25 Years, 25 Lessons: “Utility vs. futility .”
Be a true resource for the media. Offer them opportunities to connect with people they might not have otherwise known about or been able to reach. Find relevant and timely information you think would be useful to their work.
Be available at any time to help, even if – especially if – it’s not about your product or company.
25 Years, 25 Lessons: “Help them help you.”
Media relations means asking a reporter to cover the news you’re pitching. When you’re interacting with any journalist, make sure you’ve done your homework. Does your contact still cover the same beat as last year? What angle interests them? If she covers pharma, does she take a scientific approach or does she focus on business? If she prefers quoting a corporate spokesperson, is yours available and ready to talk? What about your medical expert? Your patient?
Have all of the relevant information – people, contacts, websites, data, numbers – ready to go.
After a quarter-century of operating in the health care industry, we’ve got the equivalent of libraries of knowledge on the inner workings of this business, and on how to effectively achieve our clients’ communications goals within it. In honor of MCS’ 25th anniversary, we’ve reflected upon and synthesized those years of experience and are pleased to announce the launch of a new series of blog posts, called “25 Years, 25 Lessons.” These weekly posts will run through the end of 2010, our silver anniversary year, revealing valuable tidbits on the best current practices in health care PR, and addressing timely topics, trends and issues relevant to the health care space.
Check out the first lesson below!
25 Years, 25 Lessons: “First come, first served.”
“First” is a word that always gets media attention.
“The first FDA-approved treatment…” “The first once-daily dosing…” “The first prescription medicine extracted from sea anemone…”
If you have a legitimate ‘first,’ use it in your first breath, in your headline, in your lead sentence, in your subject line.
First means new, and that’s three-quarters of the word “news.”
Judgement day is here! MCS’ own Sarah Morgan has been chosen to serve on the judges’ panel of the MM&M Awards, which are hosted annually by top health care industry publication Medical Marketing & Media. The MM&M Awards are one of the highest accolades in health care marketing, and are judged by an independent panel of seasoned industry veterans. Morgan, a seven-year MCS employee who is currently a Director of Client Services, is described as one of the panel’s “distinguished members of the twitterati,” in an article about the awards that ran in MM&M’s May issue. On July 12, Morgan will take a break from serving MCS’ clients to join the other MM&M Award judges at the Hotel Warwick in New York City, where they will spend the day scrutinizing the many entries the publication receives each year for the distinguished awards. The winners will be announced at a ceremony in November. You can follow Sarah on Twitter at @sarahmorgan
For the fifth consecutive year, MCS has been ranked in the top 20 on O’Dwyers’ annual list of independent healthcare PR firms across the U.S. In the 2010 edition of O’Dwyers, MCS is listed at number 11 out of a total of 80 healthcare agencies, its highest rank to date and more than a few steps up from last year’s number 17 ranking.
MCS is also ranked number 58 on the overall O’Dwyers list of agencies, out of a total of 133. Additionally, with $3.6 million in revenue, MCS reported a 15% fiscal growth from 2008 to 2009, an impressive feat when the average growth among agencies reporting to O’Dwyers last year was -1.6%.
“MCS’ outstanding performance on the O’Dwyers list this year reflects the merits of the agency overall and our commitment to consistently surpassing our clients’ expectations,” said Joe Boyd, CEO of MCS Healthcare Public Relations. “I am very proud that MCS has earned this distinction.”
O’Dwyers has provided the latest inside news pertaining to public relations and marketing communications nationwide since 1968.
MCS is located in Bedminster, NJ, less than 15 miles from eight of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies in the world.
MCS is pleased to announce three promotions in the month of April!
Eliot Harrison moves from Account Supervisor to Director of Client Services; Jennifer McGuire moves from Senior Account Executive to Account Supervisor; and Alanna Jamieson moves from Account Executive to Senior Account Executive.
“MCS places great emphasis on developing the skills of our staff with the goal of optimizing service to our clients,” said Joe Boyd, CEO of MCS Healthcare Public Relations. “As they take on increasing responsibilities in their new roles, Eliot, Jennifer and Alanna will continue to achieve our clients’ goals with the level of quality that MCS has provided for the past 25 years.”
MCS has teamed up with JMB Consulting to offer a unique new service for healthcare executives that incorporates investor, corporate and product communications support.
Today’s healthcare environment demands that executives communicate effectively to a variety of audiences. With a combined 85 years of pharmaceutical investor relations and product communications experience, we can provide solutions to some of the most critical communications issues. Are you prepared to deliver strategic messages that help generate a return on your investment?
