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Tag: media relations

What will 2019 look like for health care PR?

Written by Sharon Reis on . Posted in Firm Culture.

In looking toward the year ahead, there are many ways—known and unknown—that the public relations world will be changing and evolving. As health care PR professionals, it’s vital to the success of our clients that we find new ways to overcome challenges and stay on top of the important trends in our field. Here are few that have caught my attention recently:

  • Smart technology is emerging as a hot PR tool for 2019. Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant are changing the way many people are working—even some surgeons in the operating room! —and these devices have great potential to effect how communications experts reach our target audiences. It’s definitely an area of great excitement for the coming year.
  • Earned media and a well-written news release are alive and well. I remember two years ago one of my esteemed colleagues in the industry said to me: “You still do earned media?” implying it was long since dead and fully replaced by digital. Fact is, the news media’s power continues to grow, and news releases remain essential for communicating complex scientific or policy information in a thorough yet concise way.
  • More boards are valuing what PR can do for their organization’s national profile. More and more CEOs and their leadership teams are being encouraged, if not mandated, to raise their industry profile and demonstrate expertise in their field. PR’s role in building thought-leadership has never been stronger.

While there is much to be excited about, a few challenges remain to be overcome for health care PR agencies.

  • The RFP process is problematic and time-consuming. Our industry needs to figure out a better way to use our time and yet still produce high-quality proposals for potential clients to review and make thoughtful decisions.
  • Hiring continues to be tough. More and more, we are interviewing potential team members who seem to be able to do only one thing for clients. For younger applicants, that tends to be digital, while more seasoned professionals have an expertise in writing. We are doing our entire industry a disservice by not teaching and growing the next generation to have mastery in all aspects of strategic communications. Knowing how to use all the tools in your health care PR toolbox is critical for success, especially if you work for a PR or communications agency.
  • The ability to manage your time is more essential than ever before. Harvard Business Review just published an entire issue on time management. A couple articles: “Make time for the work that matters” and “Are you spending your time the right way?” were particularly insightful because they remind us that, while we might not be in control of our day, we are in charge of how we run through our to-do lists. The issue is must-read for every agency person who likes New Year’s resolutions and strives to be more efficient and effective.

I am particularly excited about the prospects for 2019. PR is thriving and its value is growing. We’ll find new ways to deal with old challenges, and we’ll inevitably be faced with new challenges that will demand more hard work and creativity, which can mean growth opportunities for both people and organizations. Buckle up for an unpredictable ride!

Three Secrets to Successful Media Pitches

Written by Beth Casteel on . Posted in Building Credibility.

It’s easy to see why some communications professionals dread the task of pitching ideas to the media. Reporters can be brusk and impatient and often ignore emails, especially when they’re caught on deadline or being pressed to cover a story that’s clearly not in their wheelhouse. The PR pros who love pitching have a secret: they understand the journalist’s point of view.

The Reis Group has a strong record of getting media coverage that builds credibility for clients by finding that sweet spot between the story that’s good for our client and intriguing to the reporter. When I’m reaching out to media, I find it helpful to remember what it was like earlier in my career as an Associated Press writer to be barraged by unsolicited PR emails and phone calls.

Next time you’re reaching out to reporters, consider these three essential elements to successful media relations:

Target the Right Reporters

Just because a reporter is listed in a media contact database as covering “health” or “tourism,” that doesn’t mean they are interested in a story idea about a health-focused vacation locale. Consider media databases a starting place for building your outreach list. Sending the same pitch to hundreds of reporters who turn up in a search may seem like a good idea since it may reach a lot of journalists; but pitching stories that are irrelevant to most of the reporters on a massive list will only alienate you from the reporter who might be just the right match your next story. Take time to exclude reporters who obviously are not a good fit, then look even closer at names and outlets that remain. A quick online search of the reporter’s name and outlet will give you a sampling of what they’ve covered in the past and provide insights into what and how to pitch them. You can find reporters not in the contact database search by searching for articles on the topic and taking a moment to make sure the idea will be a good fit. Just because a city hall reporter wrote once about an education-related app mentioned at a school board meeting on her beat, doesn’t mean she would write about the homework helper app developed by a client.

