Choosing a Healthcare Public Relations Firm

Businesses that specialize in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, life sciences and medical devices often count on a public relations firm to help them refine their messages and to deliver them in a clear manner to audiences that may include patients, physicians, advocacy groups, investors, payors and key thought leaders. When medical companies are looking for the right PR agency, several factors should be considered.

First, healthcare companies must decide whether their requirements match the expertise and offerings of the healthcare PR firm. While there are many agencies to choose from, there are no two agencies that have the same capabilities or that provide exactly the same services. As a result, companies must identify what goals they need to achieve and find a firm that can deliver clear results.

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, there is a code of conduct that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) maintains with regard to marketing and advertising practices for pharmaceutical, biopharma and medical device products. When you choose a PR agency, you must find one that has a clear understanding of the FDAs evolving guidelines because that knowledge may have a substantial impact on your business. Make sure that the agency also possesses a thorough understanding of the regulatory processes that apply to the products and services your company develops and markets.

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 actually working on your account are also vital. While there is usually some benefit from working with an agency that has a broad, collective expertise in healthcare public relations, ultimately it is the people who are working with you on your account that will have the most direct bearing on your success or failure.

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.

Another item that all healthcare companies now need to perform due diligence on is the agencys capabilities and performance in newer, non-traditional forms of public relations, including what is broadly defined today as social media. Traditional media outlets such as newspapers, magazines, television and radio are all built on advertising revenue models that have been hard hit by the economic downturn. Increasingly, healthcare companies have been turning to emerging, online techniques to connect with clinicians, patients and advocacy groups. In this ever-changing environment, it is critical that the PR agency be on top of these trends and have relevant experience in conducting campaigns of this type.

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