of health innovation comes with especially high stakes. By Robert Schooling ommunicating the value of one’s damental choice about whether or not to The system. There are a number of im- products to a variety of stakehold- communicate is no longer optional, partic- portant systemic questions to address Cers—patients, payers, providers, pol- ularly for this new generation of products. about how to measure and pay for value icymakers, etc.—is nothing new. Biophar- There is no benefit in shying away from that accrues from a single administration. maceutical companies have been doing this the discussion; companies need to lean in However, we should acknowledge that for decades through a variety of channels. and make their case, which will be a benefit the health care system already pays large However, the obligation to communi- to them, but equally a benefit to informing amounts for singular events, like heart cate more openly and explicitly has grown the larger societal discussion. Ducking the transplants, that may substantially. Recent advances in medicine discussion only furthers mistaken conclu- have less long-term have led us to a new generation of therapies sions and puts at risk the substantial prog- benefit than some of that have the potential to be curative. These ress that is being made. these therapies. What treatments often fall into the category of cell In thinking about communicating around has been less tested is and gene therapies and are revolutionary value, companies need to address three the idea of paying for because they address not just the symptoms complementary areas: medicines on a singu- of the disease, but correct the underlying The value. The value of therapies can be lar rather than ongoing genetic basis of disease or the body’s ability expressed as the benefit to patients but also basis. Companies need to fight it at a cellular level. These new gen- benefits to the system (offsets, etc.) and, to be engaged in this Robert Schooling eration medicines also challenge traditional more broadly, society. Some of the societal discussion, informing thinking around medicines because many benefits may be economic, but we shouldn’t it, and working closely with payers and of them may be effective after only a single neglect recognizing the non-economic fac- policymakers to develop solutions. Part of administration, as opposed to the familiar tors that may be equally or more meaning- leadership in this area is helping lead the model of ongoing therapy. ful to patients and families. Wherever possi- policy dialogue. While the science is amazing, the price tag ble, it’s important to quantify these benefits Of course, these communications need for these new medicines is such that many and understand how the various stakehold- to be sequenced thoughtfully in the lead commentators have wondered if grow- ers benefit. It’s likewise important to actual- up to your product launch. Communicat- ing numbers of these therapies will create ly engage with those stakeholders and have ing either too early or too late may create an unsustainable financial burden for the meaningful conversations about how these headaches by sending unintended signals health care system. Part of addressing that therapies can work within their structures. or failing to adequately prepare your stake- critique is being willing to fully engage in The price. The price and the value are not holders. the discussion around price and value. the same. In fact, in many cases the value Despite the challenges, we should ac- For many companies, it may feel like they will exceed the price. The price of thera- knowledge that these are great “problems” face two equally undesirable choices: en- pies needs to be based on understandable to have. Increasingly, it appears that more gage in a fraught public conversation that is metrics that can be clearly communicated and more serious genetic diseases may be in front and center in the political dialogue or to payers and policymakers. That doesn’t reach of a cure. Dr. Francis Collins, Director leave it to others to define the value of their mean that there should be a single metric or of the National Institutes of Health, speak- products. approach to govern pricing—that’s a flawed ing about gene therapy with “60 Minutes,” While there are many nuances in the con- idea—but companies should be prepared to said: “Here’s another dream. There are 7,000 tent and timing of communication, the fun- describe how they arrived at their price. genetic diseases for which we know the pre- cise DNA misspelling. Couldn’t this same strategy, this same set of principles work for Influencer Marketing Assn. launches lots of those, maybe someday all of them?” Most of us know someone whose life has By Steve Barnes been altered by a rare disease and under- he Influencer Marketing Associa- trends from the evolving industry. stand that this kind of progress is cause for tion, which includes PR firms such as “We believe in the value of integrating the celebration. T360PR+ and Hunter, as well as a wide human element and leading-edge technol- The companies developing these poten- range of other companies, has launched as ogy while operating under a set of ethical tially curative therapies are making a tre- the official trade organization committed to standards to help brands achieve marketing mendous contribution to society—they can protecting the authenticity and ethics of in- objectives,” said IMA Executive Director enhance that contribution by taking lead- fluencer marketing. Kristy Sammis. “We hope to be a resource ership in discussing the questions of value, The organization says that in addition to for brands and agencies looking for authen- price, and system reform. driving growth in influencer marketing, tic, credible, objective influencer marketing Robert Schooling is the Founder and Pres- its mission is to advocate on behalf of in- strategies.” ident of Reservoir Communications Group. fluencers, marketers and consumers. It in- Other firms and companies to have signed He was formerly Chief Advocacy and Alli- tends to provide members with up-to-date on to join IMA are Weber Shandwick, Best ance Development Officer for WellPoint, Inc. influencer marketing tools and resources on Buy, Everywhere Agency, Blissful Media (now Anthem, Inc.), and President, Americas best practices, measurement standards and Group and Unilever.  for APCO Worldwide. 

38 OCTOBER 2019 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM

FEATURE New opportunities with payor communications Three questions to ask when initiating payor communications for life sciences companies.

By Victoria Aguiar n June 2018, the guidance for “Drug and a physician who also sits on a value analysis municating should not be a deterrent. The Device Manufacturer Communications committee. Importantly, the FDA further communications materials should focus IWith Payors, Formulary Committees, clarified that value-based contracts are ex- on the mission and reveal the opportunity and Similar Entities—Questions and An- empted from FDA reporting requirements. that payors offer and where they fit in your swers” and “Medical Product Communica- So, life sciences companies can use the sub- prioritization of key tions that Are Consistent with the FDA-Re- mission of HCEI to encourage contracting stakeholders. The people quired Labeling—Questions and Answers” discussions. selected to communi- were released, changing the world as Further, the FDA guidance goes on to cate the news should be we knew it for the life sciences industry. highlight some of the topics that would be excited and the informa- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration acceptable to include in a communication tion must relay content opened the door to a new audience that with payors including adherence or com- that employees care the had previously been off limits. Historical- pliance information, lengths of hospitals most about. ly, pharmaceutical and device manufactur- stays, dosing, duration of treatment and It’s exciting to now ers erred on the conservative side when it clinical outcome assessments, among other have a new audience to Victoria Aguiar came to communications with payors and topics. You can package this up in the form tap into, new collabora- similar organizations. This allowed for pay- of a budget impact model, evidence dossier, tion opportunities to con- ers to make financial decisions for covered journal publication reprint, or even a pay- sider and new strategies to put into place, populations without being fully informed er brochure or overview presentation. Just though payor communications may be at and pushed many life sciences companies ensure the information is not misleading or first uncomfortable becoming informed. to build their health economic information untruthful. And taking your client through hat edu- profiles in the dark. Has your client considered partnering cation journey, will help you both create While the availability of this guidance with a payor on your communication ef- smart and impactful programs. represents great news for pharma and de- forts? Victoria Aguiar is a Senior Vice President vice manufacturers, many of these organi- Collaboration is at its best when you put at Bliss Integrated Communication within zation are still cautious given the associated great minds together to address challenges the Healthcare Practice. She specializes with- risk and potential for the chance that regu- that are difficult to solve individually. Given in the life sciences industry helping advocacy lators view your communication as grossly this new territory for life sciences compa- groups, biopharma, medical device, diagnos- inaccurate and/or lacking much-needed nies, it would be beneficial to tap into the tics, IT and research companies, think crit- context. As communication consultants, expertise and insights that payers them- ically about marketing and communication it’s our call to duty to help guide our clients selves maintain. Because communication initiatives that can help achieve business as they gear up for this new venture. But, between the two have been non-existent for goals.  before we get ahead of ourselves and begin so long, there’s likely a trove of information brainstorming our best and biggest ideas, that can be enlightening for all parties. For PR news brief there are three questions to ask yourself and example, AstraZeneca recently partnered Edelman crafts PR for BitMex your client: with the Commission for Case Manager crypto-platform Do I truly understand the definition of Certification (CCMC) on educational tool- kits to improve outcomes for cancer, diabe- Edelman has been signed by HDR Global Trading healthcare economic information? Ltd. to help and protect its BitMex brand by devel- To make appropriate decisions, payors tes, cardiovascular, and respiratory disease oping a long-term communications strategy including closely examine information such as ef- patients. The collaboration proved to be government and regulatory affairs in the US, ac- fectiveness, safety, and cost-effectiveness useful in providing a population healthcare cording to its agreement with the Republic of Sey- of approved or cleared medical products management toolkit that brought clarity to chelles-based operation. HDR claims BitMex is the world’s largest cryptocur- when deciding on product selection, for- managing these conditions and out-of-the- rency derivatives trading platform. mulary management, and/or coverage and box support for many case managers. Residents of the US, Quebec, Cuba, Crimea, Iran, reimbursement decisions on a population How is your client communicating Syria, North Korea and Sudan are prohibited from do- basis. changes to the company’s standard oper- ing business with BitMex, according to its website. ating procedures? The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission Given the new guidance, life sciences is probing whether Americans are holding positions companies can now provide any informa- While a bit boring, SOPs are critical to or trading in the BitMex platform, according to tion that “conveys the economic conse- day-to-day activities. When mapping out Bloomberg. quences related to the clinical outcomes a process flow and potential areas for con- Edelman’s offices in New York and Hong Kong are of treating a disease (or specific aspect of cern, you’ll need to consider how adding a working the BitMex account. Staffers manage reactive and proactive communi- a disease) or of preventing or diagnosing a new audience, like payors, affects the pur- cations; review social content, owned assets, inter- disease.” It could also include a comparative pose of business processes. This process nal/media communications; create factsheets, FAQ analysis to another drug, to another health- will be laborious, but once completed it will and boilerplate; develop a scenario plan to manage care intervention, or to no intervention. be the internal communications team’s role for immediate issues ahead of strategy development; to manage this change and communicate it and audit communications channels from a corporate Today, recipients of this information can reputation standpoint, according to the firm’s “state- encompass technology assessment com- effectively. ment of work” for HDR. mittees, pharmacy benefit managers, as Remember that asking your organization Edelman’s contract is for one-year through August well as individuals who wear many hats like to change is a large request, so over-com- 2020. The firm bills HDR $20,000 per-month.

40 OCTOBER 2019 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM

FEATURE The power of executive expertise How to increase your agency’s internal expertise by drawing on outside talent. thesiology perioperative and pain medi- By Thomas Graham cine at Stanford University Medical Center. We’re currently working with Dr. Singh to love being at the helm of a medium-sized, decimated Thailand’s tourism economy. raise awareness of the issues she’s passion- independent agency. Those who live in Goff brings this experience repertory ate about, which continues to add layers to Ithis domain know there’s also a lot to the with agency acumen: I met him when we our own expertise and credibility. It’s smart to keep your channels open and independent agency that clients find ap- both worked at Edelman. He also has a law pealing: agility, personal attention from the degree. Although not a practicing lawyer, energized. executive tier on down, specializations and he can steer us toward asking questions that Other benefits of outside advisors cost efficiencies are some common ones we have on occasion prevented us from getting In addition to unparalleled and affordable get in client feedback. mired in complexities. expertise, here are a few more ways your in- We also face many of the same challeng- I quickly learned that this advisory strat- dependent agency can benefit from outside es as any business. We carefully balance egy works, and began to hone my radar for advisors: resources between client service and new similar superstars stepping away from full- Stand out from the crowd. In a pack of business development, and regardless of time careers. Some were forming consul- like-minded mid-sized how they add to our cachet, shudder at re- tancies; others were looking at semi-retire- independents clam- lying too heavily on one or two large clients. ment or even full retirement. With all there oring for business, There’s also another challenge, and I be- exist mutual benefits, beyond the compen- access to upper-level lieve it hits us independents more squarely sation arrangement. experience resonates than the large behemoths: executive exper- Compensation is individualized—but with prospects. Your tise. always less than an executive full-time sal- in-house agency work I’m not just talking experience. It’s com- ary—and has thus far consistently been a experience is always mon for PR agencies—of all sizes—to hire favorable exchange rate for us. important, but in a hy- young and inexperienced staff and groom Our clients now have access to the re- per-competitive setting them, hopefully balancing that strategy by nown experts while still paying the fees they that added level can be Thomas Graham adding more experienced staff. However, would expect to pay for a medium-sized in- like standing on the shoulders of giants. meeting the salary expectations of reputed dependent agency. Demonstrating expertise during the executives with decades of experience, lev- Putting expertise to work in healthcare bidding process. A point of frustration in eraged by impressively degreed credentials Crosswind has several staff who feel pas- the RFP or bidding process is that those and years of toiling in the industry thicket, sionately about our healthcare work, includ- prospects tend to look for solutions to can be out of reach for many independents. ing (and especially) me. I was particularly very specific projects. We know we can do I started Crosswind 10 years ago with invigorated by our agency’s work during it—and can provide related examples—but previous agency startup experience, so I the Ebola outbreak in 2014. Our team pro- these processes are rarely geared toward op- was prepared. Among my first tasks was to vided rapid response Tier One media sup- portunities to communicate just how good seek the help of someone with impeccable port for Dr. Brett Giroir, then-CEO of the we can be. Having known experts with im- credentials for realizing my agency vision. Texas A&M Health Science Center and a pressive credentials loudly fills some of that Top Gun Goff previous Director at the Defense Advanced void. Thomas Jesse Goff’s media experience is Research Projects Agency. Former Texas Keeps the larger agencies out of the impressive, but his biggest attention grab- Governor Rick Perry appointed Dr. Giroir conversation. As I mentioned earlier, the ber may be his role in the 1986 Hollywood to lead the Texas Task Force on Infectious medium-sized, independent agencies tend hit “Top Gun.” He held reporting and edit- Disease Preparedness and Response. to specialize. Outside advisors add both ing positions at top tier publications such We stayed in touch with Dr. Giroir after breadth and depth to that expertise lev- as New York magazine, Esquire and Fortune, our engagement ended, and wouldn’t you el. You can lead into your business pitch but it’s our memories of Maverick, Iceman know he ended up as the U.S. Assistant with your expert resources and that often and Goose that resonate. Secretary of Health at the Department of thwarts the question of “why shouldn’t I Primarily, though, it was and is Tom’s Health and Human Services. Dr. Giroir has hire a larger agency with more capital, staff, depth of expertise in specific industries that been quoted as saying “Crosswind has the resources, offices, etc.?” interested me, as I believed—and still do— best media strategists” in the business. Not Unparalleled mentoring. You can still that they would always be important to the a bad endorsement! hire those promising neophytes, and now business of PR: aerospace and defense, en- Similarly, we continue our relationship they will have access to very beguiling re- ergy and healthcare. with Dr. Vanila Singh. Dr. Singh also be- sources. That helps with recruiting, reten- Tom was a crisis communications coun- came an appointee at HHS, working with tion and in building up a stellar staff. selor for senior-most management at Kai- Dr. Giroir as the Chief Medical Officer to Go through your contacts, review your ser Permanente, work which led to its his office. She also served as Chair of the industry pubs with a new eye, and don’t be award-winning “Thrive” advertising and CARA-legislated Inter-Agency Pain Man- afraid to reach out. You may be surprised PR campaign. He counseled leaders at the agement Task Force, leading its efforts at how many well-established folks would California Institute for Regenerative Med- in developing a final report on acute and eagerly jump into such an advisory role. icine and provided critical messaging for chronic pain management released earlier Thomas Graham is CEO of Crosswind the Royal Thai Government during and fol- this year. Media & Public Relations, headquartered in lowing two grave events: a tsunami and the Dr. Singh recently left government work Austin, TX with additional offices in Wash- global spread of H5N1 “bird flu” virus that to teach as an associate professor of anes- ington, D.C. and Los Angeles.