Make Subject Lines Clear and Compelling

For any email communication, subject lines are key to getting your email opened. If sending a pitch by email, write a good subject line first. When you’re done drafting the email, look at the subject line again. The subject should be short and compelling. It doesn’t have to tell the whole story. Get the active verbs and engaging ideas into the first few words of the subject line. “Long Company Name is Pleased to Announce…” may get your company or client’s name in there first, but it doesn’t give the reporter a reason to open it. Reporters and editors skim their inboxes looking for good story ideas, and their eyes glaze over when they receive press releases and emails with that same headline and lead multiple times a day.

Keep the Pitch Short and Tailored

Journalists’ most common complaint about public relations professionals is that their pitches seem to indicate they don’t know anything about the reporter or the outlet. As you research reporters and create concise and relevant media lists, make note of each reporter’s specific beat and readership, and tailor the pitch accordingly. Pick out the angle that best fits the reporter and briefly say why you think they would be interested. A few well-written, well-targeted pitches are more likely to get results than mass mailings to reporters who would never write on your topic. When we do our job well, reporters see us as valuable sources and eagerly open emails from public relations professionals who have helped them identify and put together stories that are relevant to their audiences.

With a little imagination and some research, media pitching can be fun and productive for you and the journalist. Take some time to identify the right reporters, to create a compelling subject line, and to tailor the pitch so reporters can quickly see the relevance.

Make News: Using Survey Data to Generate Media Attention

Written by Lauren Musiol on . Posted in Promoting Science.

To pique the interest of reporters and generate media coverage, you must have information that is timely, relevant, and new. Commissioning a public opinion survey is a great way to generate media interest and increase awareness of a specific issue; however, it’s important to keep a few things in mind as you build your communications strategy.

Choose the type of survey that’s right for you.

There are lots of options for commissioning a survey, but the best path to choose will depend largely on your budget and desired scope. We typically recommend two types of surveys for our clients. One is a large-scale, personalized analysis developed specifically for your organization, and containing only the questions you’ve drafted. This type of survey gives you free range to ask a wide variety of questions and then develop unique crosstabs to generate as much interesting information as possible. These surveys are typically used to build an entire campaign strategy. The other type is an omnibus survey in which you are billed based on the number of questions you submit. Your questions will be included as part of a larger survey (involving multiple clients) that is conducted typically on a weekly basis. This approach offers a more cost-effective method for organizations on a tighter budget, and is best for smaller-scale outreach efforts.

Outline your dream headline.

When developing your survey questions, it’s important to go into the process with clear goals and a dream headline. You must ensure your questions are free of bias, while also carefully planning out each question to figure out how the responses might generate the message you want. This is an important step to ensure your survey’s newsworthiness, and will help you anticipate what findings you might plan to pitch to the media.

Ensure the survey is nationally representative.

To ensure the data from your survey is as impactful as possible, it’s imperative that it is nationally representative. Working with a credible research firm can help you achieve this. On average, you must poll at least 1,000 adults to ensure a nationally representative sample. This is a key factor that reporters look for when assessing the newsworthiness and validity of survey data.

Packaging results is key.

It’s not enough to just issue a press release with your survey data. You need to provide reporters with a full suite of collateral materials. Consider developing a report that puts the issue into context, highlights key polling data, and shares expert commentary. Also, consider developing social media posts and/or an infographic to visually convey key data points. Having a full package of materials available will help reporters better understand and accurately highlight the survey findings.

In the changing media environment, you need to be able to make your own news. Based on our experience, we at The Reis Group can help you brainstorm and execute your survey strategy, and generate attention about your issue and build credibility for your organization.

What Can PR Pros Expect in 2018?

Written by Sharon Reis on . Posted in Firm Culture.

To learn more about how the changing national political environment is affecting workloads and to understand how communications experts are preparing for 2018, The Reis Group surveyed members of the Public Relations Society of America, and we are eager to share what we found.

2017 emerged as the year when communications professionals were asked to do more, sometimes a lot more. Just over one-third of PR professionals reported an increased workload and approximately one in 10 said their workload is in a constant state of change because of the political environment. No one said their workload has decreased.

