Hospitals, PR & Media Training

March 3, 2012 Leave a comment

When it comes to deciding on what physician, medical center or hospital to choose, finding the right one can be a daunting task for most patients.  The same is true for deciding on what medical procedures and modalities to choose.  Most patients and laypeople find the majority of the health and medical information from the news.  Whether this is for the good or the bad, would be a whole different article, but this is how the information world works.  On the media’s side health and medical stories are a part of their bread and butter.  Just about every magazine, newspaper and TV news show covers medical stories.  The newest breakthroughs, treatments, studies are all featured in the news.

The marketing job of every hospital and medical center is to have its physicians, departments and stories featured in the media.  Being featured as a news story offers the credibility, validation and trust factor that only media relations can offer.  What hospitals have in their favor is the amount of different stories they can offer.  When working with a hospital we generally begin by deciding if there are particular departments, procedures or physicians that they initially want to focus on.  If so those become are starting points.

The luxury that a hospital has is the ability to switch from one story and specialty to the next.  For example, an initial public relations campaign can be launched to feature new procedures in cardiology; after a month or so the focus can then shift to oncology, next stories on internal medicine can be presented to the media.  Each department can be highlighted and each different approach offers the media new angles and media stories to cover.  In this way the media bulls-eye becomes much bigger and a hospital’s chances of landing coverage in radio, TV, or print are vastly improved.

If you are launching a PR campaign for your hospital, the one thing that you want to ensure is that once you land media coverage, whoever is going to be doing the interview is prepared.  There is nothing more depressing than not taking full advantage of a media story.  Remember, particularly when it comes to TV, producers are looking for a physician who can not only deliver information, but can also keep the viewers interested.  This does not mean that physicians need to be entertainers, but it does mean that they have to be fully versed in their topic, as well as conversational, upbeat and personable.  Nothing turns a producer (and the viewing audience) off more than a medical expert who stares at his or her feet and drones on about studies and statistics in a monotone voice.  That is a sure fire way to assure that the media won’t be calling you up for a follow up story.  That is why media training for hospitals and physicians is imperative.

A powerful media story can not only bring in new patients, and build the hospital’s brand and credibility in the marketplace; it can also bring in funding.   You want to present the hospital in the best possible light.  You owe it to the media and the public, but you also owe it to the physicians and the institution.  To do so you not only need an impactful message, but a prepared, articulate messenger.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

Filed under Medical PR Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Why Hospitals Need Media Relations

February 27, 2012 Leave a comment

Health and medical stories are major topics in the news on a daily basis.  Whether a news story has to do with the distribution of health care or with a new medical breakthrough, medicine and health care command the media’s attention.  Health care is a business and for it to be effective it needs to be treated as one.  This has always been true, but never more so than in today’s insurance and reimbursement environment.  Because of that physician, health care and hospital marketing is more critical than ever.  Effective media relations and PR is a necessity to help ensure continuing viability of hospitals, medical centers and medical practices in the local level and to provide the high quality of individual health care Americans expect.

The world of health care and medicine is changing and to remain effective and successful hospitals and medical institutions need to change with the times.  As major changes take affect in the healthcare environment, medical providers need to understand that they are subject to the same media and market pressures and changes as any other business.  Those who will succeed will understand that the landscape has changed, and they will effectively react to those changes.   Marketing is a necessity if a hospital or medical center is going to succeed.  There is a definite need for scrutiny, strategic planning and communication programs in order to most effectively utilize the limited resources while providing top of the line medical care. This is where hospital media relations and PR come in.