42 OCTOBER 2019 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM

FEATURE Navigating an ever-changing healthcare market The healthcare industry has grown significantly in recent years, with marketing agencies expanding their healthcare and wellness practices in response. But what’s often getting lost along the way is the targeted approach that’s needed to tell clients’ stories and meet their objectives. By Jacolyn Gleason

he term “healthcare,” as it relates to nabis and CBD Practice. wellness category whose strategic media public relations, has become a vast- Whether it’s physical wellness, mental relations campaigns can be challenging to Tly open definition, with the recent wellness, parenting safety and wellness and navigate, are mental health and addiction. growth of the wellness industry, specifical- emerging wellness brands among many While it’s necessary to draw consumer at- ly with the global wellness market, estimat- others, there will always be challenges we tention to health issues and conditions, we ed to reach $4.75 trillion this year. face and strategies we develop to overcome must tread a fine line of With this growth, we’re witnessing new them and achieve client goals and objec- leveraging these stories brands emerging that formerly didn’t iden- tives. and topics without be- tify with wellness. Likewise, we’re also see- The cannabis industry for instance, CBD ing inappropriate or ing a shift in brands that solely resonated as specifically, is unregulated by the FDA ignorant to the issue at B2B brands who are now seeking represen- which inhibits brands from making claims. hand. tation to establish them in the consumer This also inhibits public relations firms To do this, publicists wellness market. representing these brands from using this should research and This has also caused a shift in the overall type of language. But how do you support pitch the best possible “healthcare” practices at PR firms, becom- a CBD brand that wants to emerge into the contacts to help tell the ing broader health and wellness groups to wellness industry without explaining its story. We must have a Jacolyn Gleason adapt to their new and prospective client product benefits? very targeted approach needs. This is where media and influencers to our media outreach and ensure we’re For example, with the explosion of the have become a crucial figure in helping tapping into editors, writers, producers, cannabis industry stemming from the 2018 to establish unregulated brands like CBD etc. and giving them the story very specif- Farm Bill, cannabis brands began seeking companies or dietary supplement brands. ic to their work and what their readers are firms to develop strategic campaigns that Not only are they educating consumers looking for. supported consumer growth, specifically on CBD and supplements in general, but While this sounds like a simple approach wellness-focused campaigns. they’re providing their own perspective to media relations, the targeted approach 5W Public Relations expanded its well- and first-person experience with the prod- has gotten lost over the years and it’s im- ness practice to support this emerging in- ucts; making claims about the products perative in a category like this. dustry need and saw an unprecedented 42 that the brands themselves cannot. Parenting safety is a category that seems percent growth year-over-year of its Can- Another industry within the health and to be a stretch within the wellness indus- try, however, these campaigns are focused on educating parents about their children’s wellness and safety. From anti-bullying Bayer probe clears FH of wrong-doing apps to early-education financial wellness and even car seat safety, most parents don’t on Monsanto’s PR By Kevin McCauley realize that safety impacts their children from infancy through their teenage years ayer in September released a report find evidence to support the French media’s and beyond. by law firm Sidley Austin that cleared allegations regarding the illegality of the Education is key with these types of cam- BFleshmanHillard of illegal behavior stakeholder lists.” paigns to ensure parents are aware of how connected with its work on behalf of the The law firm rejected the notion the to protect their children and keep them German company’s Monsanto unit, maker dossiers resulted from illegal surveillance, safe in all aspects of life. of Roundup herbicide. determining the content came from press At the heart of it all, we’re storytellers and The Omnicom unit in 2016 and 2017 articles or social media accounts. It said the our clients task us with painting them in compiled lists of European politicians, lists didn’t track the hobbies, leisure activi- the best possible light. The growth of the journalists, scientists and other influencers ties or personal interests of those tracked. wellness industry is only increasing, so who had expressed health concerns about With the release of the report, Bayer has whether we have an easy story to tell or the weed killer. completed its probe into Monsanto’s PR ac- have to connect the dots for media, it’s our France’s media raised concerns that cre- tivities. job to make sure we overcome any chal- ation of the such dossiers may have violated “We are happy that the independent in- lenges and adjust to the ever-changing in- ethical principles and legal regulation. vestigation concluded with no findings of dustry. This way, we can truly become an S&A’s concluded: “There is no question illegal behavior, which provides a strong extension of our clients’ teams and maxi- that the stakeholder lists created were de- foundation for our outreach and stakehold- mize the impact our strategic campaigns tailed, methodical, and designed to strong- er engagement going forward,” Matthias have on their bottom line. ly advocate Monsanto’s positions to stake- Berninger, Bayer’s Head of PA and Sustain- Jacolyn Gleason is Vice President of Well- holders and to the public. But we did not ability, said in a statement.  ness at 5W Public Relations. 

44 OCTOBER 2019 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | OCTOBER 2019 45 FEATURE Communications essentials for healthcare M&A Leveraging communications to gain stakeholder buy-in and ensure deal success. By John Capodanno ployees remain engaged and invested in the company’s near- and longer-term success. he pharma industry rang in 2019 with sicians—and leveraging communications The goal is to minimize near-term attri- a bang, as Bristol-Myers Squibb an- to ensure the benefits, potential challenges tion while positioning the company as an Tnounced plans to acquire oncology and value are well understood. employer of choice moving forward. powerhouse Celgene for $74 billion. Key communications considerations for Communicate con- Days later, Lilly made a move to revive its company leadership that will help improve sistently to ensure pipeline through an $8 billion deal to ac- the likelihood of a successful deal leading business continuity. quire Loxo Oncology. up to and after close include: While the transaction The smaller deals continued into the Establish a vision for the combined or- and integration process summer, culminating in two potentially ganization. Beyond the due diligence that can take months, it’s of transformative deals: AbbVie’s $63 billion happens behind the scenes leading up to the utmost importance bid for Allergan and Pfizer’s plan to com- and during the deal process, the acquir- to establish an open line bine its off-patent unit Upjohn with Mylan ing company must be able to articulate the of communication with in a deal valued at $20 billion. value proposition for the combined or- key stakeholders for the John Capodanno What’s driving this surge in deals? The ganization while highlighting the unique duration of the transac- pressure is on pharmaceutical and bio- strengths of each entity and accurately tion to avoid uncertainty and ensure busi- tech companies from all sides: investors communicating the benefit of merging the ness continuity. expect growth and returns, while payors, two from the outset. And while it may not be possible to an- regulators and legislators are demanding a This “best of both” mindset will allow in- swer every question, companies must have decrease in cost and the broader public is vestors, among others, to understand and a mechanism in place to gather feedback— clamoring for new, affordable therapies that accept the rationale for the deal. particularly from employees. Information can improve and save lives. Integrate the cultures while embracing should be easily accessible for all stakehold- At the same time, many pharmaceutical the history and values of each company. ers—on the company intranet, through an companies are facing significant patent In the current landscape, deals have taken integration management office, on a deal cliffs in upcoming years. on many different shapes. In some instanc- microsite, etc. By placing bets on acquisitions and other es, we’re seeing large pharmaceutical com- Deals don’t happen in a vacuum— collaborations, pharmaceutical companies panies combine—as in the case of Pfizer/ healthcare is a tightly woven, interrelated are hoping to deliver value to stakeholders Upjohn and Mylan—while in the case of industry. In the lead-up to what will un- and ensure their long-term success. the Loxo Oncology acquisition, a small doubtedly be a hotly-contested presiden- Upwards of 15 percent of deals are termi- biotech was taken over by a global pharma tial election in the U.S., we can expect that nated, but those that make it to close must player. pharmaceutical and biotech companies will recast the definition of success, working The values of companies with longstand- be a target for virtually every candidate and diligently and deliberately to deliver on the ing histories be different than those of a that drug pricing will stay in the spotlight. promises of the deal. This involves assessing start-up organization. But it’s in the best Stakeholders must have a good under- the impact of the deal on every stakehold- interest of the acquiring company’s lead- standing of the rationale for a deal—par- er group—investors, employees, legisla- ership team to embrace and champion the ticularly the investment community—but tors, regulators, payors, patients and phy- values from both to help ensure that em- it’s also important for the transaction to be put in the proper context, given the current price-sensitive environment. That means Ad/PR execs go public on gun control demonstrating a commitment to delivering value while lowering costs. By Kevin McCauley If the first nine months of 2019 were any indication, we can expect to see addition- PP’s Mark Read, Omnicom’s The Democratic-controlled House has al- al deals over the next few months and into John Wren and Edelman’s Rich- ready approved a measure to update back- 2020. Consolidation across the healthcare Ward Edelman are the ad/PR firm ground checks. industry shows no sign of slowing, so it’s CEOs among the 145 corporate leaders to The signees believe they have the re- incumbent upon organizations to embed sign a letter urging the Senate to pass gun sponsibility and obligation to advocate for communications as they plan for and exe- control measures. common-sense gun measures to ensure the cute transactions. Noting that 100 Americans are shot and safety of their employees, customers and John Capodanno is a Senior Managing Di- killed every day with many more wounded, communities in which they operate. rector in the Strategic Communications seg- the letter urged the Republican-controlled “Doing nothing about America’s gun vio- ment at FTI Consulting. He’s a leader in the Senate to “stand with the American people lence crisis is simply unacceptable and it is Life Sciences and Healthcare Group in the and take action on gun safety by passing a time to stand with the American public on U.S. The views expressed herein are those of bill to require background checks on all gun gun safety,” they noted. the author(s) and not necessarily the views sales and a strong Red Flag law that would Interpublic’s Michael Roth, Havas Group’s of FTI Consulting, Inc., its management, its allow courts to issue life-saving extreme Yannick Bollore and Publicis Groupe’s Ar- subsidiaries, its affiliates or its other profes- risk protection orders.” thur Sadoun also signed the letter.  sionals. 

46 OCTOBER 2019 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM

FEATURE Power in numbers: fighting cancer the way it fights us

How the public and private sector are setting their differences aside and combining resources to focus on the shared goal of making a difference in cancer control and reducing the global cancer burden.

By Melissa Gomez t’s been almost 10 years since the World lion cancer deaths, according to the Can- with an estimated 570,000 new cases in Economic Forum identified non-com- cer Atlas project. When analyzing the fight 2018, according to the WHO. It’s one of the Imunicable diseases as a global risk to eco- against cancer, there are some cases of how few types of cancer that can be prevented nomic development, and since the first UN the collective us has contributed to prog- by having regular screenings, receiving high-level meeting on NCDs took place in ress. It seems we have learned something the human papillomavirus vaccine and which a political health declaration was good from our enemy after all: the power is the early treatment of made. Additionally, it’s been almost five in the numbers. pre-cancerous lesions. years since the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable According to the World Cancer Research The Partnership to End Development and its Sustainable Develop- Fund International, being overweight or AIDS and Cervical ment Goals were set, where government of- obese increases the risk of 12 common can- Cancer was announced ficials made a bold commitment to reduce, cers, five more than the evidence showed in 2018 as a PPP to by 2030, premature deaths from NCDs by 10 years ago. The organization’s recommen- prevent cervical cancer one third. dations to reduce the risk of cancer include progression and mor- In retrospect, have we made real prog- being physically active and maintaining a tality among HIV-pos- ress? I believe we have, but the progress is healthy diet by eating daily wholegrains, itive women in eight too slow, as seven in 10 people worldwide fiber, vegetables and fruits. I came across a sub-Saharan African Melissa Gomez die from cardiovascular diseases, cancer, public-private partnership that’s proven to countries. The found- diabetes and chronic lung diseases. Accord- be effective and, although its main objective ing members of the PPP included the U.S. ing to the World Health Organization, this was not aimed at preventing cancer per se, President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief includes 15 million people dying from an is definitely contributing to cancer control (PEPFAR), the George W. Bush Institute NCD between the ages of 30 and 69 years, efforts by addressing childhood obesity. and the Joint United Nations Program on which is considered “premature,” having a For the past 10 years, the Mondelēz In- HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). Earlier this year, considerable impact on productivity and ternational Foundation has been partner- Merck joined the partnership and its con- economic growth across the world. Nev- ing with private and public organizations tribution will include provision of HPV ertheless, only two percent of international across the world supporting the delivery vaccines. Since the its inception, more than health funding to low- and middle-income and evaluation of school-based healthy 500,000 women have been screened for countries has been dedicated to preventing lifestyle programs, focusing mainly on fos- cervical cancer, nearly 32,000 women have NCDs, according to a report by Bloomberg tering healthy dietary and physical activity been treated for pre-cervical cancer lesions Philanthropies. behaviors. Program reports commissioned and over 147,000 girls have been vaccinated How can we accelerate progress? by partner organizations between 2014 and against HPV. According to the World Health Organi- 2016, as well as a subsequent study pub- While City Cancer Challenge is not a PPP, zation, three of the challenges impeding lished in Food and Nutrition Bulletin in it’s a foundation that leverages the power of progress include insufficient technical and 2018, concluded the programs are having locally-driven PPPs to deliver quality and operational capacity, insufficient financing a positive impact on nutrition and physical equitable cancer care in cities across the to scale up responses and lack of account- activity knowledge and behavior change. world. In 2015, 400 million people lacked ability. Various multilateral organizations Specifically, there was a 12 percent increase access to essential health services, accord- have advised that to approach the NCDs in understanding what good nutrition is, ing to the WHO. City Cancer Challenge en- burden effectively, governments, civil soci- including knowing the number of fruits gages city stakeholders in the design, plan- ety and the private sector at global, regional and vegetables to eat daily; a six percent ning and implementation of cancer care and national levels must collaborate for the increase in physical activity to at least 30 solutions to close major gaps—from diag- prevention and control of NCDs, though minutes daily; and an 11 percent increase nosis to treatment to palliative care. While governments must lead the way by estab- in eating more fruits, vegetables and other cities take the lead in developing cancer lishing national policies and plans with fresh foods, as part of the gardening pro- treatment solutions, they work closely with specific targets and indicators. I personally grams. This PPP also shows that impact City Cancer Challenge’s multisectoral com- agree with this recommended approach, as takes time and joint commitment. These munity of local and global partners, which we won’t be able to tackle such a big health types of initiatives should be able to with- include various private sector companies issue by working in silos. Most importantly, stand leadership changes of all sorts, from such as Roche, who provide technical assis- things need to move from declarations, pol- government, companies and NGOs, as it’s tance through each phase of the initiative. icies and multisectoral panel discussions to not about idealisms or individual recogni- By taking a health systems approach, cities actual joint actions. tion but rather, about solving a problem for reduce inequities in access to quality cancer Cancer, for example, is the second leading the benefit of society as a whole. care and improve the health and wellbe- cause of death globally, with WHO estimat- Another effective PPP for cancer control ing of their citizens. In 2018, City Cancer ing that it accounted for 9.6 million deaths is focused on cervical cancer prevention Challenge engaged more than 50 partners, in 2018. By 2025, there will be an estimated and early diagnosis. Cervical cancer is the 19.3 million new cancer cases and 11.4 mil- fourth most diagnosed cancer in women, _ Continued on next page

