In most cases, PR is best left to the professionals. There are many advantages to trusting a PR consulting firm to handle your publicity rather than trying to do it yourself.
But contrary to popular belief, hiring a PR professional doesn’t absolve you of your PR responsibilities. The companies with the most successful publicity campaigns are usually the ones that put in the effort to get a return on their investment.
One of my favorite success stories illustrating this point involves Middlesex Digestive Health & Endoscopy Center (i.e., Middlesex Digestive), a Massachusetts-based gastroenterology practice that Goodwin Consulting has worked with for the past three years.
The Client
Middlesex Digestive offers advanced, comprehensive GI patient care in a comfortable setting. They provide endoscopy and colonoscopy services right in their medical office, allowing patients to forgo the stressful experience of visiting a hospital for routine screenings. Their group comprises seven board-certified physicians who are experts in their respective specialties.
The PR Strategy
Savvy PR is all about taking advantage of opportunities, and there are plenty of opportunities to spotlight expert testimony regarding gastroenterological issues.
For instance, annual events like Celiac Awareness Month, Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, and Stomach Cancer Awareness Month are prime times to pitch articles to publications. There are also opportunities to newsjack current events (remember the antacid supply issues from a couple of years ago?) and tie into emerging trends such as the increasing prevalence of colon cancer among younger patients.
Middlesex Digestive stands out among its competitors because of the top-notch expertise each physician offers in their specific field. So my team and I wanted to find ways to spotlight each of them—in addition to the company’s founder, Dr. Raj Devarajan.
We leveraged our carefully developed relationships with Boston Magazine, Parade, and other local outlets to continuously highlight each physician’s knowledge. Our approach wouldn’t have been successful without the universal buy-in of Middlesex Digestive’s physicians, who made themselves available for interviews despite their hectic schedules.
We also considered the psychological barriers that can prevent patients from getting care, such as anxiety. One of Middlesex Digestive’s biggest differentiators is enabling patients to get colonoscopies and endoscopies without going to a hospital. Their medical office is a serene environment where patients can receive stress-free outpatient care.
We knew that highlighting the patient experience would be key to PR success. I even had my own colonoscopy videotaped as part of a strategy for showing patients that the procedure isn’t as scary as they imagine.
The Good Win: Media Hit after Media Hit
Here’s a quick list of the other big media hits we landed in partnership with Middlesex Digestive:
We’ve also secured coverage from several local and smaller publications.
If you’re ready to partner with a PR consulting firm that will work with you to elevate your publicity success, get in touch with us today!
