Conventional thinking says that for a public relations agency to successfully implement healthcare communications around the world it must have offices and staff in multiple locations to be effective in those markets.

The truth is, while the presence of these satellite offices seemed to provide assurance to clients that the job would be well executed, it was far from guaranteeing a positive outcome. Too often, all it guaranteed was a larger invoice.

In a global business economy connected by a range of modern communications technologies, that model is irrelevant.

What remains relevant? Success! Keep that in mind when choosing your partners.

Take a look at the rest of our health care PR tips from our “25 Years, 25 Lessons” series.

It was once possible to painstakingly gather facts and assemble a response, a time-consuming process that would enable the client to have a larger influence in a story. Today, though, a difference of seconds can mean losing the ability to be the source of factual information.

The crisis response must evolve to ensure that an accurate, meaningful perspective is communicated as rapidly as possible.

Two approaches make that possible.

A scenario approach permits a thoughtful, considered solution that can be delivered within time constraints. It requires considerable education ahead of time to fully understand the complexities behind the issues – the players, the science and the data.

A small decision-making group can be assembled and employed in several ways.  They can anticipate the obvious areas of concern and create the Standard Operating Procedure to address communications in each crisis: gathering information that would be necessary and creating templates to be used in communicating to every relevant constituency.

It’s not always possible to be in front of every story, especially in a crisis. But it is possible to address it transparently, accurately, productively and rapidly. Careful planning will get you there.

Take a look at the rest of our health care PR tips from our “25 Years, 25 Lessons” series.

In the time it’s taken you to get to this final page, someone has had an idea that will change your job in the next six months. You’ve gotten a dozen emails. And there are 20 new posts in your RSS reader.

It’s a fact of life – as the slogan says, “Life happens fast.”

Rather than let that panic you into a standstill, accept that information is not a measured drip into your inbox.

It’s a river, and you’re standing next to it. Look upstream and downstream. If you try to take it all in at once, you’ll drown. But if you can see what’s coming and where you’re going, you’ll stay in control and on top.

Take a look at the rest of our health care PR tips from our “25 Years, 25 Lessons” series.

In a time when communication occurs in short, brief, and rapid succession, stay away from lengthy and overly wordy emails. Find a way to say it in two sentences. If you’re interesting, you’ll get a chance to expand later.

Take a look at the rest of our health care PR tips from our “25 Years, 25 Lessons” series.

Never forget who your audience is.

When you’re communicating complex data, you must be able to be as technically adept as any professionals, but also able to boil the concept down to its elements for a novice audience.  And, you must always remember to which audience you’re speaking.

Using the right language to communicate to them will improve your audience’s understanding and engagement every time.

Take a look at the rest of our health care PR tips from our “25 Years, 25 Lessons” series.

Patients can be surprisingly willing to share their stories, especially when a therapy has made a dramatic and positive impact on their life. Communicating their struggles and triumphs puts a human face on the value of pharmaceuticals and is at the core of all we do in healthcare public relations.

Take a look at the rest of our health care PR tips from our “25 Years, 25 Lessons” series.

With a novel, you read 400 pages to get to the conclusion – but with a media interview, you must begin with the end.

Arm yourself with the single most important point you want them to take away. Then make every effort to incorporate that message into your response to the reporter’s first question – because there may not be a second question.  Use the entire interview as an opportunity to bridge back to that message whenever possible and relevant.

And when the journalist wraps the interview and asks: “Thanks, I have what I need, is there anything you care to add?” – don’t miss this opportunity to reiterate your key message one final time.

You want the last thing your interviewer hears, to be the first thing they remember.

Take a look at the rest of our health care PR tips from our “25 Years, 25 Lessons” series.

In the classic film “The Front Page”, reporter Jack Lemmon files a story about the execution of a criminal. His editor, Walter Matthau, asks if he included certain details. “Yes, it’s in the second paragraph,” replies Lemmon. The cantankerous Matthau barks, “Nobody reads the second paragraph!” 

This adage still holds true. When you issue a press release, make sure the key points that you want your audience to take away are in the headline and the first paragraph. Save the quotes and supporting details for the rest of the release. Especially in these times of 24/7 coverage, Google, search engine optimization and social media, the old rule still applies: make sure the bottom line is at the top.

Take a look at the rest of our health care PR tips from our “25 Years, 25 Lessons” series.

With social media becoming increasingly ingrained in everyday communications, there are plenty of consultants positioning themselves as experts. Unfortunately, you don’t need much to hang up your shingle as an expert. Check their credentials. Being active on a variety of social media platforms is admirable… but it might not give you all the help you need.

Do they lecture on the topic? Do they publish? Are they listed by others in the industry when naming people who know their stuff? What projects have they done, and what results have they gotten?

And once you’ve vetted them, make sure they’re not putting you into a panic unnecessarily. Social media is not the Wild West. It is not the Last Frontier.

Social media is communications. It’s talking to your target audience. It’s doing exactly what you’ve been doing, in some new arenas. So yes, it helps to have consultants who know the space and understand your goals. But if your “guru” is trying to tell you that it’s the biggest and scariest thing you’ve ever done – they might be trying to sell themselves instead of solutions.

Take a look at the rest of our health care PR tips from our “25 Years, 25 Lessons” series.

Don’t necessarily rely on the old standbys. Don’t necessarily jump for the newest and shiniest idea. Keep a broader perspective. Remember that what used to work still can, and what you haven’t tried yet certainly might – and most of all, remember that every situation, every announcement, every product, every day is different and requires more of you than a cookie-cutter approach!

Take a look at the rest of our health care PR tips from our “25 Years, 25 Lessons” series.