48 OCTOBER 2019 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM Connecting specialists with audiences, each other How a strategic integrated communications campaign can provide success to healthcare clients and life-changing information to the public. By Michael Queroz

ith as many as 15 new genetic counseling. As healthcare communicators, lets reaching those audiences with measur- tests coming on the market each PCI’s team successfully positions genetic able results for NSGC. Wday, and more than 26 million counselors as the go-to experts by staying Beat Doctor Google people purchasing an at-home genetic test, in tune with trends in the changing health- Communicating the value of genetic public interest in personalized medicine care landscape while knowing when to use counselors and their work is continual- and genetic testing has never been stronger. traditional PR strategies to achieve a goal. ly infused in NSGC’s owned and shared But if you purchase and take a test—or if Media relations still does the job digital channels. With your doctor orders one—where do you turn Six years ago, when Angelina Jolie an- 80 percent of Internet if you get confusing or concerning results? nounced her personal decision to have a users searching online It’s a question addressed frequently by double mastectomy in order to lower her for healthcare infor- the National Society of Genetic Counselors high risk of developing breast cancer be- mation, it is important and its members who receive increasing in- cause of a common gene mutation, PCI that genetic counsel- quiries as public interest in genetics grows. acted quickly to secure NSGC as a part of ors and their expertise Our agency, Public Communications Inc., the story. Before this, many people were are easy for the public works with NSGC to build existing and unaware of the important role genetics to find and to under- create new connections between the pub- counselors have in helping people under- stand. NSGC’s owned lic and genetic counselors. What began as stand what their genetics can mean to their channels include a Michael Queroz a public relations campaign targeting only health. Having the key messages, trained content-rich consum- media has evolved into an integrated com- spokespersons and media contacts already er website, blogs and podcasts. Content munications program that includes digital in place, meant the team could activate ideas for the blog and podcast are identified strategies that connect the professionals quickly. Media included the insightful ge- through Google data or common mem- with one another and with the public. The netic counselor’s voice in stories and the ber anecdotes and use SEO best practices program also includes generating interest public benefited from that knowledge. to improve the website’s search ranking. in the profession of genetic counseling. The fast-action strategy resulted in place- Both lend credibility to the genetic coun- The public is getting the message about ments in several national media, includ- seling experts and humanize them through the profession’s critical role in health and ing a cover story in Time. Today, some of easy-to-understand blogs about compli- wellness. In 2019, genetic counseling was the most influential healthcare media still cated genetics information from a friendly again named a top job by CareerCast. talks about the “Angelina Jolie effect,” and voice. High-profile media continue to reach out reporters better understand and rely on NSGC’s social media channels are a pow- to our communications team for expert in- NSGC and its members for expertise in erful tool to reach the public and activate terviews. Even NSGC’s social media reach, cancer risk and treatments. the Society’s members to share content with which PCI manages, is growing at rates that Straightforward media relations work their online audiences. This strategy also surpass industry averages. continues to prove beneficial for this con- extends the shelf life of media placements Certainly, the growth of the genetics in- sumer-focused healthcare client who want by sharing the third-party endorsements of dustry accounts for some of this, but a stra- to communicate their value. Genetic coun- the profession on social media. tegic integrated communications campaign selors can benefit a large audience of con- The healthcare landscape is competitive highlights and clarifies for consumers the sumers who make healthcare decisions. To and constantly changing. Communication highly-specialized skills and training of maximize reach, PCI uses public data on is the critical connector for healthcare spe- genetic counselors, and creates a path to family healthcare decision makers and NS- cialists that need to reach diverse audiences their services. Often primary care provid- GC’s digital analytics to home in on a target with information that’s understandable and ers, oncologists and other medical experts audience of women in specific age ranges. relevant. fill the genetic counselor’s role, but with- Two successful New York City media tours Michael Queroz is Digital Director at Pub- out the specialized training in genetics and and other media campaigns targeted out- lic Communications Inc. 

POWER IN NUMBERS _ Continued from page 48 between the public and private sectors and forts would be much more effective, and focus on the common goal of addressing we would be able to change the disease the burden of NCDs to make a difference projections. Let’s set our differences aside in cancer control. By joining forces, we can and focus on the common goal: to live long 817 healthcare professionals and 147 health hold each other accountable; and by com- and productive lives. Start by listening to a facilities, directly impacting more than 600 bining resources, both financial and tech- stakeholder with a different point of view. patients and reaching nearly 32.7 million nical, the impact can be greater and we can Debate ideas. Begin implementing pilot people in seven countries around the world. accelerate change. After all, just like the programs and then scale them up. Give What can we learn from these examples? disease, our strength is in the numbers. If them continuity. Don’t give up. My takeaway is that it’s not impossible we can all unite and act with certainty to Melissa is Vice President and Health Sector to effectively manage conflicts of interests reduce the global cancer burden, our ef- Lead at Edelman Miami. 

WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | OCTOBER 2019 49 O’Dwyer’s guide to HEALTHCARE COMMUNICATIONS

Beth Friedman, President and cations with capabilities spanning Founder public relations, digital and social 678/956-9680, [email protected] media, marketing and branding, Erin Wabol, Partner and Chief graphic design and multimedia, Marketing Officer and research and analytics. Our 727/599-7876, [email protected] meaningful insights and creative About Us: Agency Ten22 is know-how have been tapped by an award-winning, full-service, a full range of consumer product healthcare IT public relations, and nutritional supplement brands, content management and digital over-the-counter and beauty prod- marketing services firm. Ten22’s ucts, and food and beverage com- proven techniques deliver compel- panies. ling messages, maximize exposure Allidura Consumer is part of Sy- and strengthen market share for neos Health Communications, the healthcare IT and service vendors. only healthcare communications Founded in 2005, Agency Ten22 is network on the frontlines of health- the most respected media relations care. Our advertising, public rela- agency for small to medium-sized tions, medical communications, healthcare companies. digital, data science, research and Expertise: Our team has over market access specialists have the 30+ years of healthcare marketing ability to tap the expertise of clin- and public relations experience ical and commercial colleagues and has worked for healthcare or- worldwide to infuse programs ganizations in the past. At Ten22, with deep therapeutic and analytic we have expertise in population insights. We work in scalable, col- (From left): Erin Wabol, Partner and Chief Marketing Officer; and Beth health, health information man- laborative teams that partner across Friedman, Agency Ten22 President and Founder. agement, payers, hospitals, reve- disciplines and geographies to de- nue cycle management, informa- liver integrated communications tion security, patient experience, strategies that accelerate brand 5W PUBLIC edgeable, tenacious, and passion- performance. ate professionals understand how telemedicine and more. We build RELATIONS to leverage any story, and direct the integrated plans to exceed client conversation to the client’s best ad- goals and we adapt quickly to the BIOSECTOR 2 ever-changing healthcare land- 230 Park Ave., 32nd Floor vantage. Furthermore, 5W devel- A Syneos Health Company New York, NY 10169 ops and executes novel and fresh scape. From content strategy to 212/999-5585 ways for clients to connect with media relations and digital market- 200 Vesey Street, 40th Floor Fax: 646/328-1711 their target audiences in memora- ing, Agency Ten22 is a boutique New York, NY 10281 [email protected] health IT firm with a customized, 212/845 5600 www.5wpr.com ble ways. As a result of this metic- ulous approach, the teams measur- hands-on approach. Visit www. biosector2.com ten22pr.com. Ronn D. Torossian, President & ably increase the positive results of Shauna Keough, Managing CEO their communication efforts. 5Ws Director diverse roster of client experience ALLIDURA [email protected] Since 2003, New York City- includes Sparkling ICE, Medifast, A Syneos Health Company based 5W Public Relations (5W) Walgreens/Duane Reade, Digita- Who we are: Biosector 2 (B2) has worked with world-class and lOcean, KRUPS, Anheuser-Bus- 200 Vesey Street, 39th Floor is a global healthcare communi- emerging brands, corporations, ch, Camp Bow Wow, L’Oreal, New York, NY 10281 cations agency that partners with consumer companies, technology AEROSOLES, Jane Iredale, T-Fal, 212/229-8400 visionary clients to deliver ground- companies of all shapes and siz- GoHealth, Zeta Interactive, and allidura.com [email protected] breaking programs and improve es, healthcare interests, regional other publicly traded companies, the health of people’s lives. B2’s businesses, non-profits, and high consumer brands, technology com- Jessica Birardi, Lead, Allidura experience as an agency spans vir- profile individuals to help them panies, start-ups and personalities. tually every category in the indus- achieve their strategic public re- 5W’s programs lead to award Who we are: On the shelf or at try and drives strategic solutions lations and marketing objectives winning recognition, including PR the pharmacy counter, today’s con- for their clients. across a broad range of interests. Agency of the Year, PR Executive sumers are demanding more. They Expertise: B2 builds brands and 5W practice areas include con- of the Year, Product Launch of the are socially savvy, and health-, grows markets for companies driv- sumer brands, food & beverage, Year, Business to Business Pro- safety- and environmentally-mind- ing innovation across a variety of health & wellness, travel & hos- gram of the Year and Digital/So- ed. They expect brands to be the disease states, and our main goal pitality, technology, beauty, en- cial Media Campaign of the Year, same, and that’s where Allidura is to create measurable behavior tertainment, nonprofit, corporate among others. can help. Through our niche fo- change for our clients’ most im- communications and reputation cus on health with diverse back- portant stakeholders. Our capabil- management, public affairs, cri- AGENCY TEN22 grounds in consumer, pharma and ities to deliver against this goal go sis communications, and digital sustainability, we work with some beyond traditional public relations, strategy. Resourceful, innova- 1595 Peachtree Parkway of the world’s largest brands and incorporating issues management, Suite 204-224 tive, and nimble, 5W works hard, Cumming, GA 30041 guide them through an ever-chang- digital & social media, corporate thinks big, and delivers successful, 678/956-9680 ing landscape. branding, research & analytics, ad- game-changing results. https://ten22pr.com/ Expertise: Allidura takes an vocacy, patient relations and more. 5W’s team of over 160 knowl- [email protected] integrated approach to communi- Our dynamic, insightful approach

5050 APRILOCTOBER 2016 2019 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | ADVERTISING | ADVERTISING SECTION SECTION w Profiles of Healthcare & Medical PR Firms allows us to solve today’s prob- stakeholders and deliver tangible financial services, professional ser- CG LIFE lems while uncovering tomorrow’s results. Our clients trust Bliss as a vices, not-for-profit, real estate and opportunities. long-term partner to set a strategic consumer goods. 657 West Lake Street Biosector 2 is part of Syneos communications path and execute With excellence and integrity as Chicago, IL 60661 Health Communications, the only new, creative ways to address their guiding principles, we help brands healthcare communications net- business challenges. find and share stories that- mat 5501 Oberlin Drive work that is part of a company Bliss Integrated Communication ter. Our storytelling tools include San Diego, CA 92121 on the frontlines of healthcare. is truly “integrated.” Not just in graphics and video, in addition to Our advertising, public relations, name. What sets Bliss apart from writing. We pride ourselves on sol- 312/997-2436 medical communications, digital, other agencies and consultancies? id, long-term relationships with our www.cglife.com data science, research and market They are both horizontally and ver- clients. Erik Clausen, Managing Partner access specialists have the ability tically integrated and excel at cre- Our client experience in the Steve Johnson, Managing Partner to tap the expertise of clinical and ating the best thought leadership healthcare space includes hospitals commercial colleagues worldwide campaigns, with deep understand- and healthcare systems, pharma- CG Life is an award-winning to infuse programs with deep ther- ing of highly regulated subject ceutical and scientific testing and and integrated marketing and com- apeutic and analytic insights. We matter like Medicare, Medicaid, trial companies, legal healthcare munications agency focused on work in scalable, collaborative drug and device recalls and warn- representation, mental health and life science and healthcare. Since teams that partner across disci- ing letters, clinical trial monitoring addiction centers, medical marijua- 2003, they’ve helped organizations plines and geographies to deliver and information sharing. Bliss’s na institutions, healthcare apps and think through some of the toughest integrated communications strat- creative, proprietary approaches to business productivity tools, med- communication challenges imagin- egies that accelerate brand perfor- strategic communications allows ical licensing and testing boards, able and tell their stories in unique mance. them to problem solve for our cli- and insurance companies. and compelling ways. CG Life’s ents, while discovering unique and A founding member of the Pub- team of experts does this by creat- untapped opportunities. 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Fax: 212/840-1663 strategy, disease awareness cam- Los Angeles, CA 90004 www.blissintegrated.com paigns, measurement/CRM sup- 323/466-3445 CHAMBERLAIN port, media relations and publicity, Fax: 323/466-8653 Michael Roth, Partner & Health- medical meeting support, online www.cerrell.com HEALTHCARE PR care Practice Leader community management (includ- Hal Dash, CEO, Principal A Syneos Health Company Vicky Aguiar, Senior Vice President ing social), SEO/SEM strategy, Alexis Odesser, Senior Vice Steve Bullock, CFO, Principal President stakeholder and influencer map- 200 Vesey Street, 40th Floor Liz DeForest, Vice President ping, website launches and website In an ever-changing sociopoliti- New York, NY 10281 maintenance. cal climate impacting all sectors of 212/884-0650 The Bliss Healthcare Practice the healthcare industry, Cerrell As- chamberlainpr.com represents a mix of Fortune 500, sociates has delivered award-win- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin. BUCHANAN com/ company/chamberlain-health- established industry players and ning communications results for care-public-relations/ true disruptors that span the nation- PUBLIC RELATIONS some of the nation’s largest health- Instagram: @Chamberlain_ al and global healthcare industry care providers, as well as clients in Healthcare_PR — from healthcare services, health LLC pharma and biotech. As a one-stop insurance, life sciences, medical shop, our clients have access to a Jeanine O’Kane, President, US and platform technology compa- 890 County Line Rd. diverse team of strategists with ex- Public Relations Group, Syneos Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 Health nies to industry consortia, patient 610/649-9292 perience navigating the complexi- advocates, health educators, third ties of the industry. [email protected] [email protected] party administrators, and consumer BuchananPR.com Whether it’s policy advocacy, Who we are: Chamberlain health organizations. Bliss offers Twitter: @BuchananPR community relations or thought Healthcare Public Relations end-to-end communications and LinkedIn: LinkedIn.com/company/ leadership, Cerrell has designed (CHPR) is a dynamic group of buchananpr marketing solutions that help our and deployed strategies that have savvy and forward-thinking pro- clients connect with stakeholders Facebook: Facebook.com/Buchan- a lasting impact. And our health- anPR fessionals who champion creativ- and influencers in the healthcare care experts know industry trends ity and deliver powerful and im- supply chain, and deliver com- Anne A. Buchanan, APR, and developments to ensure we are pactful communications solutions pelling stories about the science, President telling the stories that matter. for our clients. For more than 25 strategy or technology behind their ([email protected]) With more than 30 years of ex- years, CHPR has partnered with a company or product. Nancy Page, EVP (nancy.page@ perience in the healthcare industry, range of clients across the globe Bliss understands that every cli- buchananpr.com) we understand there is no “one committed to improving health ent has its own DNA — a unique size fits all” approach. We work and well-being, ranging from large culture and approach to working Founded in 1998, Buchan- with our clients to develop local, an Public Relations LLC is an pharmaceutical companies to small with its core constituencies and regional or national programs with biotechs. delivering critical messages in its award-winning, dog-friendly, na- the ultimate goal of improving the tional communications agency Expertise: CHPR simplifies the own way. Bliss works directly health of our communities. complex in order to shift behav- with C-suite, marketing, medical based in Philadelphia. We spe- Expertise includes mergers and cialize in media relations, digital, iors and mindsets. We thought- and communications executives to acquisitions, campaigns, labor is- fully uncover insights and bring a gain alignment on their aspirations, and crisis communications, with sues, crisis communications and identify solutions that create mea- expertise in a variety of categories issues management, and positive surable behavior change for critical including healthcare, life sciences, public relations. _ Continued on page 52

