PMLIVE ARTICLE - PRACTICAL GUIDE: PUBLIC RELATIONS: PART 1 - 07 May 2004
Public relations is a powerful tool in the right hands, with the ability to reach where other promotional techniques cannot. Do you know all its secrets?
In the 30's, the Father of Spin, Edward Bernays, created one of the first healthcare PR campaigns; to sell more cigarettes to women. He did this by making cigarette smoking fashionable and by promoting the health benefits of smoking - staying slim.
It is reassuring to know that public relations has changed since those days and that healthcare PR is an industry well regulated by the ABPI and the Medicines Act. However, changing opinion and subsequent behaviour still remains our prime objective.
The Institute of Public Relations defines PR as: The application of a planned and sustained programme of communications between an organisation and those audiences essential to its success. This definition is also embraced by the Healthcare Communications Association (HCA) with two important additions: successful PR is about leveraging advocacy and must be underpinned by clear objectives and outcome criteria.
The simple definition of PR, however, is that it is about doing everything that advertising or direct promotion cannot.
Defining public relations
When considering buying a car, for example, few people would see an ad in the Sunday Times Magazine and rush out to buy one. However, there are a number of triggers that influence a decision to purchase a car. These could include:
- Test driving it
- Reading an editorial in the Sunday Times about cars
- Asking friends or colleagues if they like it/would recommend it
- Asking someone who already owns one what they think
- Searching the web for information and reviews
- Buying a copy of Top Gear magazine to read what Jeremy Clarkson has to say about it
- Watching Top Gear on the television and see what they think.
All of these environmental factors can be influenced by public relations and therefore influence the decision to purchase - or in healthcare PR terms, prescribe.
Medical education and PR
What constitutes PR, as opposed to medical education, is a commonly asked question and each time a different definition emerges. However, these definitions largely depend on the need for clients to apportion budgets appropriately and the consultancy's ability to be flexible to meet them.
In a nutshell, most PR consultancies also do a great deal of medical education work whereas in the med ed (or science) sector, consultancies tend to remain within their own very specialist area of expertise. At the end of the day, it is not the definition that is important - what matters is getting the most qualified and experienced company or person to deliver against the objectives for the brand.
In-house or outsource?
In-house teams vary from company to company, depending on their size and remit. While some co-ordinate the activities of outside suppliers and ensure everything is communicated effectively internally (often with responsibility for internal comms, issues management and corporate relations too), others are responsible for the PR strategy and even implementing the tactical plan.
The role tends to reflect how a company views its PR function - most commonly there is a corporate affairs department within which there are PR personnel who may be assigned to one or more brands. Some companies have PR personnel sitting in brand teams while others have no PR function at all and rely solely on the brand and marketing managers to source their PR.
The service offered by PR consultancies varies dramatically - each offering their own `unique' service and brand values. Whether they are large PR consultancies with a healthcare team or a specialist company, whether they have mainly UK or international experience, they key element is to choose the one right for you and your brand. Considerably more on this subject can be found in the Practical Guide to PR Consultancies.
PR in the marketing mix
PR is the most flexible part of the marketing mix - it enables you to reach your target audience with an exact message. In addition, it allows enhancement of advertising or brand message with extra information, third party endorsement and additional relevant data. As such, planning what you want your PR campaign to do is essential.
PR fits within the fourth 'P' of marketing - promotion, and into the Indirect Promotion category within that. While direct promotion e.g., advertising, field force, direct mail is delivered in a controlled way, Indirect promotion like PR is delivered via third parties that, in turn, promote discussion and provide opportunities for the target audience to hear messages via a route other than the manufacturer.
In order for PR to be genuinely effective, a common agenda must be found with third parties to encompass their own objectives.
What can PR achieve?
PR changes or enhances beliefs, opinion and behaviour. PR:
- Is a primary tool in educating audiences about disease areas. Rarely is much known about a disease until a treatment has been found and PR can create a positive environment for brand messages
- Can provide opportunities to hear about a brand's benefits from those who have benefited from them - whether it be a prescriber or patient/carer
- Can create influence that will, in turn, put a disease, brand or issue on the public or political agenda
- Can spark debate that will enable a brand to achieve a share of voice
- Is a critical element to issues management.
It is vital that healthcare communications are realistic - too often it is assumed that target audiences are receptive to your brand and your message and that they take action upon hearing or seeing your message. Before clear objectives can be set, it is critical to benchmark what the target audience already knows/thinks/believes. If you don't know your starting point, you can't know how far you have come - often resulting in PR being seen as immeasurable.
There is a checklist of questions to ask before embarking upon a PR programme (see box on page 3) but there are two key questions to ask first: What do you want the target audiences to do? and What is most likely to make them do it?
Defining audiences
One thing that keeps healthcare PR interesting is the ever-changing audience and recent NHS changes have once again seen new roles and remits and different objectives. We must always adapt to meet our audience's needs.
When providing a brief to in-house or consultancy teams, marketers too often provide target lists that contain everyone who has heard of the brand, let alone prescribed it! Ask yourself:
- If I influence this person, what can they do that will positively impact my brand?