Many were asked to provide ROI projections to justify the investment of time and resources by leadership and subject-matter experts. These findings lead us to believe that our jobs are becoming more challenging, and not necessarily more appreciated–unless we can justify our value.

The current environment is affecting how PR people expect to spend their time in 2018. The top three growth areas are predicted to be social media, messaging, and issues management, followed by thought-leadership, consumer education, and research.

Time spent on earned media, advocacy, and branding is expected to decline in the coming year. This is surprising and brings into question whether the growing competition for share of voice in the media and among policymakers is partly to blame. It’s becoming increasingly challenging to stand out in the roller-coaster perpetual-news cycle.

PR people are worried about the economy, and for varying reasons. One exec alluded to the surging economy driving up demand for communications services. Others voiced concerns about a possible looming recession and the reduction of federal monies that fund health care campaigns and their communications budgets.

Many of these changes are to be expected, so being asked to do more with fewer resources isn’t a new challenge for our field. However, what we are tasked to do on a day-to-day basis is changing, and PR pros need to be ready for this.

If 2017 was a year of increased workload, then 2018 will be the year of figuring out how to stay “present” on a range of communications channels and document the impact you are having for the organization. If you can’t measure it, you probably shouldn’t do it.

Some content for this blog was adapted from an article published in October 2017 edition of O’Dwyer’s.

newspapers

Long Live the MSM!

Written by Peter Perl on . Posted in Promoting Science, Building Credibility.

The conventional wisdom of the digital age long ago declared that nobody really pays attention anymore to the mainstream media…that mainstream media had become irrelevant…that the MSM was dead!

But as the great Mark Twain said after a newspaper erroneously reported that he had died while touring Europe: “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”

The Washington Post and The New York Times, in particular, have broken story after story after amazing story about the unprecedented historic events, the serious threats to democracy, and the downright bewildering weirdness of American politics and government in 2017.

I will here confess my bias: I spent 33 rewarding years as a reporter, magazine writer, and editor at The Post, retiring as Assistant Managing Editor in 2013 at a time when it seemed that conventional journalism was on life support. I sadly helped preside over an unprecedented shrinkage in The Post newsroom from roughly 800 people to less than 600, drastically diminishing our ambitions and abilities.

But America has once again become a news-hungry nation, and the MSM—at least the leading news outlets—have risen to the occasion by producing what my onetime boss, Bob Woodward, called “Holy Sh-t!” stories. I was proud to have written and edited some of those amazing stories over the years, and I am greatly encouraged to see The Post regain its greatness in the field and adopt a new motto: Democracy Dies in Darkness. There’s a message here for communications professionals:

If you have a story worth telling, don’t give up on working with the MSM.

  • Learn how to improve your technique in trying to pitch stories there,
  • Closely observe which reporters and editors are involved in your primary subject areas,
  • And take note of how they operate.

Modern-day journalists are inundated with information and totally overloaded with demands to instantly turn complex stories into 140-word shorthand summaries. Usually, they just don’t have time for your stories or your op-eds. So you need to constantly sharpen your thinking about what is really new and potentially interesting to mainstream readers, and how to craft your approach.

Today’s top journalists do not want or need to be spoon-fed. They are energetic and aggressive, and they need only to become intrigued by new ideas or new data to propel them to produce eye-opening stories.

Media Relations Fundamentals

Written by Hieu Nguyen on . Posted in Promoting Science.

Even in today’s unprecedented news environment, media relations is still about the fundamentals.

Since January 20 (and arguably since November 8), it’s been impossible to predict the topic du jour of the news cycle because of what’s been coming out of Washington, D.C. This uncertainty has some health care communicators wondering how best to approach media relations.

But I was recently listening to Mary Agnes Carey of Kaiser Health News and Mark Zdechlik of Minnesota Public Radio News on a webinar hosted by the Alliance for Health Reform about the latest on efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. What they shared reinforced something for me:

media relations is still about the fundamentals.

Tweet: Media relations is still about the fundamentals. https://ctt.ec/g6e2_+No matter the environment, there are basic things that reporters will always need to tell their stories.