ADVERTISING SECTION | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | OCTOBER 2019 51 Profiles of Healthcare & Medical PR Firms

health communications agencies CHAMBERLAIN HEALTHCARE in the country and is a member _Continued from page 51 of the PR Council and American Association of Advertising Agen- cies (4As). The firm has offices in fresh perspective that allows our Maryland’s state capital of Annap- clients to seize opportunities and olis and in Washington, D.C. To overcome challenges. Our team see case studies and capabilities, provides clients with strategic pro- visit www.crosbymarketing.com. grams—including public relations, digital & social strategy, issues CROSSWIND management, research & analyt- ics, and more—designed to break MEDIA AND through marketplace noise to reach and inspire stakeholders. Ultimate- PUBLIC RELATIONS ly, our approach delivers results 506 W. 12th St. that meet and exceed client objec- Austin, TX 78701 tives and expectations. 512/537-1414 CHPR is part of Syneos Health [email protected] Communications, a communica- www.crosswindpr.com tions company on the frontlines of healthcare with a clear view into Thomas Graham, President & the everyday complexities of life CEO and health. Our advertising, pub- Karen Johnson, Vice President Thomas Goff, Senior Advisor lic relations, medical communica- Crosby’s healthcare practice leadership: Joel Machak, Executive Cre- tions, digital, data science, research Crosswind Healthcare Capa- and market access specialists have ative Director; Denise Aube, Executive VP & Healthcare Practice Leader; and Raymond Crosby, President & CEO. bilities: Crosswind Media and the ability to tap the expertise of Public Relations helped Texas win clinical and commercial colleagues the largest research contract in worldwide to infuse programs with devices and diagnostics; as well as Denise Aube, Executive Vice the state’s history, has introduced deep therapeutic and analytic in- healthcare technology, hospitals, President, Healthcare Practice one of the world’s newest biotech sights. We work in scalable, col- non-profits and academic centers. Leader brands to Texas and the world, laborative teams that partner across Expertise: CCA sets the stan- Joel Machak, Executive Creative and is helping other companies, disciplines and geographies to de- dard in delivering best-in-class Director startups, care providers and public liver integrated communications communications in a collaborative, agencies bring some of the world’s strategies that accelerate brand flexible environment where cre- For more than 40 years, Cros- most complex biotechnologies to performance. ativity reigns and clients come first. by has helped healthcare clients global markets. For more than 20 years, we have Inspire Actions That Matter™ — Some highlights: Defense CHANDLER achieved this by bringing the right actions that positively impact peo- against bioterrorism: When the people to the table — innovators, ple’s lives and make a real differ- second-largest university system in CHICCO AGENCY healthcare professionals, thought ence for individuals, families, and Texas decided to form a team and A Syneos Health Company leaders, advocates, patients, and communities. go after a new Federal biodefense, loved ones and then building alli- Crosby’s Healthcare Practice pandemic response, and influenza 200 Vesey Street, 39th Floor ances, communities, and champi- serves hospitals and health sys- center, it turned to Crosswind. The New York, NY 10281 tems, health plans, physician 212/229-8400 ons motivated to act. bid received feature coverage in ccapr.com CCA is part of Syneos Health groups, technology and service top-tier global media. The Texas Instagram: @ccapr_ Communications, the only health- providers, seniors housing, health team was awarded that prestigious [email protected] care communications network on advocacy groups and federal gov- grant, making Texas, almost over- the frontlines of healthcare. Our ad- ernment agencies. 1315 Lincoln Blvd. night, one of the nation’s major vertising, public relations, medical Services include marketing re- hubs of vaccine production and Suite 270 search and planning, brand devel- Santa Monica, CA 90401 communications, digital, data sci- bioterrorism preparedness. 310/309-1000 ence, research, and market access opment, integrated communica- A biotech boom: Crosswind specialists have the ability to tap tions programs, public relations, was engaged to represent a For- Andrea Dagger, Managing Direc- the expertise of clinical and com- social media, community and mul- tune Global 500 company from tor, CCA NY mercial colleagues worldwide to in- ticultural outreach, digital market- Japan that was entering the bio- Lisa Waters, Managing Director, fuse programs with deep therapeu- ing, content marketing, PSAs, and pharmaceutical market by acquir- CCA LA tic and analytic insights. We work behavior-change campaigns. ing a Texas-based start-up aligned Who we are: Chandler Chicco in scalable, collaborative teams Clients include Kaiser Perma- with this new federal bio-defense Agency (CCA) is a global team of that partner across disciplines and nente, Shriners Hospitals for Chil- center. Global media covered the healthcare communications spe- geographies to deliver integrated dren, Centers for Disease Control acquisition. Crosswind was then cialists dedicated to helping clients communications strategies that ac- and Prevention (CDC), the Agency asked to take on communications solve their most complex chal- celerate brand performance. for Healthcare Research and Qual- work across the new owner’s entire lenges. Integrating an unmatched ity (AHRQ), Health Resources and bio-pharmaceutical division. breadth of resources that enables CROSBY Services Administration (HRSA), Hacking medicine: When the a comprehensive, 360-degree ap- Military OneSource, Qlarant, world’s top-ranked university de- Sagepoint Senior Living, Sub- proach, CCA serves clients that 705 Melvin Avenue cided to bring its biotech-centric span the spectrum of healthcare Annapolis, MD 21401 stance Abuse and Mental Health “Hacking Medicine” workshop to from large pharmaceutical compa- 410/626-0805 Services Administration (SAM- the South by Southwest, the event nies focused on treatments for ma- www.crosbymarketing.com HSA), U.S. Preventive Services leaders in Boston immediately jor disease areas to emerging spe- Task Force, and Veterans Health contacted Crosswind in Austin. cialty companies researching cures Raymond Crosby, President & Administration. They needed a communications for rare diseases; from biotech to CEO Crosby ranks among the top partner that understood a mission

52 OCTOBER 2019 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | ADVERTISING SECTION Profiles of Healthcare & Medical PR Firms to use advanced digital strategies in solving worldwide health prob- lems. Crosswind led an influencer and media-outreach campaign that resulted in extensive coverage and standing-room-only attendance. Connect with us and see what we can do for you.

EDELMAN

250 Hudson St., 16th Floor New York, NY 10013 212/768-0550 Fax: 212/704-0117 www.edelman.com

Susan Isenberg, Health Chief Edelman is a global communica- The Evoke KYNE Team. tions firm that partners with busi- nesses and organizations to evolve, David Kyne, CEO We have global reach with offices Nicole Cottrill, Senior Partner/ promote and protect their brands [email protected] in New York City, Philadelphia, Nashville and reputations. Our 6,000 peo- +353.85.883.6554 Los Angeles, Dublin and London. Joe Foster, Partner/West Coast ple in more than 60 offices deliv- Our team lives by the genuine be- Glenn Jasper, Managing Partner/ er communications strategies that Evoke KYNE is an award-win- lief that communications can be a Jerusalem give our clients the confidence to ning, health communications and powerful health intervention. Kristie Kuhl, JD, Managing lead and act with certainty, earning public relations agency. We are part Partner/New York of Evoke — a leading marketing, Fern Lazar, Managing Partner/ the trust of their stakeholders. Since FINN PARTNERS Lazar Partners/New York our founding in 1952, we have re- media and communications agen- Arielle Bernstein Pinsof, MPP, mained an independent, family-run cy bound by a common purpose, Partner/Chicago business. Edelman owns specialty Health More Human™. We work 301 East 57th Street Mina Volovitch, Senior Partner/ companies Edelman Intelligence with some of the world’s leading New York, NY 10022 Paris 212/715-1603 (research) and United Entertain- biotech and pharmaceutical compa- Yeap Yin Ching, Managing https://www.finnpartners.com/ Partner/Singapore ment Group (entertainment, sports, nies, non-profits and foundations, sectors/health.html lifestyle). For more information offering a robust set of services @FinnPartners Finn Partners offers a bold vision please visit: www.edelman.com including disease-state educational and expertise that delivers cre- programming, data and brand com- Gil Bashe, Managing Partner/ munications, cross-sector partner- Global Health ative communication solutions for EVOKE KYNE ships, patient advocacy relations, Alex Borisov, Partner/DC payer, provider, patient advocacy, influencer engagement, internal Chantal Bowman-Boyles, health policy and product-innova- 252 West 37th Street communications, and reputation Managing Partner/London tion clients. New York, NY 10018 and responsibility programming. Cathy Chon, Managing Partner/ Named “Healthcare Agency of www.evokekyne.com Hong Kong the Year” and one of the top five global health agencies by The Holmes Report, we leverage our collaborative spirit to advance cli- ent goals — to improve health and wellbeing. With 750+ PR profes- sionals across 19 offices and three continents, we offer health-sector depth in brand support, corporate thought-leadership, sustainabili- ty, public affairs, market research, and digital, social and traditional media. FINN now includes Lazar Part- ners, one of the nation’s leading Health PR/IR agencies offering communication services including clinical trial recruitment, investor relations, media relations, patient advocacy and scientific editori- al support. The combined agency now includes one of the industry’s largest independent health groups with more than $31M in fees. The agency is best known for its work in changing the lives of people with pressing health chal- Lazar Partners has joined the global FINN Partners community, creating one of the largest health integrated lenges — from introducing new communications practices in the world. Pictured (L to R) is Gil Bashe, Managing Partner, leading FINN’s global medicines and technologies that health practice; Kristie Kuhl, Managing Partner, FINN Health; Peter Finn, Founding Partner, FINN Partners, and Fern Lazar, CEO, Lazar Partners. _ Continued on page 54

ADVERTISING SECTION | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | OCTOBER 2019 53 w Profiles of Healthcare & Medical PR Firms uum, from public education and ners, vendors and NGOs—must be health system leaders, physicians, FINN PARTNERS prevention to acute care and chron- considered. To that end, our inte- technology experts, regulators, _Continued from page 53 ic disease management, supporting grated suite of services in financial policy makers and, of course, pa- our clients to educate, influence communications, corporate reputa- tients. and drive action with health pro- tion and public affairs in all the ma- Whether our client is a hospital fessionals, patients and consumers, jor markets around the world pro- looking to establish a new spe- improve and extend life, to rallying health systems, payers, and policy vide a holistic solution for clients cialty, an HIT provider addressing patient communities around access makers at home and around the that is unmatched in the industry. medication adherence or a medical to care, to raising awareness of world. robotics company building brand global public health challenges, to Please contact Anne de Sch- awareness among consumers, we building health product brands that weinitz, Global Managing Di- GCI HEALTH focus on authentic, highly relat- transform people’s lives. rector, Healthcare: anne.desch- 200 Fifth Ave., 7th Floor able stories that move audiences. Finn Partners’ more than 150 [email protected]. We also know that context makes health clients include some New York, NY 10010 212/798-9950 stories more powerful, and we’ve of the boldest innovators and [email protected] made it our business to track the game-changers across the health FTI CONSULTING www.gcihealth.com evolving stories shaping health- ecosystem, including several top- STRATEGIC care today, from policy-making 20 pharmaceutical companies, Wendy Lund, CEO inside Washington to how those some of the nation’s largest hospi- COMMUNICATIONS GCI Health is an award-winning policies impact patients across tals and payer systems, and many rural America. Each day, we stra- of the world’s boldest companies in 88 Pine Street, 32nd Floor integrated communications agen- cy designed for and inspired by tegically deliver these stories to artificial intelligence, health/tech- New York, NY 10005 audiences and influencers across 212/850-5600 the ever-changing face of health- nology and medical devices. From earned, owned and paid media. medical innovations to break- www.fticommunications.com care. We are known for our deep, through health/tech to services that far-reaching knowledge of the Mark McCall, Global Segment healthcare environment, unrelent- HEALTH improve care, all our clients focus Leader on the most important part of the ing client service, unrivaled talent, UNLIMITED health system — patients. As a leading global communica- forward-thinking capabilities and a passion to drive transformation tions consultancy with more than 111 Fifth Ave. 30 years of experience advising in healthcare delivery through FLEISHMAN- communications. With a deep fo- New York, NY 10003 management teams and boards of 212/886-2200 HILLARD directors, FTI Strategic Commu- cus on multichannel marketing, Fax: 212/886-2288 nications has an extensive track we help clients breakthrough with www.healthunlimited.com 200 N. Broadway record of helping clients engage powerful stories that build brands St. Louis, MO 63102 with their key stakeholders in order and engage customers — all while Timothy Bird, Global CEO 314/982-1700 to protect their freedom to operate using the channels that are best Karen O’Malley, Global Practice [email protected] and advance their business inter- suited to reach and resonate with Leader, Public Health and Policy Susan Duffy, Chief Strategy ests. various target audiences. Our ap- Anne de Schweinitz, Global proach is rooted in looking at all Officer Managing Director, Healthcare Our financial communications Julia Jackson, Practice Leader, professionals provide an unparal- stakeholders as people and what US Public Relations and Marketing Whether the imperative is to leled combination of deep sector motivates, influences and reso- Communications maintain or grow a business, or expertise, local market knowledge, nates with them in their daily lives. to defend it in the face of an ev- and broad capabilities in M&A For more information, visit https:// Health Unlimited is a global er-shifting policy environment and communications, restructuring and gcihealth.com/. health consultancy and communi- intense competition, clients from financial issues, investor relations, cations agency built by specialist across the healthcare spectrum turn corporate governance, proxy fights GREENOUGH agencies with a legacy of advanc- to FleishmanHillard for deep in- and shareholder activism, corpo- BRAND ing landmark developments in dustry expertise, powerful insights rate reputation, digital and social challenging, hard to treat health and effective strategies that deliver media, and employee engagement. STORYTELLERS conditions. For more than 25 years real results. We counsel public and private we have been driving results for FleishmanHillard’s 300+ health- companies on a wide range of sce- Watertown, MA companies and organizations in- care specialists work alongside narios, including transformative 617/275-6500 vested in solving the world’s most experts in reputation and brand and bolt-on acquisitions, friendly www.greenough.biz complex and challenging health marketing, earned and paid media, and hostile takeovers, initial public [email protected] issues. digital and social, public affairs, offerings, capital raises, and activ- Twitter: @GreenoughPR We offer full-service communi- Facebook: Greenough cations for pharmaceutical, health issues and crisis, and change man- ism defense. We approach each LinkedIn: Greenough agement, forming seamless teams situation with a focus on founda- & wellness, medical, biotechnol- ogy, diagnostics and devices, stra- that deliver the diverse communi- tional message development along Phil Greenough, Founder and cations counsel and bold creative with disciplined and nimble sce- CEO tegic marketing, media strategy, approaches that today’s healthcare nario-based planning that draws on Scott Bauman, EVP and General corporate counsel, issues manage- organizations need to succeed. our prior experience, but is unique Manager ment, product marketing, patient/ Our team is stacked with scientific, to the situation at hand, to antici- consumer education and profes- regulatory and behavioral change pate various contingencies and Greenough Brand Storytellers sional/advocacy relations. experts, including PhDs and cre- potential outcomes, while ensuring builds storytelling platforms for dentialed health professionals, who coordinated and consistent com- clients across health care, from form the technical backbone of our munications. hospitals and health systems to global healthcare practice. FTI Strategic Communications’ companies that are disrupting The November issue of O’Dwyer’s Using data-driven insights and approach to financial communi- medicine with new health infor- will profile technology PR firms. deep knowledge of today’s most cations is grounded in the under- mation technology (HIT), medical If you would like to be profiled, effective communications chan- standing that every stakeholder devices, diagnostics and therapeu- contact Associate Editor Steve nels, FleishmanHillard works — including investors, analysts, tics. Our unique brand journalism Barnes at 646/843-2089 approach is predicated on in-depth across a broad range of therapeutic regulatory agencies, elected offi- or [email protected] categories and the full care contin- cials, journalists, employees, part- and constant interaction with

54 OCTOBER 2019 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | ADVERTISING SECTION Profiles of Healthcare & Medical PR Firms HUNTER

41 Madison Ave, 5th Floor New York, NY 10010 212/679-6600 www.hunterpr.com [email protected]

Grace Leong, CEO Jonathan Lyon, Partner Donetta Allen, Partner Gigi Russo, Partner Erin Hanson, Partner

HUNTER is an award-winning consumer marketing communica- tions firm with primary offices in New York and London and a foot- print across North America. Begin- ning with research-driven insights, Hunter executes strategic, integrat- ed programs that build brand equi- ty, increase engagement and drive business results for OTC products and healthcare services.