Media relations and community relations, both fall under the umbrella of public relations.  Although they are often confused, they are very different processes.  Each has its own objectives and focus.  Media relations includes but is not limited to, developing targeted media lists, the writing and distribution of  news releases, the distribution of information and releases  to the media, and arranging press, radio and television interviews

Media relations is particularly important in the medical field.  Patients choose a hospital or medical provider based on trust.  Even in the case where the medical provider is chosen for the patient it is important that a sense of trust is created.  It is precisely because the trust factor is so important that PR is the most effective form of marketing available for hospitals and health care providers.  Unlike advertising or direct marketing, public relations is the only form of marketing that offers the credibility and validation of being featured in the news.  The public learns of most new medical breakthroughs, studies, or procedures from the media.  The physicians interviewed, or hospitals that are featured benefit from that coverage.  PR needs to be an integral part of any hospital’s business plan.  A successful media relations campaign not only educates and informs. Used effectively, PR can not only build a hospital’s brand and patient base, it can usher in new concepts and perspectives and shape the ideas of a community.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

Filed under Medical PR Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Why Your Clients’ Stories Define Your PR

February 13, 2012 Leave a comment

Your best stories are those that show how your product or service helps your clients.  For example, if you’re a physician, your best stories are patient success stories.  A doctor is the expert who can explain how to treat a disease or how a particular procedure works, but it’s his or her patient stories that are going to connect with the media and the public.

It’s the same in any business.  Regardless what your profession is, you have an impact on the lives of others.  And the impact you have on your clients can make for your most compelling stories.  Those are the stories that, in essence, tell your story.  Perhaps you made someone’s life easier by saving her time, money, or stress.  Maybe you helped someone lose weight, feel better, look better.  What are your success stories?  Whether you’re an attorney, a plumber, a life coach or an artist, you have an impact on the lives of others. And the impact you have on your clients can make for your most compelling stories.  Those are the stories that, in essence, tell your story.

Before launching a marketing or public relations campaign, take some time to work on the anecdotal stories which you feel best illustrate what you do, those which most effectively tell your story.   Now match the various anecdotal stories to the appropriate media outlets.  For example, using a medical story again, a story about a ten year old struggling with Autism, would be pitched differently than a story about the latest in bio-identical hormone replacement therapy.  If you’re an author of a how-to book, the stories you’d pick to pitch to Redbook or Ladies Home Journal, would differ from those you’d pitch to Forbes or the Wall Street Journal.

Make a list of clients you have worked with who have interesting, impactful or inspiring stories they can tell.  You want these stories to illustrate how by working with you, their lives were changed or transformed.  Keep in mind; these transformations don’t have to be huge.  You don’t have to save someone’s life for your stories to resonate; your stories could be serious, fun, lighthearted, or practical.  Perhaps you made someone’s life easier by saving her time, money, or stress.  Maybe you helped someone lose weight, feel better, look better.  All of these make for good anecdotes, which in turn can lead to great PR pitches, which can land you media coverage – which in turn can help you land more clients, build your business and grow your business.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

Filed under Medical PR Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Patient Stories and Medical Media Relations

December 14, 2011 Leave a comment

When it comes to PR and medical-oriented media relations, remember, your best stories are patient success stories.  Yes, as the physician you’re the expert and the educator, but it’s your patient stories that in turn will tell your story.  The media is looking to interest their audience, whether that audience is readers, viewers or listeners and what’s going to grab their attention is going to be stories that affect them.  Although the audience is going to be interested in your expertise and information, what is going to impact them on a visceral, emotional level is going to be patient stories that they can identify with.

Make a list of patients who have interesting, impactful stories they can tell.  You want these stories to illustrate how lives were changed or transformed.  Contact the appropriate patients, explain how their stories can help educate and inform others who are dealing with similar problems or issues. Explain what would be involved and how this would be an important outreach to the media.  This is not just a way to sell a patient on appearing in the media.  Patient stories educate and inform the public.  That is generally how the public learns about new procedures, treatments, and options.  We’ve worked with physicians where the patients were more than willing to tell their stories because they wanted others in their situation to be able to benefit from their story.  There are patients who will have no interest in speaking to the media, preferring to keep their story private.  That is something to be respected.  But let patients know that you are collecting anecdotal stories and that you’ll be presenting some of these stories to the media to explain and educate the public on your work.  You may be surprised at how many will be willing and even eager to tell their story.

