Back in 1968, Stanley Kubrick's film masterpiece, 2001: A Space Odyssey, made us look at the universe from a completely different perspective. Now, with 2001 almost
here, it's time for healthcare communications professionals to take a fresh look at our universe, which has changed in ways that were unimaginable just a few years ago.
It truly is a watershed time for healthcare PR. Healthcare communications have grown at unprecedented rates for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the passion of
its practitioners. We are not here by accident; we are do-gooders who love to do business. We enjoy helping people get healthy while meeting our clients' bottom lines.
But that's not the only reason it has never been more exciting to be a healthcare communications professional. There are several converging forces that seem to be moving our
specialty to the very center of the business communications universe, including:
- innovation in the healthcare industry, and in life sciences overall;
- an aging population that is obsessed with vitality and health; and
- technology that is changing the way we communicate almost on a daily basis.
Harnessing the Web's Reach
In this fast-changing universe, PR of the 21st century is no longer an option. The Internet has dramatically altered the landscape of the entire healthcare sector and the
marketplace is still evolving. In this new world, one driven by a hunger for information, the Internet offers speed, customization and links to third parties that expand the reach
of health messages to key influencers.
Ironically it is news Web sites -- rather than print, radio, or television -- that often are first to break news stories. This makes sense when you consider that 33% of regular
Internet users spend less time reading newspapers than before and 60% have reduced their television viewing time.
If change equals opportunity, then in the Internet Age, healthcare PR has the opportunity to surpass advertising in driving healthcare communications. On the Internet, content
is king, and the most successful content will build relationships and community. Companies value PR for doing just that: drawing people to Web sites that contain the content we've
developed.
We can utilize the Internet to create news, pitch news, and also intervene in the news creation process, averting potential crises before they happen.
PR also can attract users to Web sites through marketing. For example, the Acuvue campaign reminded contact lens wearers to send "Eye-Mail" to friends who still wear glasses.
And, we can link to the Web sites of third-party experts, adding credibility to our messages and providing additional information for consumers.
When Worlds Collide
As the Internet has ascended in its power and influence, the pharmaceutical industry has emerged as an online marketing trailblazer, with years of steady investment in
research, solid organizational structure and customer-savvy leadership.
This industry continues to reinvest unprecedented profits into R&D, spawning a legion of blockbuster drugs that have changed the way we think about our health and the role
of medicines. But pharmaceutical manufacturers stand in stark contrast to their counterparts online like hi-tech companies that are rewriting time-honored marketing practices and
defining their image through speed, daring, and innovation. The worlds are on a collision course.
What does this mean for healthcare PR professionals in today's Internet-driven marketplace? It means we must use our expertise to convince these strange bedfellows to become
mates for life.
In an increasingly hi-tech, global healthcare environment, our clients count on us to navigate, innovate, communicate, and build relationships with their customers. They rely
on us to boldly go where no PR program has gone before, and time is of the essence.
The good news is that it can be done. We have used the Internet to help expedite valuable relationships for clients through diversity marketing, community outreach, third-party
advocacy and patient advocacy.
In the next HPRMN issue, I'll discuss how companies from Schering-Plough to Pfizer have benefited from these interactive PR initiatives.
Nancy Turett is president of Edelman Health. She can be reached at 212/704-8195 or [email protected].
E-Health Factoids
For more perspective on the impact of online health informaton, consider these recent findings from Cyber Dialogue's Health Practice:
- 53% of online health seekers use the Internet for health purposes at least once a month, 24% go online for health info at least once a week.
- 6.9 million online adults are caregivers to people with chronic conditions.
- 9.6 million adults seek women's health content online.