Today’s health brands have to ® find bold, breakthrough ways To raise awareness of LACTAID as the 100% real milk solution that allows people with sensitivities or lactose to earn consumer attention. En- intolerance to enjoy dairy without discomfort, appeal to the Millennial mom and make milk a staple in her ® ter HUNTER: Health & Beauty, household again, HUNTER partnered LACTAID with Sesame Street and celebrity spokesperson Sutton Foster. where helping consumers look and She and the Cookie Monster were featured in digital video content produced by Hunter and supported with feel their best is all in a day’s work. paid media that resulted in best-in-class performance on Google. Our practice identifies unique insights to spark creative health ating under the Westwicke brand, Jarrard Phillips Cate & Hancock, Piotrowski and Diane Wass, campaigns that garner stand-alone ICR’s healthcare practice works Inc. is a top-10 strategic communi- Managing Directors media headlines for our brands and with more than 100 clients across cations consulting firm devoted to seamlessly integrate into consumer life sciences, medical device/di- helping the nation’s health systems JPA Health Communications is lifestyles, earning their attention agnostics, services and healthcare and health services companies nav- an independent agency offering and loyalty, while helping them IT. With complementary services igate confidently through change, PR, marketing and patient advoca- look and feel great from the inside in digital branding, capital markets challenge and opportunity. With cy services. Our exclusive focus on out. To do so, Hunter employs a advisory, IPO advisory, and crisis offices in Nashville and Chicago, health means that our life science, powerful blend of marketing solu- communication and corporate gov- Jarrard Inc. has guided leaders at nonprofit and federal clients can tions including strategic planning, ernance advisory, ICR/Westwicke more than 500 healthcare organi- count on a team with experience social and digital media, talent and offers a full suite of strategic com- zations across the country through and perspective to deliver results. influencer engagement, media re- munications and advisory services high-stakes moments, including Our approach incorporates a pro- lations, experiential, multicultural, for startups and mature public com- leading communications and po- prietary tool that enables us to un- and content creation and distribu- panies alike. Whether the emphasis litical strategy for more than $60 derstand how conversations take tion for all platforms and channels. is on corporate, scientific and mar- billion in announced M&A. Our place within the health sector. JPA’s TM In partnership with some of the keting communications, preparing team of former journalists, po- Gretel , brings together news me- world’s most respected consum- for an IPO or raising additional litical operatives and healthcare dia, organizations and individual er health companies and retailers capital, we understand that every executives works alongside every influencers to show precisely how including Johnson & Johnson, client is different, and so too, is client to build a custom strategy they intersect, revealing insights for Church & Dwight, and The Vita- their story. With a clear understand- that delivers measurable results in reaching and engaging audiences. min Shoppe, Hunter’s work has ing of the many complex dynamics the areas of M&A, issues and crisis Importantly, at JPA, we share our covered the medicine cabinet from and influencers within the health- management, strategic positioning clients’ commitment to improving oral care, allergy, sanitary protec- care ecosystem, Westwicke takes opportunities and systemic change and protecting lives. This ideology tion, pain and pregnancy, to diges- a hands-on approach to understand management. For more informa- inspires our work. We invite you to tive health, vitamins, supplements, both the science and the sentiment tion, visit jarrardinc.com or follow learn more by contacting one of our weight-loss and heart health. behind your business, ensuring that us @JarrardInc offices: Washington, DC; Boston; your message goes beyond simple and London. ICR clarity to resonate and make a last- JPA HEALTH ing impression with the audiences LANDIS COMMUNICATIONS 761 Main Avenue that matter most. COMMUNICATIONS Norwalk, CT 06851 203/682-8200 1101 Connecticut Ave., NW [email protected] JARRARD PHILLIPS Suite 600 1388 Sutter St., #901 www.icrinc.com/healthcare CATE & HANCOCK Washington, DC 20036 San Francisco, CA 94109 202/591-4000 415/561-0888 Following its acquisition of West- [email protected] [email protected] wicke Partners, ICR has established The Horse Barn at Maryland Farms www.jpa.com www.landispr.com itself as one of the leading provid- 219 Ward Circle, Suite 3 @JPAHealthComm Brentwood, TN 37027 Named America’s #1 Healthcare ers of integrated Public Relations www.facebook.com/JPAHealth 615/254-0575 PR Agency (Ragan’s Ace Awards) and Investor Relations services Fax: 615/843-8431 Carrie Jones, Principal for healthcare companies. Oper- www.jarrardinc.com Michael O’Brien, Stephen _ Continued on page 56

ADVERTISING SECTION | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | OCTOBER 2019 55 Profiles of Healthcare & Medical PR Firms

products and services known, un- reputation. Our clients count on us Lovell Communications pro- LANDIS COMMUNICATIONS derstandable, and approachable. to deliver proactive strategic rec- tects health care brand reputations _Continued from page 55 We help emerging companies ar- ommendations as well as flawless and supports providers and the rive, development stage companies execution. For the last 18 years, companies that serve them with emerge, and commercial compa- private and public companies award-winning communication and called “the Bay Area’s con- nies grow. Our vision is to apply have benefited from our proven strategy and stakeholder engage- sumer/B2B PR and marketing industry-tested counsel and prag- approaches to strengthening rela- ment. communications experts,” San matic execution through our highly tionships with healthcare profes- For more than 30 years, Lovell Francisco-based Landis Commu- experienced and trained profession- sionals, patients, third-party orga- Communications has served as nications Inc. (LCI) is celebrating als. The agency has received over nizations, the financial community, strategic counsel and trusted part- nearly 30 years in business. LCI is 30 awards in recognition of the the media and business partners. ner to health care providers and a Bulldog Award winner for social work it has done for emerging and Our commitment to clients is to suppliers across the country. media and media relations and has established industry leaders in life forge trusting connections that Publicly traded companies, not- been named the #1 Social Media sciences, pharmaceuticals, health, build brand equity, increase good- for-profit systems, early-stage and Agency in the U.S. by TopPRA- and government. We bring 18 years will and grow shareholder value. mature companies draw upon our gencies.com. LCI is a full-service of case studies and over 300 prov- Companies with great reputations vast communications expertise to public relations, digital/social me- en strategies to our clients. We are sometimes face challenging situ- support them through phases—or dia and marketing communications focused on building trust and long- ations that can harm brand equity. just moments—when it’s crucial agency that specializes in health- term relationships based on the We stand with you to manage and to persuade audiences or influence care, consumer, consumer tech- quality of the work that we deliver. overcome crisis situations. decision makers. nology and B2B programs. LCI’s Many of our client relationships are Lazar Partners is now part of We help organizations optimize Promised Results© return-on-in- a decade or more long. Clients are Finn Partners, among the world’s opportunities, manage challenges vestment program provides tan- public and privately-held health leading integrated marketing and navigate changes and crises of gible metrics addressing clients’ and science innovators in cell and communications agencies. FINN all size. Our in-depth, results-ori- identified goals. Healthcare clients gene therapy, ophthalmology, CNS, complements Lazar’s focus in life ented communications strategies include: Sutter Health/CPMC, inflammation, oncology, microbi- science and brings to our clients focus on business-to-business Frontier Medicines (biopharma), ome, Alzheimer’s, rare diseases, its award-winning creative, digital, marketing, consumer engagement, On Lok Senior Health Services, drug delivery, accelerators, and research and social media strength. internal communication programs Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital industry organizations/service pro- Together, the combined team offers and stakeholder persuasion cam- Stanford, University of California viders. clients expertise across the corpo- paigns. at San Francisco, PRC, Global rate and brand lifecycle. We specialize in: Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation, • Transaction Support Brain Health Registry, Merck, LAZAR PARTNERS • Crisis Communications Johnson & Johnson, Planned Par- A Finn Partners Company LOVELL • Thought Leadership enthood, Crestwood Behavioral • Internal and External Commu- Health and more. LCI is the San 420 Lexington Ave. COMMUNICATIONS nications Francisco member of the Public New York, NY 10170 Our firm—and the talented in- Relations Global Network, with 50 212/867-1762 3212 West End Ave., Suite 500 dividuals who make it remarkable affiliate agencies worldwide. [email protected] Nashville, TN 37203 www.lazarpartners.com www.lovell.com —has been recognized with hun- Twitter: LovellComm dreds of national, regional and lo- LAVOIEHEALTH- Fern Lazar, CEO Facebook: LovellCommunications cal awards. Chantal Beaudry, Managing Lovell blog: Lovell.com/our-outlook SCIENCE Director David Carey, Managing Director Rosemary Plorin, President and MATTER One Thompson Square, Suite 503 Thomas Vickery, Managing CEO Boston, MA 02129 Director Rebecca Kirkham, Senior Vice 197 Portland Street 617/374-8800 President 3rd Floor [email protected] At Lazar Partners, we don’t just Dana Coleman, Vice President Boston, MA 02114 www.lavoiehealthscience.com deliver your message; we cata- Robin Embry, Vice President 978/499-9250 lyze the connections that drive Susanne Powelson, Vice [email protected] Donna L. LaVoie, President & business results and enhance your President https://www.matternow.com CEO Douglas Russell, SVP and General Manager Sharon Correia, EVP and Chief Strategy Officer Sharon Choe, SVP, Investor Relations and Business Development Paul Sagan, AVP, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications Lisa DeScenza, AVP, Integrated Communications LaVoieHealthScience provides integrated communications includ- ing public and investor relations as well as marketing and digital com- munications to build recognition, sales, and value for health science innovations. Our team of special- ized thinkers design and execute strategic communications programs Lovell Communications’ strategic public relations work has received hundreds of national, regional and local that make our clients’ technologies, awards over the past three decades.

56 OCTOBER 2019 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | ADVERTISING SECTION Profiles of Healthcare & Medical PR Firms

Matter is a Brand Elevation sionalism of a large agency with Alisa Valudes Whyte, CEO, care industry categories and ther- Agency unifying public relations, the warmth and passion of a small Senior Partner apeutic areas, including medical social media, creative services, and business. Thomas Rice, EVP, Partner devices and diagnostics, biotech search and digital marketing into John Conrad, EVP, Partner and pharmaceuticals, health IT, strategic, content-rich communica- Jayson Schkloven, EVP, Partner health plans, hospitals and physi- tions campaigns that inspire action MCS Shahed Ahmed, SVP, Partner cian groups/IPAs and nonprofits. and build value. Founded in 2003, HEALTHCARE We’re based in Los Angeles and with six offices spanning North Merritt Group is an award-win- have team members around the America, Matter works with the PUBLIC RELATIONS ning, women-owned agency country. We’re all seasoned veter- world’s most innovative compa- specializing in Public Relations, ans of global advertising and PR nies across healthcare, high-tech- 110 Allen Road, Suite 303 Content, Performance Marketing agencies, so we offer “big agency” nology, consumer technology and Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 and Creative. We live at the in- 908/234-9900 know-how but with a boutique, consumer markets. tersection of market expertise and specialty agency touch. Our virtual [email protected] technical proficiency to help our With more than 180 profession- www.mcspr.com model helps your budgets go fur- als across offices in Boston and clients reach their goals and dom- ther, and you can rely on us to help Newburyport, MA, Providence, Joe Boyd, CEO inate their markets. With offices you flourish. RI, Pittsburgh, PA, Boulder, CO, Eliot Harrison, President in D.C. and San Francisco, our and Portland, OR, Matter is one Chad Hyett, Exec. VP team of 50+ professionals works of the fastest-growing public re- Jennifer Silvent, Sr. VP hand-in-hand with clients rang- PADILLA Karen Dombek, VP ing from Fortune 500 industry lations, social media, creative and Laura de Zutter, VP digital marketing firms in the coun- leaders to early-stage health tech- nology startups to deliver measur- 1101 West River Parkway try. Matter has won 12 “Agency For more than three decades, Suite 400 (Headquarters) of the Year” accolades in the past able, high-impact campaigns that Minneapolis, MN 55415 MCS has remained a constant reach, influence and activate deci- three years and has been recog- fixture in an ever-changing me- 612/455-1700 nized as a best place to work. sion-makers. PadillaCo.com dia marketplace by adapting and Our healthcare expertise spans ­innovating as rapidly as the science health IT and life science inno- itself. As an independent specialty Fred Lake, Senior Vice President/ MCCABE vators, providers, insurance net- Health Lead shop solely focused on health- works, not-for-profits, academic MESSAGE care, we think of ourselves as a institutions and advocacy groups. swift boat among battleships: PARTNERS For more than 10 years, we have Padilla is an independently op- small but sturdy; nimble and re- worked with leading and emerging erated, globally resourced pub- liable; and best-suited for opera- lic relations and communication 1825 Connecticut Ave, NW brands including GoHealth Net- tions that are difficult, demanding works, Avizia, MedGenome, In- company with offices across the Suite 300 and unique. United States. The agency builds, Washington, DC 20009 novation Health, Amazing Charts, Together, we turn strategy and Heritage Provider Network, MAX- grows and protects brands and 202/868-4800 creativity to action, resulting in www.MessagePartnersPR.com IMUS and more. We sit at the in- reputations worldwide by creating solutions that specifically, com- tersection of healthcare and IT and purposeful connections with the Patrick McCabe, President prehensively and robustly address understand the significant impact people who matter most through Mike Warner, Senior Vice your current needs. technologies such as big data, an- public relations, advertising, digi- President We are experts in all facets of alytics, AI, IoT, and cybersecurity tal and social marketing, investor Becky Watt Knight, Senior Vice communications, including digital; bring to the healthcare industry. relations and brand strategy. Padil- President social media; and paid, owned and la includes the brand consultancy Paul Skowronek, Senior Vice earned channels. As your partners, of Joe Smith, the food and nutrition President we will bring new integrated ideas experts at FoodMinds, and the re- Amy Martin Vogt, Vice President MERRYMAN and real solutions to the table, and search authorities at SMS Research Jennifer Chu, MPH, Vice COMMUNICATIONS President feel empowered to raise our hand Advisors. Bethany Hardy, Vice President when we have an idea on how to Health clients include 3M, Be improve your business. 318 Avenue I, Suite 227 The Match, Blood Centers of Like a stone meeting water, ef- We take measurement seriously. Redondo Beach, CA 90277 America, Blue Cross and Blue fective communications expand We evaluate impact and proac- 424/262-0708 Shield of Minnesota, Hacken- to reach and motivate many au- tively answer the questions, “so connect@merrymancommunica- sack Meridian Health, Hennepin tions.com diences. Washington, DC-based what?” and “what now?” Healthcare, Mayo Clinic, Medtron- We are a highly collaborative www.merrymancommunications.com McCabe Message Partners helps Twitter: @MerrymanComm ic, Sanofi Pasteur and others. clients create their own ripple ef- bunch that believes in the polli- Padilla’s Health team consists of fect. Focusing solely on health and nation of ideas across all brand seasoned health and science strate- communications. We welcome the Betsy Merryman, President and issues that affect it, agency leaders Managing Partner gists spanning the health care eco- bring experience in journalism, opportunity to partner with your Ashley Cadle, Account Director system, specializing in: market research, public policy, creative agencies, co-marketers Joni Ramirez, Account Director • Pharmaceutical and biotechnol- consumer advocacy, corporate and cross-functional colleagues to ogy companies. communications, and non-profit deliver results more efficiently and Merryman Communications • Device makers, vaccine manu- management. with a holistic vision of the brand’s works closely with healthcare cli- facturers. Clients include a who’s who success. ents ranging from start-ups to For- • Hospital and health systems. of national and regional health tune 500 companies as a strategic • Insurers, payor groups. philanthropies, government agen- MERRITT partner in integrated marketing, • Nonprofits, government. cies, academic institutions, clini- communications, public relations Padilla is an AVENIR GLOBAL cian organizations, industry as- GROUP and digital marketing. We are a company and is a founding mem- sociations, patient organizations, full-service agency, and we offer a ber of the Worldcom Public Rela- and corporations. Individually and 8251 Greensboro Drive, Suite 600 wide range of capabilities and spe- tions Group, a partnership of 132 together, team members have won McLean, VA 22102 cial expertise to ensure we have all independently owned partner offic- 703/390-1500 the biggest awards in the PR busi- a client’s needs covered. The Mer- es in 115 cities on six continents. ness. McCabe Message Partners [email protected] ryman Communications team has Connect with purpose at PadillaCo. offers the expertise and profes- www.merrittgrp.com worked across virtually all health- com.