Once you have patients who are willing to tell their stories, match the various patient stories to the appropriate media outlets.  For example a story about the latest breakthroughs in back surgery, would be pitched differently than a story about hormone replacement therapy.  A story on a ten year old dealing with food allergies, would need a different approach altogether.  If your stories include before and after photos, make sure to get images that are as professional as possible.  Be sure to have your patients sign a release form.

Once you have patients who are willing to tell their story to the media, meet with them to review the questions that the media could ask them.  Make your patients as comfortable as possible with the process.  Remember, these patients are not only telling their stories, they’re representing you and your practice.  You want them to be articulate and the presentation to be accurate and appropriate. Utilizing medical-oriented public relations can serve several purposes, it can build your practice and educate and inform the public.   By getting this information to the public through the media you can improve and, in some cases, save lives.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

Filed under Medical PR Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Building A Medical Practice Through Media Relations

December 7, 2011 Leave a comment

There are several reasons why physicians, more than those in other professions, can benefit from an effective media relations campaign. The traditional media is how most consumers and patients learn about the latest medical breakthroughs, news, or studies.  Those physicians that are featured in the media are seen as trusted experts.  They are the ones that the consumers and potential patients are going to seek out.  Public relations is not simply a form of marketing, it is an effective way to inform and educate the public.  Education and information are the keys to a truly successful media campaign; press coverage reaches a physician’s target market, drives patients their way and gives them validation and credibility

PR is the only form of medical marketing that effectively builds trust and credibility.  Marketing a medical practice via traditional advertising has its place, but that approach has inherent risks.  No patient wants to feel that he or she is being “sold”. Patients want to see someone they trust, someone they feel is the best in their field.  It is that validation and trust factor that comes with being featured in the media.

Media relations is particularly important for physicians on the cutting edge, or those who are introducing new procedures or treatments,  The message of safety, trust, expertise and  success needs to be conveyed through the media.  The validation and credibility factor needs to be established.  Making decisions about health care and medical treatments can be frightening for most patients and consumers.  Because of that they are reluctant to be among the first to try a new medical technique than are most consumers.  Through targeted public relations a sense of trust can be established; the newer and/or more sensitive the procedure, the greater the trust that needs to be established, which is why PR is particularly important in those arenas.

As stated earlier a truly effective medical PR campaign is not just about marketing; it is also about educating and communicating with the public.  A successful media relations campaign educates and informs.  Used effectively, PR can not only build a medical practice, it can usher in new concepts and perspectives and shape the ideas of a community.  Because of that, fact it’s important that physicians see and present themselves as educators.  By utilizing the media to present their stories and show case their expertise; physicians can establish themselves as experts in their field, reach their target market and build a successful practice.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

Filed under Medical PR Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

More Holiday PR Pitch Tips

November 3, 2011 Leave a comment

For the past few blogs, I’ve been reviewing why and how to launch a PR campaign for the holiday season.  To quickly recap, the three primary reasons are:

1)      People are prepared to spend more money during this time of year.

2)      The media is more open to stories and pitches during the holiday season.

3)      You can more firmly establish your brand in the fourth quarter and carry that on into the New Year.

As I discussed earlier, whether you should launch a marketing and public relations campaign during the holiday season is not the question; the real questions are when will you launch and what will your primary focus be.  Remember your job when pitching stories to the media is to make the media’s job easier.  You want to give them stories that are interesting, entertaining, educational, intriguing and, during this time frame, pitches that tie into the spirit of the season.

That doesn’t mean all of our pitches have to be up, cheery and ho ho ho.  The holidays have different sides, if you can address helping runaways during the holidays, or holiday food drives for those who need a hand during the season, or dealing with holiday depression, those are not only important stories, but they make for compelling features for print and TV.  Regardless what your business or profession is, you can develop a holiday story idea to pitch.  Although I covered a few PR pitch ideas in my previous article, below are a few more to review.

Musician – Put on a free holiday concert that benefits a charity for the holidays.  Or let the media know that you can discuss which holiday songs are the most important.  Come up with a list of the most important holiday songs.  Make it controversial and fun.