- This audience may need to know about changes to the brand but will they care?
- How will they change their behaviour as a result of what I tell them?
Be specific
PR delivers best when the programme has been designed with a specific audience in mind and a specific outcome required. An agency can advise a marketing team or they can devise and implement an entire communications programme. The more information you provide to your PR team - in-house or consultancy - the better.
Planning a PR Campaign
There are many important elements to consider at the planning stage. These include:
- PR and/or medical education? The definition between the two is blurred but it is vital to be clear about your own definition and reflect this in the brief.
- Recommendations count. Talk to colleagues/contacts to determine which consultancies they like working with and why. Create a shortlist and invite them to meet for an informal discussion - see if their definition of PR matches yours.
- Don't waste anyone's time. A good consultancy wants to do excellent work for you but this is hard with one arm tied behind their backs. If you just want a media campaign, make sure your brief says so. State what elements of the programme are being conducted by other parties.
Five steps to PR success
Step one: Audit
- Assembly and analysis of existing data (market research, clinical, anecdotal)
- Commissioned research to identify issues and benchmark attitudes.
Step two: Objectives
- These should be taken from the marketing plan and should always be SMART.
Step three: Strategy and planning
- Identify how objectives should be met and decide which tactics will be used
- Determine what measures will be used to see if the objectives are achieved.
Step four: Measurement/evaluation
- Determine whether evaluation is to be continuous or at the programme's end
- Identify whether the programme is on track and likely to work - don't be afraid to change/adjust the campaign.
Step five: Results
- Establish whether the campaign reached its objectives
- What was learned along the way?
- Review the cost of the programme. Decide whether it was value for money
- Establish next steps.
How can PR be measured?
If you are unsure how to measure your campaign, a good guide is the Evaluation Toolkit published by the HCA in 2003 - a collaboration between industry and healthcare consultancies. A copy can be obtained by e-mailing croy@pmlive.com.
The Evaluation Toolkit is an easy-to-read guide to the five key steps of evaluation for a PR campaign with practical advice on how to carry it out. There is also a comprehensive Q&A section exploring why evaluation is important, plus answering frequently asked questions. There are also checklists and unsurprisingly, a feedback/evaluation form.
Setting effective objectives
Strategic objectives are designed so that everyone can broadly understand what the PR programme is trying to achieve and how. This strategic objective will be in line with the brand marketing plan.
Programme objectives
These comprise a series of project objectives which should always be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound). These MUST be applied before the programme or activity begins - failure to do so makes measurement impossible.
Communication strategy
Once the objectives for the campaign and a benchmark is agreed, a communication strategy can be developed. This will outline HOW these objectives will be reached.
Measurement
Determining whether the campaign has been effective can be done in three ways:
- Outputs. The measurement of tangible deliverables. It is a quantitative measurement and the simplest and most basic way to evaluate. For example, with media evaluation it could be what appeared in print and where; with an event it could be the number of key customers who attended; while with a mailing, a tangible measure could be the number of calls received on a freephone or the number of leaflets mailed out.
- Out-takes. This is the extent to which the audience was aware of the message, and whether they understood and remembered it. For example, evaluation forms at a meeting will determine what the attitudes were prior to the meeting; the percentage of attendees who understood and remembered key messages; or the percentage of attendees likely to change their prescribing as a result of the meeting.
- Outcomes. This is the most valuable measure as it determines whether the PR programme has changed behaviour. For example, an increase in prescribing and, therefore, sales; a change in treatment protocols or guidelines; or a perception change (either positive or less negative).
What PR can't do
PR cannot create data out of thin air
When creating a marketing platform for a product, it often falls to the PR professional to create a positive environment for that platform and ensure it is both credible and acceptable to the key audiences identified. However, it should be recognised that this cannot take the place of data to support the message and spokespeople who truly believe that message to be worthy of promotion.
PR cannot control the media
The media is just one of the vehicles used to disseminate messages. However, editorial does not operate in the same way as advertising. For example, you cannot book your editorial space and expect it to appear. It is up to your PR team to ensure that sufficient time is spent with editors to ensure they understand the relevance of the timing of your information; it is also your PR team who must ensure the information is accurate and received on time.
It is essential to work with a PR team that understands the way the media works and who knows the relevant editors well. However, this is where the relationship ends. A good editor will seek alternative views and independent endorsement of any data he has been sent thereby retaining credibility for the journal.
PR cannot control world events and competitor activities
Marketers must recognise, when working alongside PR professionals on a campaign that is seeking editorial support, that events happen every week. While planning can raise the probability of good coverage for your story, including checking world and local event timetables, world events are often not planned.
The death of a famous person, a tragic event or world disaster will effectively wipe out all other potential coverage during that time. The key is to plan a strategy that will allow your news to remain newsworthy.
Before you start ask...
- Will PR help me achieve my objectives?
- Have I set SMART objectives for each element of the campaign?
- How am I measuring success? What benchmark am I using?
- Have I defined the right target audience to give me a return on investment?
- What do I want my audience to do after the campaign? What action should they take?
- Are my goals realistic?
- What are my key messages? Does the data (and the KOLs) support them?