ADVERTISING SECTION | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | OCTOBER 2019 57 Profiles of Healthcare & Medical PR Firms

PAN President, U.S. Health Lead our national, independent agency, story and builds channel agnostic which boasts nearly five decades communications strategies that are COMMUNICATIONS Porter Novelli is a global public of healthcare experience. meaningful to the audiences most relations agency born from the PCI consistently delivers important to their businesses—to 255 State St., 8th Floor idea that the art of communica- award-winning programs and own the conversations and cov- Boston, MA 02109 tion can advance society. Over 45 campaigns for clients ranging erage that matters. Racepoint is 617/502-4300 years ago, we opened our doors— from advocacy organizations and headquartered in Boston, Massa- [email protected] and people’s eyes and minds—for medical and allied health associa- chusetts, with 8 additional offices www.pancommunications.com brands driven to make a positive tions to Fortune 100 corporations; across the U.S., U.K. and Asia. impact. Today, we are a global device manufacturers, biotechs More info: http://www.racepoint- Philip A. Nardone, President & agency with the entrepreneur- and hospital suppliers; hospitals global.com CEO ial spirit of boutique specialists. Mark Nardone, Executive Vice and health systems; retail; accred- Clients include: A-LIGN, ACD/ President We continue to build that bridge iting agencies; payers and consul- Labs, Case Farms, Consumer Elizabeth Famiglietti, Executive between purpose and business tants. PCI also knows healthcare Technology Association, CorTechs Vice President, Human Resources imperatives, and believe that a audiences first-hand. We under- Labs, Current by GE, DailyPay, Darlene Doyle, Executive Vice healthy bottom line can also make stand what makes them tick, how Dassault Systèmes, E Ink, Huawei, President, Client Relations a remarkable impact. to reach them, and know the words Lattice Semiconductor, MediaTek, Gary Torpey, Executive Vice We are passionate people, driven that will resonate and prompt en- NantHealth, NeuroBo Pharmaceu- President, Finance by purpose and grounded in health. gagement. ticals, New Balance, NormaTec, Lisa Astor, Senior Vice We believe in the power of collab- Healthcare represents more than Orion Labs, Panasonic, Progress President & Managing Director, oration and connection in shaping North America half of PCI’s business. Our clients Software, Project Management Gene Carozza, Dan Martin, Nikki the future. Our integrated process include more than 25 medical and Institute (PMI), Qlik, RISC-V, Festa O’Brien, Meg Kessler, and bold approach drive impact dental associations, start-ups look- Semtech, Sermo, SiOnyx, SpotOn, Senior Vice Presidents across policy, public health, advo- ing for visibility and university Southland Industries and Tineco. Gareth Thomas, Managing cacy, and products. health systems. We launch prod- Director, UK Our health practice compris- ucts and manage lifecycle commu- es over 200 experts in more than nications; run consumer awareness THE REIS GROUP PAN Communications is a lead- 30 cities worldwide. We are the and screening programs on a turn- 1300 19th St., N.W., Suite 600 ing integrated marketing and PR agency that launched the first An- key basis; develop professional agency servicing B2B tech and Washington, D.C. 20036 ti-Tobacco campaign. We have relations campaigns designed to 202/868-4000 healthcare brands. With office lo- been working on the HIV/AIDS draw referrals; and develop digital www.TheReisGroup.com cations in Boston, San Francisco, crisis for decades. We are experts media strategies, campaigns and New York, Orlando and London, in aging and its effect on society. platforms including efficient on- Sharon Reis, Principal PAN supports customer growth We work across the entire health line newsrooms and content-rich Tamara Moore, Senior Vice journeys and helps B2B brands ecosystem for patients. We share websites. President effectively scale by moving ideas knowledge across borders, apply More than a third of our health- Lauren Musiol, Senior Vice that create compelling stories, the best worldwide talent to client care clients have stayed with us 10 President drive intent and influence markets problems and manage business years or more with some exceed- Beth Casteel, Senior Counselor across all forms of media. seamlessly across geographies. ing 20-year partnerships. Our suc- Peter Pearl, Senior Counselor PAN’s acquisition of UK-based Our extensive knowledge about cess grows from truly listening to, Capella PR in July 2019 has al- developed and developing markets The Reis Group is a Washing- and talking with, our clients. We ton-DC based public relations lowed the firm to expand its inter- allows us to create programs that then create solutions and deliv- national presence, while continuing are globally relevant and locally agency focused on health and er quality service and results that social causes. We are passionate to offer the agility and personal- sensitive. meet or exceed our clients’ goals. ized service of a mid-sized agency. For more information, contact about our clients’ issues and be- With a staff of 150+ strong, PAN Maura Bergen, Executive Vice lieve in the power of communica- strives to help today’s modern mar- President, U.S. Health Lead: Mau- RACEPOINT tions to transform lives. keters by integrating a combination ra. [email protected]. Working closely and collab- of services to better engage with GLOBAL oratively with our clients as a target audiences and move markets cohesive team, we develop tai- for brands such as SAP, AppDirect, PUBLIC 2 Center Plaza, #210 lored campaigns that produce 8x8, Radial, MediaMath, Actian, COMMUNICATIONS Boston, MA 02108 measurable and meaningful re- Cogito and Maestro Health. 617/624-3200 sults—every time. Representing INC. Fax: 617/624-4199 leading foundations, associations, Connected Content—Creative [email protected] Storytelling—Results that Matter! research institutes, health systems, Partner in The Worldcom Public [email protected] corporations, and universities, Clients Include: 8x8, Acquia, Relations Group www.racepointglobal.com App Annie, Bazaarvoice, Citrix, we offer clients a team of talent- CloudBees, Everbridge, GetWell- One E. Wacker Drive, 24th Floor Larry Weber, Chairman & CEO ed, experienced communications Health, GreatCall, Health Dialog, Chicago, IL 60601 RJ Bardsley, Chief Strategist, experts who provide a depth of Maestro Health, MediaMath, Nice, 312/558-1770 Global Technology Practice & EVP knowledge, and proven successes [email protected] Dan Carter, Managing Director & in health, healthcare, and science Outsystems, Phononic, Quanterix, www.pcipr.com Quorom Software, Radial, SAP, EVP communications. Sift, Toast and WhiteOps. Jill Allread, APR, CEO Our services include: media re- Craig Pugh, President Racepoint Global is an indepen- lations, thought leadership, issues Pamela Oettel, COO/CFO dent communications agency spe- management, science promotion, PORTER NOVELLI cializing in technology, healthcare social media, web sites, message Team members at Public Com- and innovation. Whether an enter- testing, clinical trial recruitment, munications Inc. are passionate prise brand or emerging category market research, stakeholder en- 195 Broadway, 17th Floor New York, NY 10007 about healthcare. We create com- disruptor, companies partner with gagement, and advocacy promo- 212/601-8000 munication solutions for national Racepoint for its strategic, earned- tion. [email protected] and international healthcare cli- first approach to building brands Our goal is to provide every cli- ents in every sector. Healthcare and reputation. The agency helps ent with the skills and capabilities Maura Bergen, Executive Vice communications is at the core of clients define their authentic brand of a highly specialized agency,

58 OCTOBER 2019 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | ADVERTISING SECTION w Profiles of Healthcare & Medical PR Firms along with the commitment and clients’ business and marketing corporate governance, and inves- marketing communications firm dedication of a small business. goals/objectives tor relations. built on marketing science. W2O Partial client list includes: • Identifying target audiences, Founded in 1992, SVC’s ser- incorporates Insight Integration, American Gastroenterological influencers and key opinion lead- vices and capabilities include me- a strategic approach based on un- Association, Banner Alzheimer’s ers dia relations, investor relations, earthing transformative insights Institute, Blue Shield of Califor- • Honing the positioning, story market intelligence, perception from data/analytics and integrat- nia Foundation, Digestive Disease and key messages, tailoring mes- studies, brand awareness, creative ing them—across all marcom Week, 10.27 Healing Partnership, sages to each audience digital content production, video disciplines—to arrive at a pre- Health Care Cost Institute, Ne- • Training KOLs to deliver production, social media and on- cise solution for clients’ business mours Children’s Health System, memorable messages line communications, customer needs. W2O applies proprietary National Association of Chron- • Developing measurable, in- and partner communications, em- analytics models, methodologies ic Disease Directors, Society tegrated and creative PR, social ployee communications and issue and approaches in a digital world for Healthcare Epidemiology of media and internal/external com- advocacy. to design precise communications America, and the Society of Inter- munications programs and marketing strategies to deliv- ventional Radiology. • Proactively communicating er sustained business results. The with clients STANDING firm employs nearly 800 people in • Aggressively securing results, PARTNERSHIP 15 offices across the United States ROSICA evaluating against pre-determined and in Europe. COMMUNICATIONS strategic objectives and metrics 1610 Des Peres Rd., Suite 200 • Repurposing and leveraging St. Louis, MO 63131 WEBER 2-14 Fair Lawn Ave. content and PR coverage to aug- 314/469-3500 Fair Lawn, NJ 07410 ment SEO, sales activities, online www.standingpartnership.com SHANDWICK 201/843-5600, Ext. 202 reputation, tradeshow/conference Melissa Lackey, CEO and [email protected] marketing, analyst relations and 909 Third Ave. www.rosica.com President, Healthcare Practice direct marketing Leader New York, NY 10022 Healthcare clients include: Ben- 212/445-8000 Chris Rosica, President @lackeymelissa eCard PBF, Easterseals NJ, ENT [email protected] www.webershandwick.com and Allergy Associates, Exergen, www.linkedin.com/in/melissalackey/ Rosica Communications is an Health Monitor Network, National Laura Schoen, President, Global integrated PR and digital market- Vision Administrators, NJ Shar- Today, healthcare companies Healthcare Practice ing agency specializing in thought ing Network, PALM Health, and face many pressures: to deliver leadership, corporate and brand Weber Shandwick’s fully in- Transplant Games of America. great patient outcomes at reduced positioning/messaging, marcom tegrated, 360-degree approach Please visit www.rosica.com for cost and maintain profitability in strategy, and content and influenc- makes us uniquely qualified to help case studies and additional infor- an uncertain political environ- er marketing. Our marcom and PR clients navigate the ever-evolving mation. ment. The need to engage effec- capabilities include earned media, tively with all stakeholders and healthcare marketing landscape. social media management, crisis carry out marketing strategies that With wide-ranging experience and communications, issues manage- SARD VERBINNEN drive business growth has never expertise working with healthcare ment, corporate communications, & CO been higher. companies, associations, medical cause marketing, direct marketing, Standing Partnership under- devices, pharmaceuticals, over- and media training. stands today’s healthcare challeng- the-counter medications, bio- Founded in 1980, the firm serves 909 Third Ave., 32nd Floor technology, insurance and health New York, NY 10022 es and has a proven track record of a diverse healthcare clientele in- 212/687-8080 nearly 30 years helping national maintenance organizations, health cluding healthcare delivery, in- [email protected] and regional healthcare organiza- systems and hospitals, and con- surance, medical device, B2B www.sardverb.com tions — from hospital systems and sumer health product, it’s fair to healthcare, medtech, nonprofits, provider groups to health plans, say that we understand the health- industry trade associations, and George Sard, Chairman & Co-CEO healthcare IT companies and foun- care sector like no one else. animal health. Paul Verbinnen, Co-CEO dations — meet their goals. Our team of 800+ is well versed Rosica’s social media services We provide an integrated ap- in regulations and restrictions re- include strategy, social manage- Sard Verbinnen & Co (SVC) is proach that helps organizations lated to healthcare specific content ment, branding, content develop- a leading strategic corporate and tell their story in a way that is in the U.S. and across the globe. ment/optimization, and follower financial communications firm consistent and compelling to build Weber Shandwick is the nation’s acquisition. Our online marketing recognized for its work in M&A, public will, educate their various first communications and market- team is a Google Agency Partner corporate positioning and pro- audiences and grow their business. ing services firm fully certified in specializing in SEO, online repu- file raising, shareholder activism, We simplify the complexity of promotional regulatory compli- tation/reviews management, SEM restructurings, corporate gover- communicating about issues such ance using the training and testing (PPC plus social and display ads), nance, public affairs, executive as privacy, data, insurance, trust, standards of The Center for Com- website development, WordPress changes, crisis communications, measurement and legislation with munications Compliance (CCC). security, and cyber security train- special situations, litigation sup- important stakeholders. As a trust- Weber Shandwick’s Element ing and awareness. port, IPOs and cybersecurity. ed partner, our services span stra- Scientific Communications prac- As a “thinking partner” focused With more than 200 employees tegic counsel to implementation tice is our “GPS System,” helping on achieving our clients’ objec- across its eight offices in New support. our team and clients stay grounded tives, Rosica creates and executes York, Chicago, Boston, Washing- in scientific data and supporting thought leadership programs with ton D.C., San Francisco, Los An- each claim with the strongest ev- clearly defined KPIs/metrics. geles, London, Houston, and Hong W2O idence backed by relevant studies. We craft compelling, authentic Kong, SVC’s highly experienced Supporting clients with data publi- stories and messaging then effec- senior professionals are uniquely 50 Francisco Street cations and regulatory milestones tively disseminate our client-part- positioned to provide high quali- San Francisco, CA 94133 are just a few of the core capabili- ty, objective advice and execution 415/362-5018 ners’ good news while supporting www.w2ogroup.com ties we offer all of our medical de- their sales and communications support to clients across a broad [email protected] vice, pharmaceutical, and biotech goals. range of industries. SVC profes- Twitter: @W2OGroup clients. It’s just one of our many Our process includes: sionals draw on deep experience in differentiating strengths as an • Strategically identifying our finance, law, media, public affairs, W2O is a healthcare-focused agency. 