Spa – Create unique holiday packages.  Come up with special holiday treatments to help reduce stress, or create holiday gift packages that are unique and original.

Jeweler – Create that perfect holiday gift.  Even if the design is overly expensive or just works for the holidays, come up with something different that makes for a good story.  The perfect luxurious holiday gift.

Attorney – Put together consultation packages that you can offer, or can be given as gifts for the New Year.  Then come up with the 7 most important year end tips everyone should know.

Nutritionist – Develop a list of perfect holiday recipes.  Make a list of holiday eating myths that you can debunk.  Develop a roadmap for how to eat right and have fun during the holidays.

Assisted Living or Long Term Health Care Center – Let the media come in and experience a holiday meal or sing along with the residents.  Invite a local grammar or mid school to have a group of kids come and sing holiday songs for the seniors.  Put on a seniors Winter Olympics.

Acupuncturist – Create packages and treatments for keeping healthy during the holidays.  Or develop an acupuncture facelift procedure.  Give the gift of youth for the holidays.

Although these ideas might not cover your business or profession, you get the point.  See how you can tie in what you do with the season and start developing pitches.  Get creative.  Have fun with it.  This is a time when purse strings are loosened and the media looks for stories, use both of those facts to your advantage.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

Filed under Beauty Industry PR, Entrepreneur PR, Marketing, Medical PR Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Complementary Healthcare: An Industry that Defied the Recession

September 26, 2011 Leave a comment

The complementary health care market is one of the few arenas that has not been hard hit by the current ongoing economic downturn.  This is particularly true when it comes to nutritional supplements.  The aging Baby Boomer population is fueling the upturn as are the legions of health conscious consumers who turn to supplements as an affordable, generally from their perspective, much less risky way to stay healthy compared to prescription drugs and other medical procedures,

According to “Nutritional Supplements in the U.S., 4th Edition” by market research publisher Packaged Facts, it is estimated that “U.S. retail sales of nutritional supplements exceeded $9 billion in 2009, up 8% over 2008 sales. From 2005 to 2009, the market grew by a total of 26%, fueled by growing consumer awareness about health maintenance, in addition to pressure by the media and government to enforce product accountability.”

This shift has to do with an increasingly health conscious attitude, as well as the nutritional supplement industry’s efforts to focus on more science-based claims.  During the past few decades the industry has made huge strides towards building its credibility in the marketplace.  The effort has paid off.   Packaged Facts forecasts annual sales growth in nutritional supplements will gradually improve over the next few years and sales will exceed $13 billion in 2014, yielding a compound annual growth rate of 7%.

Some national surveys estimate that in a given year, 40% of all Americans incorporate some type of complementary and alternative therapy into their healthcare routine.  It is now abundantly clear that complementary medicine is definitely not a fad, as many had suggested in the 1960’s but is a dynamic part of our healthcare system.  It is generally outside of the insurance umbrella and therefore must be paid for out of pocket, but this is one area where Americans are willing to spend their dollars.

That said, for those companies involved in the nutritional supplement or complementary and alternative medicine fields, reaching the target market is of tremendous importance.   It is clear that the market is there and that these are consumers that are willing to pay money in order to help safeguard their health.  The important part from a business perspective is to define the target market, pinpoint how and where to reach them and speak to them in a language they understand.   A combination of public relations and social media outreach is generally the best approach since it reaches the market and offers the validation and legitimacy that comes with being featured in the media.

A well constructed, effective medical PR campaign educates, instructs, informs, and whets the public’s appetite to know more. On the marketing end, it also stimulates a target audience to take action, whether that be making an appointment, purchasing a product, or visiting a store.  To effectively market in this arena, you need to offer a good compelling story that also educates and informs. Although not every product or service has a huge potential market, in the nutritional supplement arena you don’t need huge, you need a realistic, well-defined market.  You’re job is to define that market, target them, promote successfully and speak their language.  Do that and your in business to stay

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

Filed under business, Health, healthcare, Medical PR Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The True Value of Medical PR

August 12, 2011 Leave a comment

As a physician, launching a PR and media relations campaign, you can have a number of objectives.  Your aim may be to bring in more patients, to establish your practice, to establish yourself as one of the primary experts in your field, or to separate yourself from the competition.  All those objectives are sound and can be accomplished through an effective public relations outreach.  Every physician has his or her own needs and goals and it’s important to tailor each media campaign to achieve those specific aims.