MCS Healthcare Public Relations Launches New Strategic Communications Service for Health Care Executives
A Uniquely Integrated Approach to Executive Coaching That Offers Custom Solutions for Investor, Corporate and Product Communications Needs
BEDMINSTER, NJ, April 6, 2010 – MCS Healthcare Public Relations today announced that it has launched a new strategic communications training program for senior-level executives within the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. MCS has teamed up with investor relations pro Janet Barth of JMB Consulting to develop this uniquely integrated approach that offers custom solutions to investor, corporate and product communications needs.
The new MCS strategic communications program will provide solutions to some of the most critical issues that “C”-level executives face in today’s highly competitive market, including development and delivery of consistent messages that effectively engage and inform audiences ranging from the financial and medical communities to government and regulatory authorities.
Barth is a 19-year veteran of the pharmaceutical industry with extensive experience in all phases of corporate, financial and investor communications. In her most recent role as Vice President of Investor Relations at Schering-Plough Corporation, she led the company’s global investor relations program and partnered with the executive management team on all matters pertaining to the financial community up until its planned merger with Merck in November 2009. Barth has been a member of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) since 1996 and currently serves as president-elect of the Virtual Chapter, the second largest NIRI chapter.
“An integrated communications approach is so critical when an executive is seeking to attract financial capital, build and protect a corporate reputation or launch a new brand,” said Janet Barth, Principal, JMB Consulting. “Today’s health care environment demands that industry executives remain consistent, responsive and credible when addressing a variety of different audiences that are important to their company.”
The collaborative program between MCS and JMB Consulting represents a combined 85 years of investor relations and product communications experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Joining Barth from MCS are Jeff Hoyak, President; Todd Forte, Executive Vice President; and Carol Cartwright, Vice President.
“We are excited to have the opportunity to work with Janet, a highly respected industry expert in high-level communications,” said Jeff Hoyak, President, MCS Healthcare Public Relations. “Her solid background in pharmaceutical IR coupled with the MCS team’s expertise in corporate and product communications and media relations has resulted in a superb combination with the chemistry and capacity to produce a return on investment for executives who employ this new service.”
For more information about scheduling a customized session that fits your unique communications needs, contact Jeff Hoyak at (908) 234-9900 or jeffh@mcspr.com.
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About MCS Healthcare Public Relations
MCS is an independent, award-winning health care communications agency recognized for its strategic focus, creativity and knowledge of issues affecting the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Located in the heart of Somerset County, NJ, MCS is less than 15 miles from eight of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies in the world, and is within 40 miles of 33 of the top 50. For the last 25 years, MCS has worked with many of the world’s leading health care companies and has conducted public relations programs in virtually every therapeutic category. MCS is located in Bedminster, NJ. For more information, please visit www.mcspr.com.
About JMB Consulting
JMB Consulting tailors investor relations and communications programs to meet individual company needs, conducting both ongoing, full-service programs as well as strategic communications projects.
Sarah Morgan, Director of Client Services here at MCS, was recently featured in the publication Medical Marketing & Media in an article called “Will social networks produce ROI?”. Sarah was one of four industry experts on social media consulted for the article, which ran in MM&M’s January issue.
Her commentary offered insight on striking the perfect balance with one’s involvement in social media, maintaining perspective on this exploding new form of communication’s role in the larger picture, and giving due diligence to metrics in such a new media space.
Click here to read the entire article: http://www.mmm-online.com/will-social-networks-produce-roi/article/160453/
Due in large part to Sarah’s expertise, social media has become an increasingly important focus at MCS because, as she put it, “Social media is worth its weight in buzz.” Please keep in touch with MCS, on Linked In, Twitter, and Facebook!
For the 8th consecutive year, MCS is proudly providing PR support to Oral Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week (OHANCAW) on behalf of our client Head and Neck Cancer Alliance (HNCA), a national nonprofit group dedicated to the prevention, early detection and research of head and neck cancers. The HNCA is sponsoring the 13th annual OHANCAW nationwide April 12-18, 2010.
In addition to its primary mission of promoting awareness of head and neck cancer and providing free cancer screenings and other activities the HNCA is this year endeavoring to educate the public on a newly emerging risk factor associated with these cancers. Citing the now well-established link between oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and cancers of the tongue, throat and tonsils, the HNCA has expanded its list of at-risk populations for these cancers to include sexually active adults who engage in common sexual behaviors, such as open-mouth kissing and oral sex. Tobacco and alcohol use continue to be major risk factors for cancers of the oral cavity, head and neck.
More than 140 sites nationwide will offer free oral, head and neck cancer screenings to the public during OHANCAW 2010. More information about head and neck cancer, OHANCAW, the free screenings and other activities can be found at www.OHANCAW.com.
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