ADVERTISING SECTION | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | OCTOBER 2019 59 PEOPLE IN PR People in PR Charter offers its services to consumers Amazon’s Benson and businesses under the branding of Spec- Brunswick taps UK succeeds Schweitzer trum.  treasury vet

at CBS Hotwire ups Riddell uncan McCourt, who worked in the UK Treasury as Chief of Staff to chan- BS has hired Mike Benson, who has to corp. comms. SVP cellor Phillip Hammond until July, is been head of mar- D joining Brunswick Group as a Partner in Cketing at Amazon otwire has pro- London. Studios since 2014, as moted Lindsay He’ll counsel clients president & chief mar- HRiddell to the role on financial matters, keting officer. of Senior Vice Presi- healthcare and devel- He will take the reins dent, Corporate and opments on the Brexit from George Sch- Executive Communica- front. weitzer, who has been tions. McCourt also was with the network since Mike Benson Riddell joined the special advisor to Ham- 1972, at the end of global tech PR special- Lindsay Riddell mond, where he served 2019-2020 season. ist in 2016 and served as Secretary of State for Duncan McCourt Schweitzer is becoming Chairman, CBS as Senior Director of Foreign and Common- Marketing, transitioning to a role as Special client services before being named VP of wealth Affairs. Advisor to the company in spring 2020. Corporate and Executive Communications Earlier, he worked at Credit Suisse, JP- Benson previously served as Chief Cre- the following year, where she oversaw the MorganChase and consulted at the World ative Officer at Time Warner from 2011 agency’s executive thought leadership and Bank in Washington.  to 2014 and has also been Executive Vice speaker/presentation training programs. President, Marketing at Disney ABC Tele- Prior to joining Hotwire, she was as Di- vision Group. rector of Marketing for Habitat for Human- O’Grady reports for He will oversee all brand marketing activ- ity Greater San Francisco. She was previ- ities for CBS, including advertising, promo- ously a reporter at publications including service at Crosby tion, creative, experiential marketing and the San Francisco Business Times, Silicon events across the company’s entertainment, Valley/San Jose Business Journal and Chat- eg O’Grady, who helped launch news and sports operations.   tanooga Times Free Press. the Defense Dept.’s spouse educa- Mtion & career program as associate Former Condé Nast Patrón, Grey Goose director in the office of family policy, has joined Crosby Marketing Communica- CCO Blanchard CMO joins cannabis tions as Executive VP/Military and Veter- ans Practice Leader. heads to Charter company At the DOD, she partnered with employ- ers such as Bank of America, Comcast, 3M ormer Condé Nast Chief Communica- ee Applbaum, for- and Amazon, that have hired more than tions Officer Cameron Blanchard has mer marketing 134,000 military spouses. Fjoined Charter Communications as Se- Lchief for spirits gi- The former West Point cadet will help nior Vice President, Communications. ant Bacardi Limited, CMC clients communicate to active duty At Condé Nast, has joined global can- personnel, veterans, military spouses and Blanchard oversaw nabis company Surt- their families. She also will support the internal and external erra Wellness, where firm’s work for the DOD, Dept. of Veterans communications, and he’s been named Chief Affairs and DAV (non-profit for disabled led development and Marketing Officer. Lee Applbaum American veterans). execution of the com- Applbaum joins Surt- During her tenure pany’s communications erra from Bacardi, where he served as the with the U.S. Army, plan. She was previous- Global Chief Marketing Officer for both O’Grady worked with ly SVP of Corporate the Patrón Tequila and Grey Goose Vod- Army Family Advoca- Communications at Cameron Blanchard ka brands. Prior to that he was CMO for cy, Army Education, NBCUniversal, where Target Australia, and before that, served as the Army Career and she led communica- EVP and CMO at RadioShack and CMO at Alumni Program, and tions and media relations for all corporate David’s Bridal. was the first training functions and oversaw internal messaging As CMO, Applbaum will lead Surterra’s officer for the Army’s to 30,000 NBCUniversal employees world- global marketing teams and direct product Wounded Warrior Pro- Meg O’Grady wide. innovation, integrated brand marketing, gram, AW2. In her new position, Blanchard will serve retail brand and sales management initia- O’Grady joins CMB as Charter’s chief media relations spokes- tives. from Kaplan Higher Education, where person and strategist, as well as managing Surterra’s portfolio includes the Coral she was VP-Military and Public Sector the day-to-day media relations function Reefer, Florida’s Finest and Surterra Well- ­Solutions, and earlier was VP-Veteran enterprise-wide. She will also oversee stra- ness brand. It is one of the fastest-growing Business Strategy & Engagement at First tegic external communications. medical cannabis companies in the U.S.  Data Corp. 

60 OCTOBER 2019 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM O’DWYER’STOP HEALTHCARE & MEDICALRANKINGS PR FIRMS Firm Net Fees (2018) Firm Net Fees (2018) 1. W2O Group, San Francisco, CA $168,171,000 39. Lambert, Grand Rapids, MI $1,325,000 2. Edelman, New York, NY 154,202,000 40. Jackson Spalding, Atlanta, GA 1,238,933 3. Spectrum, Washington, DC 32,900,000 41. Gregory FCA ,Ardmore, PA 1,100,000 4. APCO Worldwide, Washington, DC 25,087,900 42. L.C. Williams & Associates, Chicago, IL 1,029,935 5. Health Unlimited, New York, NY 24,267,133 43. Standing Partnership, St. Louis, MO 1,025,535 6. Finn Partners, New York, NY 21,182,000 44. Inkhouse, Waltham, MA 880,519 7. Crosby, Annapolis, MD 19,204,310 45. Trevelino/Keller, Atlanta, GA 875,000 8. Zeno Group, New York, NY 12,300,659 46. Havas Formula, New York, NY 825,596 9. Evoke PR & Influence, Philadelphia, PA 12,000,000 47. Rosica Communications, Fair Lawn, NJ 645,075 10. Jarrard Phillips Cate & Hancock, Brentwood, TN 11,591,239 48. G&S Business Communications, New York, NY 633,845 11. IMRE, LLC, Baltimore, MD 11,450,000 49. Pierpont Communications, Houston, TX 606,030 12. KYNE, New York, NY 10,405,888 50. Landis Communications, San Francisco, CA 555,000 13. Padilla, Minneapolis, MN 9,630,245 51. Bellmont Partners, Minneapolis, MN 545,376 14. JPA Health Communications, Washington, DC 9,264,490 52. Buchanan Public Relations, Bryn Mawr, PA 501,240 15. Coyne PR, Parsippany, NJ 9,000,000 53. French | West | Vaughan, Raleigh, NC 495,445 16. Sam Brown Inc., Wayne, PA 5,621,644 54. LaunchSquad, San Francisco, CA 484,000 17. SPI Group LLC, The, Fairfield, NJ 4,956,674 55. Raffetto Herman Strategic Comms., Seattle, WA 475,969 18. Lazar Partners, New York, NY 4,878,125 56. Greentarget Global LLC, Chicago, IL 474,000 19. 5W Public Relations, New York, NY 4,500,000 57. North 6th Agency, Inc., New York, NY 423,000 20. Citizen Relations, Los Angeles, CA 4,235,437 58. Marketing Maven Public Relations, Camarillo, CA 413,108 21. MCS Healthcare Public Relations, Bedminster, NJ 4,194,507 59. Singer Associates, Inc., San Francisco, CA 362,529 22. MWWPR, New York, NY 3,168,922 60. Merritt Group, McLean, VA 335,057 23. Lovell Communications, Nashville, TN 2,976,067 61. Maccabee Minneapolis, MN 273,633 24. Public Communications Inc., Chicago, IL 2,900,420 62. IW Group, Inc., West Hollywood, CA 240,000 25. rbb Communications, Miami, FL 2,876,163 63. Perry Communications Group, Inc.. Sacramento, CA 238,058 26. Hunter PR, New York, NY 2,600,000 64. Judge Public Relations, LLC, Tampa, FL 221,747 27. PAN Communications, Boston, MA 2,586,184 65. Belfort Group, Boston, MA 195,395 28. Bliss Integrated Communication, New York, NY 2,494,000 66. WordWrite Communications LLC, Pittsburgh, PA 190,500 29. LaVoie Health Science, Boston, MA 2,489,984 67. Fish Consulting. Fort Lauderdale, FL 143,000 30. Matter Communications, Newburyport, MA 2,483,498 68. BLAZE, Santa Monica, CA 125,500 31. MP&F Strategic Communications, Nashville, TN 2,329,335 69. Weiss PR, Inc., Baltimore, MD 117,564 32. 720 Strategies, Washington, DC 2,328,195 70. Brownstein Group, Philadelphia, PA 113,894 33. 360PR+, Boston, MA 1,947,790 71. Kohnstamm Communications, Inc., St. Paul, MN 110,932 34. Racepoint Global, Boston, MA 1,907,544 72. BoardroomPR, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 100,000 35. Beehive Strategic Communication, St. Paul, MN 1,675,677 73. Hollywood Agency, Hingham, MA 90,000 36. Rasky Partners, Inc., Boston, MA 1,579,425 74. O’Malley Hansen Communications, Chicago, IL 52,000 37. Tunheim, Minneapolis, MN 1,516,094 75. SPM Communications, Dallas, TX 18,441 38. Kivvit, Chicago, IL 1,483,874

© Copyright 2019 The J.R. O’Dwyer Co. OPINION Professional Development Losing their religion but certainly not “objectively”—openly de- spises all things Donald Trump. The proof is pushing the limits of comedic boundaries By Fraser Seitel there to see every day in the paper, not only and consistently rejecting political correct- in the hysterical rantings of Trump-hating ness, might’ve given the young man a pass op ed writers but in the daily news pages “ hat’s them in the corner. That’s them with a stern warning to avoid such slip ups as well. in the spotlight, losing their religion.” in the future. But not today. While Times Executive Editor Dean Front man Michael Stipe may’ve Michaels immediately caved to the PC T Bacquet steadfastly denies the paper’s an- been crooning about himself in the REM crowd, fired Gillis on the spot and effec- ti-Trump news bias, several weeks ago a classic, but he tively ended a hard-working young man’s Sunday column in the “Review” section left could’ve just as hopes of attaining stardom. well been lament- New England Patriots’ loss of morality little doubt that the Great Gray Lady’s tradi- tional sense of “fairness” has been forsaken. ing the fate of three The New England Patriots are the best The story was written by two veteran heretofore bastions team in the National Football League and Times’ reporters, excerpting their forth- of American soci- also the most unethical. They are led by Bill coming book on the sexual harassment ety, each of whom Belichick, arguably the best coach in NFL allegations surrounding Brett Kavanaugh, threw away an in- history and inarguably, the most loathsome. Trump’s most recent appointee to the Su- tegral piece of their Blessed with the ability of the league’s preme Court. Specifically, the reporters foundational val- best quarterback, Tom Brady, the Patriots revealed a “new, never-before reported” ues over the past have essentially cheated their way to NFL allegation by a former Yale classmate that month. superiority. The team has been enmeshed Fraser P. Seitel has Kavanaugh had exposed himself to her at a The three orga- in countless scandals, from illegally video- been a communications drunken dorm party. consultant, author and nizations—NBC’s taping competitors’ signals to regularly fal- Predictably, anti-Kavanaugh politicians, teacher for more than “Saturday Night sifying injury reports to purposely deflating 30 years. He is the au- advocates and media seized on the revela- Live,” the NFL’s footballs. thor of the Prentice-Hall tion and demanded that Kavanaugh, like New England Pa- Perhaps most egregious, Belichick and text, The Practice of Trump, be impeached. Public Relations. triots and The New his team have made a living on hiring—and Which might well have happened had York Times—have lavishly rewarding—some of the league’s it not also been revealed—after a week’s all recently suf- best but most traitorous players, after worth of anti-Kavanaugh venom—that the fered public relations setbacks that belie a they’ve worn out their welcomes elsewhere. two reporters had failed to include in their deeper loss of traditional standing. True to form, this month the Pats signed column that the Kavanaugh classmate de- Saturday Night Live’s loss of courage the league’s leading but most infantile re- clined to be interviewed for their book and For four decades, “Saturday Night Live” ceiver, Antonio Brown, after he’d embar- that her friends say she does not recall the has occupied a sacred place in the Peacock rassed not only his prior team, the Oakland incident. Network’s plumage. Raiders, but also the entire league. Then, on Sunday Sept. 20, the Times ran SNL feared nothing and no one, no mat- The Raiders had agreed to sign the trou- a one paragraph “Editors’ Note,” sheepishly ter how wealthy or powerful. Over the bled star to a $50 million contract, after acknowledging that the missing informa- years, the show has skewered presidents he refused to play for his former team, tion should’ve been included in the original and princes, CEOs, celebrities and anyone the Pittsburgh Steelers. Brown’s response column. So much for fairness at The New else whose preening, pretentiousness or to the Raiders’ largesse was to scuttle the York Times.  pomposity deserved to be taken down. deal from the beginning of training camp, But this month, when faced with a PR di- by refusing to give up his unapproved hel- Media news brief lemma that tested its tradition of courage, met, burning his feet in a cryotherapy ma- SNL folded like a cheap, politically-correct chine and threatening to bust a move on Vox Media acquires New York suit. the team’s general manager. So, the Raiders, Magazine Almost immediately after SNL an- correctly, got rid of the serial troublemaker nounced that three rising young comics Vox Media is acquiring New York Media, which before the season even started. publishes New York magazine and its allied digital had been hired for coveted spots in its 45th Whereupon, of course, the Patriots re- platforms, to form what they say will be “the leading season, the Twitter backlash began. warded Brown with a $15 million contract independent modern media company.” One of the three new SNL hires, Shane on the same day he was cut loose by the Vox Media chairman and CEO Jim Bankoff will Gillis, was accused of using racist and Raiders. In Belichickian terms, to para- lead the combined company, while current New York Media CEO Pamela Wasserstein will take the role of homophobic slurs on his podcast. Sure phrase William Henry Vanderbilt, “The President, Vox Media, overseeing the existing New enough, Gillis, a 32-year-old Pennsylva- right thing be damned.” Two weeks and York Media brands as well as strategic initiatives that nia-based stand up who’d knocked around a couple of sexual assault charges later, will include the company’s commerce and consumer the nation’s comedy clubs for a decade, Brown proved too much even for the ethi- businesses. had, indeed, made fun of Chinese and gay Current New York Media Editor-in-Chief David cally-challenged Patriots to handle. Haskell will continue to lead the New York Media people on an obscure podcast that almost In September, Antonio Brown was re- brands, which include websites The Cut, The Strate- nobody listened to. His comedy act, on the leased by the New England Patriots, whom gist, Grub Street, Intelligencer and Vulture in addition other hand, was virtually free of any such nonetheless reinforced itself as the most im- to the magazine. Vox Media Publisher Melissa Bell slurs. moral organization in professional sports. will remain in charge of the Vox Media brands, which New York Times’ loss of fairness include Eater, Recode, The Verge and Vox. “Nothing In an earlier, more compassionate/more changes editorially for any of our brands,” Bankoff courageous day, SNL executive produc- By this time, there can be no question that said. er Lorne Michaels, who’s made a career of The New York Times—rightly or wrongly