In the past we’ve placed physicians and health care professionals in a wide range of media outlets from local and regional media to such national outlets as Oprah, the Today Show, CNN, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and hundreds of other media outlets.  But, apart from reaching a physician’s target market, establishing their brand and establishing them as experts in their fields, perhaps the most rewarding aspect of health and medical PR is that by presenting informative and educational stories to the media, we’ve been able to impact people’s lives.

We’ve worked with a wide range of physicians including oncologists, cardiologists, pain management specialists, ob-gyns, and pulmonary specialists.  Each one has had unique patient stories to tell and each one has addressed issues that affect hundreds, thousands and sometimes millions of people.

By taking these stories to the media we in turn have been able to offer options and solutions for patients who were often unaware that new approaches, treatments or modalities existed.

These stories have offered hope and guidance.  After stories on a  physician or treatment have been published in a magazine or newspaper or have aired on TV, not only have new local patients decided to seek help, there have been several instances where patients have flown cross country or from foreign countries to seek help, guidance and treatment.

I’ve found this type of media outreach to be the most gratifying.  Whereas the campaigns are designed to reach a physicians target market, grow a medical practice, establish him or her as an expert and gain the credibility and validation which comes from being featured in the news, they are also designed to educate and inform

As a physician, one of the most important aspects to keep in mind when launching a health or medical-oriented public relations campaign is how important the information you’re offering can be.  Through the media you are able to directly communicate with hundreds, thousands or millions of people.  Some may be directly dealing with the problem, symptoms or disease you’re addressing, others may know a friend or a family member who could use the information.  There will be treatments, approaches, and options you offer that may not be new within the medical community, but could be new to many patients.  The information you offer can often it can be a life changer.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

Filed under doctor pr, Medical PR, medicine, Public Relations, public relations services Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Media & Medicine: Developing a Medical Practice Utilizing PR

June 13, 2011 Leave a comment

If you’re a physician looking to market your practice or reach out to new patients, keep in mind that physicians, more than those in other professions, can benefit from an effective media campaign. Press coverage reaches their target market, drives patients their way and gives them validation and credibility. The public generally learns about the latest medical breakthroughs, news, or studies via the media.  It is an avenue they trust and trust is the bottom line when it comes to health care.

Physicians that are featured in the media are seen as the experts, whether they are featured in their local newspaper or on the Today show.  Doctors and health care specialists can present themselves as media go-to experts by offering the media relevant and timely stories.

Although marketing a medical practice via print ads or commercials can have some effect, that approach has inherent risks.  No patient wants to feel that he or she is being “sold”. Patients want to see someone they trust, someone they feel is the best in their field.  It is that validation and trust factor that comes with being featured in the media. For example, if a prospective patient reads an article that features a physician in the New York Times or USA Today, or sees a doctor interviewed on CNN or on a network nightly news segment, chances are that physician will be viewed as an expert, as a leader in his or her field who can be trusted.

Public relations is also important because a PR campaign is not just about marketing; it is also about educating the public.  An effective media campaign educates and informs.  Used effectively, media relations can not only build a practice, it can educate and introduce new concepts and perspectives and shape the ideas of a community.  Because of that, it’s important that physicians see and present themselves as educators.

Physicians need to keep in mind that their best media stories are not about themselves, but about their patients.  A transformational patient success story with a strong narrative is what the media is searching for.  If you’re looking to reach more patients, bring a story to the public, or position yourself as an expert in your field, you’re best approach is to make a list of patient’s who have interesting impactful stories they can tell.  You want these stories to illustrate how lives were changed or transformed.

