Choosing a Healthcare Public Relations Firm

Article Written By: Lloyd Benson

Many medical device 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. Its important to understand your own needs and to focus your search on PR agencies that have matching areas of strength.

Its also critical to investigate a firms record of success with other medical companies. Medical PR is a highly specialized field"knowledge gained working with other industries isnt a strong substitute for direct experience in healthcare. Its essential to find a firm with experience in your area. A public relations firm that focuses its efforts within disciplines that are relevant to you is likely a better choice than a more generalized agency.

For example, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a clear code of conduct for marketing and advertising to which medical device, drug and biopharma companies must adhere. The PR agency that represents you needs to have a clear understanding of evolving guidelines and how they may impact your business. The agency must also have an intimate understanding of the regulatory processes that your key products are navigating.

Ideally, companies should try to find an agency that has already developed and executed successful PR campaigns in areas that are similar to the one you want to create. If, for example your company is looking to use PR as a vehicle for clinical trial recruitment, then you should seek an agency that has previously managed successful recruitment campaigns. Similarly, if you were announcing that your company has achieved a regulatory milestone or published critical data, you would want to ensure that your PR firm has experience in these situations. Each agency you interview should be willing to provide case studies of previous work.

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.

Before engaging a firm, ask to meet the people who will actually be doing the work for you. Ask for their medical PR credentials and for examples of some of their past successes that may be relevant to your own situation.

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.

About the Author

Lloyd Benson is an Executive Vice President with Schwartz Communications. He currently oversees the agencys award-winning healthcare PR practice.

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