62 OCTOBER 2019 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM Financial Management Business travel expenses

By Richard Goldstein Further, under IRS final regulations, the facts and circumstances, but there are there’s an exception under the local, no usiness travel expenses could some- two safe harbor methods: lavish lodging expenses incurred while not day become a thing of the past, • Advance payments made within 30 days away from home overnight on business if Bconsidering meetings can now be of when an expense is paid or incurred. all the facts and circumstances so indicate. conducted by Skype and other web-based • Substantiation provided within 60 days One factor specified under the regulations conference options. However, travel is still after expenses are paid or incurred; or is whether the employee incurs the expense an important way • Return of the excess amounts within because of a bona fide employment condi- public relations 120 days after the expenses are paid or in- tion or requirement. agencies conduct curred. Tax cuts and the Jobs Act business. Under a so-called periodic statement By now, most employers and employees Tax rules for method, the employer must: have filed their 2018 tax return. For em- business travel • Give each employee periodic statements ployees, most have realized that previously Generally, for no less than quarterly that set forth the miscellaneous itemized deductions are no federal tax pur- amounts paid under the reimbursement longer available. Therefore, if an employee poses, a PR agen- arrangement in excess of the substantiated incurs a business expense that’s consid- cy may deduct all amount; and ered reimbursed as compensation or not ordinary and nec- • Request that the employee either sub- reimbursed at all, under changes under the essary expenses stantiate or return the excess amounts TCJA, these expenses incurred will no lon- Richard Goldstein is a partner at Buchbind- paid or incurred within 120 days of the statement date. An ger be tax deductible. er Tunick & Company in carrying on its expense substantiated or amounts returned Conclusion LLP, New York, Certified business. This in- within that period satisfies the reasonable There are a lot more to these rules than Public Accountants. cludes travel ex- period requirement. what I’ve written. It’s therefore important to penses that aren’t Status is crucial consult a tax professional who can review deemed “lavish or Although business transportation—go- your specific facts and help you stay on top extravagant” or that are for personal pur- ing from one place to another without an of the latest developments. You may want to poses. overnight stay—is deductible, attaining consult your attorney to help you draft an For employees, business travel expenses “business travel status” fully opens the door accountable plan that will meet the require- funded by employers are typically consid- to substantial tax benefits. Under business ments of the tax law.  ered working-condition fringe benefits and, travel status, the entire cost of lodging and therefore, aren’t included in the employee’s incidental expenses, and 50 percent of meal gross income. This exclusion generally ap- expenses, is generally deductible by the em- PR news brief plies to property or services provided to an ployer that pays the bill. What’s more, those Next Fifteen acquires employee so that employee can perform his amounts don’t equate to any taxable income Health Unlimited or her job. for employees who, as mentioned, are reim- Under the Internal Revenue Code, an bursed under an accountable plan. Next Fifteen Communications Group has acquired advance or reimbursement for travel ex- So, how does a business trip qualify for the US division of Health Unlimited. Health Unlimited, along with its specialist consul- penses to an employee under an “account- travel status? It must involve overnight trav- tancy Corkery Group, will be rebranded as M Booth able plan” is deductible by the employer PR el, an employee traveling away from his or Health and operate as a separate agency reporting to agency and not subject to FICA and income her tax home (see subsequent discussion) M Booth CEO Dale Bornstein. M Booth was acquired tax withholding. In general, an advance or and a temporary trip undertaken solely— by Next 15 in 2009. Timothy Bird, Health Unlimited Global CEO, and his reimbursement is treated as made under an or primarily—for ordinary and necessary U.S.-based management team will continue to lead accountable plan if an employee receives business expenses. the agency. the advance or reimbursement for a de- Overnight travel doesn’t mean an em- He called the deal a major milestone for both firms ductible business expense paid or incurred ployee must be away from dusk till dawn. “We will continue our work at the forefront with cli- while performing services for his or her Any trip that’s long enough to require sleep ents in health and medicine with access to M Booth’s creative, digital and analytics expertise to advance employer. The employee also must account or rest to enable employee to continue progress,” Bird told O’Dwyer’s. “Bringing together M for the expense to the employer within a working is considered “overnight.” Booth’s strengths with our expertise in health-focused reasonable period and in an adequate man- The concept of a tax home strategic communications will allow us to shape new ner and return any excess reimbursements One aspect of business travel taxability offerings to better help clients and make both of our agencies even stronger.” or allowances within a reasonable period of that many companies struggle with is the Health Unlimited comes in at #5 on O’Dwyer’s time. concept of a tax home. The IRS allows de- list of top healthcare firms, reporting 2018 net fees By contrast, an advance or reimburse- ductions for meals and lodging on business of $24.3 million. For the year ending March 31, the ment made under a “non-accountable plan” trips because these expenses are duplicative agency reported adjusted before-tax profit of $5.2 mil- isn’t considered a working condition fringe of costs normally incurred at the employ- lion and net assets of $17 million. It is to be acquired debt-free. benefit and is treated as compensation. ee’s home and require them to spend more “The acquisition is a major milestone for Next 15 Thus, the amount is fully taxable to the em- money while traveling. Consequently, a as it adds another specialist business to the portfolio ployee, and is subject to FICA and income taxpayer can’t claim deductions for meals and greatly expands our international footprint in the tax withholding by the employer. and lodging unless he or she has a tax home healthcare sector. We see significant complementary What’s a reasonable period of time? opportunities for both businesses,” said Tim Dyson, for tax purposes and travels away from it CEO of Next 15. A reasonable period of time depends on overnight.

WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | OCTOBER 2019 63 WASHINGTON REPORT Facebook launches cryptocurrency lobbying blitz

acebook has doubled down in its recent lobbying battle on Capitol Hill, with the recent hire of two additional D.C.-based Flobbying firms in response to the increased Congressional and regulatory pushback the social media network has received due to its forthcoming cryptocurrency offering, Libra. The social media giant in September hired D.C. lobbying firm Hollier & Associates on matters pertaining to blockchain policy, as well as data privacy and cyber security issues, according to lob- bying registration documents filed with Congress in September. Managing the Facebook account will be Hollier President Will gresswoman Susan Molinari. Hollier, formerly Chief of Staff and Legislative Director to Senator Google advertising and search procedures are under intense and Senate Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho). scrutiny in DC. President Trump also has accused the company of Facebook also recently retained public policy and communi- being biased against conservative media outlets. cations consulting firm The Williams Group to handle “crypto- Isakowitz served as Portman’s COS for five years and earlier was currency regulation” issues, according to September lobbying President of Fierce Isakowitz & Blalock lobbying firm.  disclosure documents. WG Founder Michael Williams handles that account. Williams previously served as Staff Director of Leg- islative Affairs during the Clinton Administration. Edelman names McLear to top Facebook formally unveiled the details of its cryptocurrency venture in June, which could potentially bring the world’s “un- U.S. public affairs post banked” billions into the digital economy by allowing anyone to securely buy, sell or send money to others via the social network. aron McLear has been named U.S. Chair, Public Affairs at The proposed digital currency, which has yet to meet regulatory Edelman. He was Managing Director, Public Affairs and approvals, is set to launch sometime next year. ACrisis for the agency’s Western region. The announcement of Facebook’s forays into digital assets has Before joining Edelman, he was Director of raised concerns. Congress in July drafted the “Keep Big Tech Out Central Communications at Uber. He has also of Finance Act,” which would prohibit “large platform utilities” served as an adviser to Neel Kashkari’s 2014 such as Facebook from operating as a financial institution. California gubernatorial campaign and Mitt Facebook’s September lobbying retainers follow the company’s Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign. McLear August pact with D.C.-based cryptocurrency, blockchain and fi- previously was Press Secretary for Gov. Arnold nancial services specialists FS Vector.  Schwarzenegger and for the Republican National Aaron McLear Committee. He is a key advisor on Edelman’s partnership with the Gun Safety Direct Impact hires Obama Alliance and has been the force behind the firm’s commitment to gun safety, including its new research on Leadership and Anti-Gun alum Myers Violence.  am Myers, who held communications posts in the Depts. of Education and Commerce during the Obama administra- Cuomo press aide Collins moves Stion, has joined Direct Impact as President. DI is the grass- roots arm of WPP’s BCW. to MTA At the DOE, Myers served as White House liaison and support- ed the program to promote healthy eating in schools and Amer- ew York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority has hired ica’s College Promise. For Commerce, he served as Director of Abbey Collins, former Press Secretary to Empire State Gov- Enterprise Services Change Management and Communications. Nernor Andrew Cuomo, as Chief Communications Officer. Myers also did campaign work for Clinton/Gore 1996, Gore/ Collins joins the MTA from Kivvit, where she was a Director, Lieberman 2000, Kerry/Edwards 2004, Obama for America 2012 advising Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, not-for-profits and and Hillary for America 2016. governments on strategic and crisis communications as well as Since exiting the Obama White House, he worked at Brooklyn’s creating public affairs campaigns. Huge as Senior VP for partnerships and development and the She handled press for Cuomo’s successful 2018 re-election D.C. outpost of The Outcast Agency as Senior VP.  campaign, and had served his administration since 2015 as first Deputy Press Secretary, leading communications efforts for such infrastructure projects as the opening of the Governor Mario M. Isakowitz gets Google D.C. post Cuomo Bridge, the unveiling of the new Kosciuszko Bridge and the groundbreaking for Moynihan Station and Penn Station’s West ark Isakowitz, Chief of Staff to Ohio Republican Senator End Concourse. Rob Portman has joined Google as VP-Government Af- Other positions Collins has held include Press Secretary for New Mfairs and Public Policy in Washington. York state Senator Jeff Klein and director at public affairs and po- He replaces former Staten Island/Brooklyn Republican Con- litical communications firm Mercury.

64 OCTOBER 2019 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM International PR News

Japan hires Hale to keep tabs gies for $25,000 per-month to backstop his VEB effort. President Obama sanctioned VEB in 2014 following Russia’s inva- on U.S. elections sion of Ukraine and its annexation of Crimea. The Treasury Dept. in 2018 listed VEB Chair Igor Shuvalov, a close apan has hired Hale Strategies to monitor and gather political ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the members of the intelligence about the US 2020 elections. bank’s supervisory board as affiliated with Russia’s government, but J The eight-month contract calls for Marcia Hale to aggregate did not impose sanctions. and analyze publicly available information and documents. She Sweeney served three terms in Congress and was defeated in 2006 will then brief Japan’s embassy’s staff about the content of the ma- by now Empire State Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. He worked for terial and provide insights into political trends and developments. Trump during the NY State Republican primary and then became Hale formed her Washington shop after a ten-year stint as Pres- deputy counsel of the campaign. ident/Chair of Building America’s Future, a bipartisan infrastruc- Following Trump’s victory, Sweeney was named to the executive ture coalition founded by former California Governor Arnold committee of the transition team and part of the four-member “Ti- Schwarzenegger, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell and New ger Team” that vetted candidates for jobs in the Administration.  York Mayor Mike Bloomberg. Earlier, she handled public affairs for Monsanto, served as Man- aging Director at McKenna Long & Aldridge and worked as Di- Ex-Graham aide speaks for Qatar rector of Intergovernmental Affairs in Bill Clinton’s White House. Hale reports to Yoshitaka Kitamura, Japan’s Counselor for Con- atar’s Washington embassy has hired Neale Creek to improve gressional Affairs. bilateral relations with the U.S. and develop investment and Qbusiness opportunities. NC Co-Founder Andrew King spearheads the one-year effort, Sanctioned Russian bank taps which is worth $50,000 per-month. He spent two decades working for South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, exiting as Trump-tied Sweeney Deputy Chief of Staff in 2015. King joined Glover Park Group in 2017 as Managing Director and left in August. ormer upstate NY Republican Congressman John Sweeney, Graham, a close ally of President Trump, is a strong booster of Qa- who has close ties to President Trump, has signed a $750,000 tar. Fone-year contract to represent Russia’s Vnesheconombank, the The Qatar Investment Authority plans to spend billions in South state-controlled investment bank. Carolina in support of Barzan Holdings, which is controlled by the His job is to meet and lobby U.S. officials to persuade them not to Arab state’s defense department. Charleston is home to a major Boe- slap any new sanctions on VEB. Sweeney hired Georgetown Strate- ing plant.  FARA News  NEW FOREIGN AGENTS REGISTRATION ACT FILINGS Below is a list of select companies that have registered with the U.S. Department of Justice, FARA Registration Unit, Washington, D.C., in order to comply with the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, regarding their consulting and communications work on behalf of foreign principals, including governments, political parties, organizations, and individuals. For a complete list of filings, visit www.fara.gov.

Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP, Washington, D.C., registered Sep. 23, 2019 for Republic of Honduras, Honduras, C.A., regarding U.S. securities and banking law in connection with financing in the international market and related due diligence.

Capitol Financial Strategies, LLC, Washington, D.C., registered Sep. 10, 2019 for Embassy of Hungary, Washington, D.C., regarding promotion and lead generation of foreign direct investment into Hungary.

Clarence Charles Cutsforth, Middletown, NJ, registered Sep. 10, 2019 for Principality of Sealand, Leigh-on-sea, Essex, regarding issues related to the principal’s sovereignty and assisting in carrying out assignments for the principal’s executives. Located on the military fortress of Roughs Tower in the North Sea, Sealand is the smallest country in the world.

Latham & Watkins LLP, Washington, D.C., registered Sep. 6, 2019 for Ministry of Justice, Republic of Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan, regarding the princi- pal’s criminal justice system. Lobbying News G NEW LOBBYING DISCLOSURE ACT FILINGS Below is a list of select companies that have registered with the Secretary of the Senate, Office of Public Records, and the Clerk of the House of Representatives, Legislative Resource Center, Washington, D.C., in order to comply with the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995. For a complete list of filings, visit www.senate.gov.

Cassidy & Associates, Inc., Washington, D.C., registered Sep. 24, 2019 for Violet Energy, Inc., Portland, OR, regarding issues related to government procurement of solar energy.

BL Partners Group, LLC, Arlington, VA, registered Sep. 23, 2019 for Fox Corporation, Washington, D.C., regarding Satellite TV Extension and Localism Act Reauthorization, retransmission content, online privacy, spectrum-related issues, media ownership issues, 1st amendment issues and sports betting.

American Defense International, Inc., Washington, D.C., registered Sep. 17, 2019 for Yippy Inc., Miami, FL, regarding issues pertaining to a secure web-based search engine that guarantees data security.

Crestview Strategy US LLC, Washington, D.C., registered Sep. 19, 2019 for Canadian American Business Council, Washington, D.C., regarding U.S./Canada trade policy and ratification of the USMCA free trade agreement.

WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | OCTOBER 2019 65