There are a number of different media outlets available including Dr. Oz, CNN, the Today Show, Men’s Health, Shape, the Wall Street Journal and hundreds of other media outlets.  Before presenting a story match the various patient stories to the appropriate media outlets.  For example a story about a ten year old struggling with Autism, would be pitched differently than a story about the latest in bio-identical hormone replacement therapy.  Meet with the patients and review the questions that the media could ask them.  Make your patients as comfortable as possible with the process.  Remember, these patients are not only telling their stories, they’re representing you and your practice.  You want them to be articulate and the presentation to be accurate and appropriate.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

Filed under doctor pr, Medical PR, physicians, PR, TV, tv interview Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

PR for Complementary Health Care Practitioners

February 28, 2011 1 Comment

It’s taken the media and the traditional healthcare world quite a while to learn what the public has now known for quite a while.  Complementary and alternative healthcare is a huge force in the U.S. For example, a 1998 phone survey of 1539 adults found that 42.1% in the United States had used at least one form of complementary health care within a twelve month period.  That usage had increased since 1990 and continues to increase; the most used treatments were herbal medicine, massage, megavitamins, self-help groups, folk remedies, energy healing and homeopathy.

When I began working in the arena of health-oriented PR, trying to get the media to do a segment on herbs, acupuncture or bodywork was a challenge.  Those modalities were considered too alternative, too out there; not mainstream enough.  And if the media did do a story on acupuncture, it had to feature an acupuncturist who was also an M.D.  Times have changed.  Now CNN, the Today Show, Time and other mainstream media outlets all cover alternative and complementary healthcare.  If you work in the world of wellness or complementary healthcare, you need to know how to work with the media and how to launch an effective PR campaign, the media floodgates have opened, but you need to learn to control the message.

Years ago, we worked with the Rolf Institute and the Heller Institute and, even though both modalities had been around for quite a while, they were still considered quite exotic by the mainstream media.  We were able to launch effective campaigns, but it was a hard go.  The media was weary.  They were not used to covering stories that did not involve an M.D., unless it was to uncover some type of fraudulent practice.   Well times have certainly changed since then. From body work and acupuncture to nutritional supplements and yoga, more modalities are making the leap from the alternative to the mainstream.  Traditional hospitals now have wellness centers that cover a host of alternative modalities.  More physicians are melding traditional and complementary health care in their practices.

More than anything, the public’s thirst for knowledge about their healthcare has skyrocketed.  It can be confusing for an individual to understand which supplements and what modalities are best suited for them.  The press understands their readers, viewers and listeners are craving information on how they can best utilize complementary health care.  This time offers some amazing public relations opportunities.  If you can explain your field, discuss how it works, offer anecdotal stories and present yourself to the media as an expert in your field, you’ll be well positioned to ride this healthcare information wave.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

Filed under doctor pr, healthcare, Medical PR, medicine, PR Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

How to Get TV Exposure as a Doctor in 2011

November 15, 2010 3 Comments

The public learns about the medical and health-oriented topics via the media.  Being featured in the news offers physicians credibility validation and a chance to reach their potential patients and target market.  Coverage in print, radio and TV is also the most effective and powerful way for physicians to inform, educate.  With that in mind, on Wednesday, November 17th at 2:30 p.m. eastern time, I will be leading an ExecSense webinar entitled, How to Get TV Exposure as a Doctor in 2011.
The webinar examines the best tips and techniques used by doctors to get exposure on television and become a “source” for local/national TV stations. Take the 60 minutes to view this webinar (on your computer, mobile phone, iPod, iPad, Kindle or printed out) to understand how to position yourself in a way that will make you especially attractive to TV stations, how to approach them that you are interested and available to be an on-air personality regarding health topics in your area of expertise, and use this exposure to enhance your reputation and create a personal brand for yourself. For information visit: How to Get TV Exposure as a Doctor in 2011

Filed under doctor pr, healthcare, Medical PR, medicine Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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