- Have I given the PR team a detailed brief and time to prepare the campaign?
- Am I providing all the relevant information to enable them to do their job?
- Have I involved all the relevant people (medical, market research, med-info)?
- Am I being brave enough?
10 points to consider
1. Do I need PR?
- What can PR achieve that I cannot achieve via other avenues?
- Have I truly defined the target audience? Will these people have an impact on the bottom line? Would they respond better to more direct forms of marketing?
- Who can help me put a PR plan in place? In-house or out-source?
Brand entry/launch
- Do I need endorsement for the brand? Do I need to build excitement/anticipation?
- How will our brand be accepted within the market?
- Who is going to convince our customers to prescribe it?
Reputation
- Do I know the strategic risks facing our brand?
- Who trusts our brand? Why? What if they don't?
- Who influences our brand's reputation? How? Why? Can we influence them?
Revitalisation
- Is our brand in need of a boost? Are we going to change our strategic direction?
- Do I have an opportunity to switch our customers' mindset?
Credibility
- How can I communicate our brands `reason to believe'?
- What substantiates our brand's claims? Why?
- Who validates our brand proposition? Do we have endorsement for our brand messages?
Education
- Could we say more than we currently do?
- Do we need to change opinion or expand mindsets about this disease area/brand?
- Do we have a new indication and do we therefore need to create a receptive market?
Differentiation
- Do we need to build the brand's values/personality?
- Does our brand stand out in its class? Why? Is our brand a `must have'?
- Can we make the brand more relevant by association? With whom/what?
2. Working with PR people
What is the job I want them to do? Do I want them to devise a strategy/programme based on their experience or to perform a function according to instruction?
The brief
- Have I set SMART objectives?
- Have I defined my audience? Do I know what they think i.e., have I set a benchmark?
- Have I provided all the information I can? Have I raided our market research files?
- Are our expectations realistic?
- What do I want people to do as a result of our campaign? What action should they take?
- Have I been honest about budgets and timings or have I pushed to see what I can get?
- Am I prepared to invest the time to make this truly work? Do I know what PR is?
The team
- How do I get a PR team in place?
- Do I like the team I am working with? If I do/don't, do I need to put it to pitch?
- Do they know the market? If not, how much time can I invest in getting them up to speed?
The relationship. Have I...
- Established a partnership with the PR team?
- Defined the objectives and established the programme?
- Developed financial ground rules?
- Signed a contract?
- Shared information?(sales force strategy, market research plans, market access, health outcomes, professional relations activities, clinical trials, the publications plan)
- Included consultancy staff in internal meetings? Organised inter-agency meetings?
- Arranged field visits for agency staff? Or in-consultancy training for the marketing team?
3. Programme preparation
- Have I done a proper brief for the consultancy/in-house team?
- Have I set specific objectives?
- Have I given them a realistic/true idea of what I want for the pitch?
- Have I given them an accurate idea of our REAL budget?
- Have I supplied extra information (market research, relevant parts of marketing plan)?
- Have I given them enough time to prepare?
- Have I given them enough time to present their ideas?
- Have I set clear criteria for the winning proposal?
4. Is this worth the investment?
- The data may be interesting to me, but will anyone else care?
- Can I truly support this brand proposition in the current market?
- Do I need to change current market perceptions or make our brand more interesting?
- Have I set aside enough money or am I expecting a £500k campaign for £50k?
5. Anticipation
- Have I anticipated my competitors? What will their response be to my approach?
- How close are we to our KOLs? Will they support us?
- How will the field force react to this campaign and do we need their help?
6. Is what I am planning achievable?
- Am I asking for miracles here?
- What other resources or information will I need to ensure a good job?
- Am I hoping that good PR can make up for poor data or a message that will not stand up?
- How am I going to react if it goes pear-shaped?
7. Global
- Is what I want to do in line with the global strategy or is there going to be a fight?
- Am I in tune with the global marketing and specifically PR activities?
8. Information dialogue
- Have I been open with my agency staff over potential issues or negative feedback?
- Am I making time for agency staff's queries to be answered?
- Am I being fair to them?
- How can I motivate them to do a good job?
- What is my role in the PR campaign?
9. Have I asked enough questions?
- Do I have a time plan for this campaign? Are the timings being met?
- Have I set budget parameters?
- How am I measuring performance and how often? What milestones am I going to set?
10. Evaluating success
- How am I going to know whether I have been successful?
- What am I measuring?
- Have I benchmarked where I am currently?
- When do I expect to see results?
- Who is evaluating the programme?
Final word
PR is an incredibly powerful marketing tool but you only get out what you put in. Share all information with your PR team, they can decide what is relevant. Keep them up to date with what is happening on the brand, make sure you tell them about any change in strategy and the reasoning behind it, and share market research plans with them - also allow them to include questions in the market research that can be used for benchmarking, evaluation or even as a news hook.
The key message is: don't buy a sophisticated satellite navigation system and use a compass... or buy a BMW and drive it like a Fiat Uno.
Author
Catherine Warne is the managing director of Red Door Communications. She can be contacted at cwarne@rdcomms.com
Kindly reproduced with permission from PMLive.com.
