Many medical device, pharmaceutical, biopharma, and life science companies choose to call on the expertise of a healthcare or medical public relations agency to help them develop and drive their key messages out to key constituencies, including physicians, patients, investors, payors, advocacy groups and influential clinical thought leaders. What factors should medical companies consider in evaluating and selecting a public relations agency to represent them?
There are many public relations companies from which to choose. Most provide a range of services, but really specialize in a just few things. It's important to understand your own needs and to focus your search on PR agencies that have matching areas of strength.
Second, and equally as critical, is to identify firms that have a tight focus on healthcare companies and a historical track record to support any marketing claims they make. Make no mistake, medical PR is a highly specialized discipline and while some larger, general business PR agencies may have dabbled in serving healthcare businesses, companies are much better served by engaging an agency that has walked the walk before.
The PR company that represents your interests must have a thorough understanding of the particular regulatory guidelines that relate to your business. For firms that operate in the areas of biopharma, medical devices and pharmaceuticals, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a clear set of guidelines for marketing and advertising to which these companies must adhere. These guidelines are constantly evolving and a good PR firm will be up to date with these changes.
In addition, you should be sure to review case studies of successful campaigns that parallel the objectives your company is seeking to accomplish. Your area of expertise should be an area in which they also excel. For example, if your company is employing public relations as a tool in clinical trial recruitment, you should locate an agency that has prior experience in managing successful recruitment campaigns.
The people who are being put forward to manage your assignment deserve special attention. Some agencies have only a broad and collective experience in healthcare public relations instead of the particular medical experience you may need. Consider that the specific experience of the people you work with will have a direct bearing on the success or failure of your venture.
It makes sense to speak with the people who will be working on your account team. Ask to see their medical PR credentials. You should also ask for examples of past campaigns that were similar to yours and successfully completed.
A final area that healthcare companies need to explore is the PR agencys expertise with social media and other newer forms of communication to reach patients, physicians and advocacy groups. Many traditional media outlets, including newspapers, magazines, TV and radio, have been substantially impacted by declining advertising revenues and some are unable to devote much editorial space to industry news. PR firms can still reach target audiences using social media or other online techniques in addition to working with traditional media. The PR agency you choose should be on top of these trends and be experienced in planning and executing on the type program that your healthcare company requires.
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