Questions You Should Ask When Looking To Hire A Healthcare PR Firm

Businesses that specialize in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, life sciences and medical devices often count on a public relations firm to help them refine their messages and to deliver them in a clear manner to audiences that may include patients, physicians, advocacy groups, investors, payors and key thought leaders. When medical companies are looking for the right PR agency, several factors should be considered.

There are many public relations companies from which to choose. Most provide a range of services, but really specialize in a just few things. Its important to understand your own needs and to focus your search on PR agencies that have matching areas of strength.

Another point for healthcare companies to consider is that the PR firm should be able to support any claims they make about their capabilities with a track record of work with medical companies. Medical PR is not the same thing as general public relations. It is a highly specialized discipline in which most agencies have little to no experience. Companies that are looking for a partner to present information about their therapies, products or research should look for a PR agency that has directly relevant experience and knowledge.

The PR company that represents your interests must have a thorough understanding of the particular regulatory guidelines that relate to your business. For firms that operate in the areas of biopharma, medical devices and pharmaceuticals, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a clear set of guidelines for marketing and advertising to which these companies must adhere. These guidelines are constantly evolving and a good PR firm will be up to date with these changes.

In addition, you should be sure to review case studies of successful campaigns that parallel the objectives your company is seeking to accomplish. Your area of expertise should be an area in which they also excel. For example, if your company is employing public relations as a tool in clinical trial recruitment, you should locate an agency that has prior experience in managing successful recruitment campaigns.

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.

Before engaging a firm, ask to meet the people who will actually be doing the work for you. Ask for their medical PR credentials and for examples of some of their past successes that may be relevant to your own situation.

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.