Identifying the right PR firm to represent your company

Many medical device, pharmaceutical, biopharma, and life science companies choose to call on the expertise of a healthcare or medical public relations agency to help them develop and drive their key messages out to key constituencies, including physicians, patients, investors, payors, advocacy groups and influential clinical thought leaders. What factors should medical companies consider in evaluating and selecting a public relations agency to represent them?

First, healthcare companies must decide whether their requirements match the expertise and offerings of the healthcare PR firm. While there are many agencies to choose from, there are no two agencies that have the same capabilities or that provide exactly the same services. As a result, companies must identify what goals they need to achieve and find a firm that can deliver clear results.

Its also critical to investigate a firms record of success with other medical companies. Medical PR is a highly specialized field”knowledge gained working with other industries isnt a strong substitute for direct experience in healthcare. Its essential to find a firm with experience in your area. A public relations firm that focuses its efforts within disciplines that are relevant to you is likely a better choice than a more generalized agency.

For example, there is a code of conduct that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) maintains with regard to marketing and advertising practices for pharmaceutical, biopharma and medical device products. When you choose a PR agency, you must find one that has a clear understanding of the FDAs evolving guidelines because that knowledge may have a substantial impact on your business. Make sure that the agency also possesses a thorough understanding of the regulatory processes that apply to the products and services your company develops and markets.

Additionally, companies should seek to find an agency that has successfully developed and executed PR campaigns that are similar to what you are seeking to accomplish. For example, if you are exploring the use of public relations as a tool in clinical trial recruitment, then find an agency that has run recruitment campaigns before. The same would apply to items like announcing important scientific data or meeting a key regulatory milestone. Have each agency you are reviewing show you examples, or case studies, of previous successful campaigns in these arenas.

The people who are actually working on your account are also vital. While there is usually some benefit from working with an agency that has a broad, collective expertise in healthcare public relations, ultimately it is the people who are working with you on your account that will have the most direct bearing on your success or failure.

Identifying the right PR firm to represent your company will involve meeting these people and discussing your objectives and measurements of success. Ask for their medical credentials and accounts of their prior achievements that are relevant to your situation. Understanding their capabilities and level of experience will ultimately help you make the right decision for your business.

Another item that all healthcare companies now need to perform due diligence on is the agencys capabilities and performance in newer, non-traditional forms of public relations, including what is broadly defined today as social media. Traditional media outlets such as newspapers, magazines, television and radio are all built on advertising revenue models that have been hard hit by the economic downturn. Increasingly, healthcare companies have been turning to emerging, online techniques to connect with clinicians, patients and advocacy groups. In this ever-changing environment, it is critical that the PR agency be on top of these trends and have relevant experience in conducting campaigns of this type.