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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

PR: Healthcare’s #1 Educational Marketing Tool

October 28, 2010 1 Comment


Although most physicians and health care practitioners understand that a strong public relations outreach is the backbone of any effective medical marketing campaign, there are still those that misunderstand the process.   The thought of actively marketing still terrifies some in the medical field.  It is difficult for those to understand that an effective public relations or media relations campaign is not only an integral part of a successful practice it is the most effective educational tool available.

A PR campaign is not just about marketing, it’s also about informing and educating.  The media is how most of the public learns about medical breakthroughs and health-oriented stories.  Whether it be CNN, the New York Times, Time magazine, the Wall Street Journal or the Today Show, it is via the media that people learn about the latest in cardiovascular or diabetes treatments, the newest medical tests, or the most recent health-oriented breakthroughs.

Today, savvy hospitals and physicians view public relations as an integral component of their business strategy.  But many still have to come to terms with the process. It’s not enough to simply hire a public relations firm; it’s important to work with them, a change in attitude and outlook is required.  For example, when it comes to communicating, doctors are used to presenting scientific data to their peers. They are trained to think in terms of studies and statistics, whereas the public and media both understand and respond more favorably to anecdotal stories.

When speaking to the media, physicians have to effectively communicate.  They can’t talk solely using the jargon of their particular field, since this makes for a very insular form of communication. This not only applies to physicians and health professionals.  All business professionals can benefit from learning to speak the public’s language and honing their ability to communicate, but those in the medical field can perhaps benefit the most.

An intelligent, effective media campaign educates and informs the media and the public. Used effectively, P.R. can usher in new concepts and perspectives, and shape the ideas of a community and a nation.  To reach that end, physicians need to view themselves as educators. After all, we live in the information age and no profession, field or practice can avoid its effects. Professionals who understand the process and actively utilize the media to not only promote their practices but also to inform and educate are the ones who will succeed.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2010

 

Filed under Media, medicine, news Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Effectively Marketing Medicine

October 22, 2010 1 Comment

Those involved in the fields of health and medicine, perhaps more than any other professionals, can benefit from a targeted, strategic public relations campaign.  The trust and validation factors are never so important than when people are searching for a physician, medical center or hospital.

Most people first learn about a new medical breakthrough, treatment or modality via the media and when the public sees a physician being interviewed on TV or in a magazine or newspaper, tat physician gains immediate credibility.  No ad can produce that effect, neither can a direct mail piece or even the most professionally build website.  The media offers validation and credibility unlike any other form of communication.

People trust the media because they know the news is a vetted process.  Either an editor or a producer has checked on the story.  They are disinterested third parties whose job is to report news.  Their reporting is therefore seen as credible.

Utilizing media relations as a way to market a new medical procedure, hospital, medical center is critical to the success of all health and medical practices.  Public relations remains the sole way to communicate with the public, reach a target market and achieve the validation and credibility of being featured in the news.
Medical Public Relations is also incredibly important because often the first time a patient hears about a new procedure or drug it’s from the media.  Today, savvy hospitals and physicians view public relations as an integral component of their business strategy.

Considering the fact that information control and distribution will be the currency of the new millennium, learning to effectively manage one’s image and message now has to be viewed as basic Business 101.

But not only can an effective medical PR campaign reach the public and bring in patients, it can also save lives.  Often the only way that a patient in need of a new treatment learns about it is on TV, or in the newspaper, that fact makes this particular type of marketing outreach particularly effective – and important.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

Filed under health pr, marketing medicine, medicine Tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,

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