  • Personal stories help make the connection. Whether it’s covering repeal and replace of the Affordable Care Act, or it’s the latest on immigration reform, reporters want to put a human face to these developments. Offer a conversation with someone who gained insurance coverage through the ACA, but now may lose it. Identify a person whose parent is stranded because of travel restrictions.
  • Data can support the story. Your organization can be a resource to reporters as they look for information to flesh out their stories. How will a policy change impact the number of people insured? Will the number of people visiting your clinic go up or down? How will your organization’s bottom line be affected if your state no longer has access to Medicaid expansion?
  • Timely and relevant is important. One thing this news environment can guarantee us is that your topic – whether it’s health care reform, drug pricing, or jobs – is all fair game to be in the spotlight next. So be prepared to pitch at a moment’s notice.

Inauguration Day was not that long ago, but I think the news environment of the past couple of weeks is only a preview of what the next four years will have in store.

Get ready for some turbulent times, and good luck!

Broadcast Prep: Getting Your Organization Ready

Written by Sharon Reis on . Posted in Elevating Reputations.

Recently, our firm had the privilege of working with some high-profile scientific clients to film two ambitious documentaries and a substantial evening broadcast feature story. Doing so reminded me just how much preparation goes into these earned media story formats and how much time the client needs to allocate before the film crew, producers and reporter descend upon the organization.

Below are five key things to keep in mind next time a TV crew plans to visit your client for a broadcast story.

Prepare for a very long day.

I truly admire the passion and commitment the television crews bring to their jobs: Arriving at the crack of dawn to set up equipment, put up lighting, arrange the room, test the sound, and get everything just right–long before the reporter conducting the interview even appears on the scene. As the media point person, that means that you too will need to arrive very early, even before the crack of dawn, to make sure that building security has been alerted, the elevator is working, and all the other logistics are pre-arranged.

Bring something to work on.

You will face several hours of down time while the setting up and tearing down of equipment takes place. The actual filming of the interview is fascinating, but will take up only a small fraction of your time.

Put out an all-points bulletin.

People do not react well to having their work space overtaken, their furniture moved, and their normally quiet work areas disrupted by noise and major distractions. You must give them ample warning. Be sure to alert all the staff who are located anywhere close to where the crew will be setting up, and where the actual shoot will be taking place, and even near the room where equipment will be stored. If possible, share a detailed itinerary so your colleagues know when and where the filming will take place and who might be wandering the halls.

Schedule extra time for your spokesperson. 

Unlike a print interview that can be conducted rather quickly and over multiple meetings, broadcast interviews are usually done in one visit and also include shooting B-roll and recording other visuals. Schedule extra time on the calendar before and after the interview to ensure your spokesperson isn’t rushed to finish the conversation and run to another meeting.

Food helps.

Finally, having plenty of snacks and drinks isn’t actually required, but it sure goes a long way in maintaining energy, patience, and good will for both the broadcast team and your colleagues.

 

5 Tips to Building a Strong Media Monitoring Methodology

Written by Jean-Paul Horrigan on . Posted in Positioning Issues and Brands.

Content is everywhere. It’s printed, uploaded, and broadcast through a vast array of media on a daily if not hourly basis.  So how are you ensuring that your media monitoring program is getting through the noise and capturing everything? Follow these five tips for maintaining a methodical approach to news and social media monitoring.

Tip 1: Develop Keywords.

Brainstorm a targeted list of keywords relevant to your client. At The Reis Group, when choosing keywords, we’re mindful of the domain in which our content might be found. Periodically review what you have captured and attempt to identify any emerging trends in coverage. You may find that your brand is mentioned in ways your keywords might not cover. Further refining of what you capture could help you find relevant media.

Tip 2: Prioritize Capturing Types of Media.

Determine the types of media that are important and prioritize how you spend your time capturing content. For example, a client may care more about articles published in online and print sources over blogs. Knowing which type of content you’re after is critical to efficient monitoring.

Tip 3: Use a Media Monitoring Suite.

Once you have your keywords and know what types of media your client values, you can choose a media monitoring suite to help capture articles. Mention, one of many suites, can categorize content by its source. Choose to view content from news sites or blogs, social media posts on Twitter and Facebook, videos, and more.

Tip 4: Track your Key Messages.

Feedly and other media monitoring tools are great resources for finding relevant articles. But what they don’t always help with is capturing metrics such as tone, or key spokespersons, and messages. To counteract this, establish a list of variables (like the above three) by which you will evaluate content. Evaluating this data will contribute to in-depth reporting and help measure the client’s impact.

Tip 5: Create An Integrative, Comprehensive Strategy.

Screening articles can be time-consuming, and studies have shown that readers can miss between 30% and 40% of keywords. This has caused many PR professionals to rely on media monitoring suites. However, it is not enough to rely on these systems alone. You will want to create redundancies. Set Google Alerts for your keywords. Double check that your media monitoring suite is capturing everything. Get in the habit of completing a periodic search, outside of your media monitoring suite and Google Alerts.

By following these five steps, you’re well on your way to creating a comprehensive media monitoring strategy that is optimized for your client’s PR needs.

Five Tips for Being Pitch Perfect

Written by Tamara Moore on . Posted in Building Credibility.

Below is an excerpt of an article originally published on PR News. Read the full article on PR News.

Great stories—about medical breakthroughs, heroic acts by children, emerging infectious diseases—are relegated to the trash bin, while “Grumpy Cat” is featured on national evening news. There are plenty of reasons this happens. Newsrooms are shrinking. Reporters are more harried since they are asked to write, blog, tweet, appear on video, among other duties. Brand priorities change and resources are limited. But most likely the problem lies in the execution of the pitch.

It is easy to understand why many organizations shy away from media relations in favor of brand journalism to tell their story, instead of seeking earned media to share this information. While these can be complementary approaches, a strong media footprint brings with it independent third-party validation. As such, news articles often are viewed as more trusted and can have more influence than advertising, social media or some forms of brand journalism.

An inPowered study found that reviews and articles from third-party websites and blogs improved consumer familiarity nearly 90% more than owned channels, such as websites or social media platforms.

Master the Pitch

Media relations is part storytelling and part selling, but for an in-touch profession, PR relies on surprisingly few tools to get the job done: namely, email, social media and phone calls. Any pitch needs to be capable of attracting a journalist’s eye in 15 words or fewer, regardless of the type of outlet. With smartphones and social media, brevity is key to media relations, but it doesn’t replace the need for carefully crafted, well timed pitches. Initiating and nurturing strong relationships with journalists and securing earned media coverage remain crucial in the age of social media and mobile technology. Since many journalists evaluate pitches on their smartphones, a lot are deleted with a simple swipe immediately after the subject line and a short excerpt are skimmed. Some tips:

  1. In email pitches, the subject line is most crucial. Subject lines should be descriptive and to-the-point, avoiding hyperbole or buzzwords. The pitch itself can go into more detail, but should remain focused and easily skimmed.
  2. Pitches must compel and offer multiple angles. Why should the journalist, and their readers, care? Why now? Add context; it can demonstrate how the pitch fits within a topically broader trend, inspiring the reporter to consider how to use the information. Providing multiple potential angles for the reporter’s work adds value to the pitch.
  3. Forecasting an ideal news environment can add immediacy to your pitch. Understanding and planning for these eventualities, such as major industry meetings, legislative calendars or even seasonal events, can help avoid releasing your news at the wrong time and succeed in securing coverage at the perfect time.
  4. Timing also means understanding publication schedules of the outlets that you pitch. While most media outlets have a digital presence, many newspapers, trade or broadcast stations look to publish longer, well-researched pieces in their flagship publications. Planning by you is critical here.
  5. Ask. And do it clearly. The end goal is maximum media coverage, but that’s not where to start the conversation. Do you want the reporter to learn more about your issue? Spend 30 minutes to meet with your organization’s leadership? Attend a briefing? It’s easy to get caught up in crafting a beautiful narrative that places your issue in the center of the world, but never actually gets to the point of why you’re writing, calling or tweeting.

The chasm between journalists and PR professionals will continue to grow. Consider this: the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that by 2024, the PR profession will grow 6% from 208,030 professionals, while the pool of journalists will shrink 9% from 54,400. It’s essential to hone the art of pitching to break through the noise of competing interests and achieve earned coverage.

Read the full article on PR News.