This week's Colleague to Colleague talks with Julie Wang, CEO and founder of Wang Associates, one of the nation's largest healthcare PR firms, based in New York City. Wang has a wide array of experience, ranging from healthcare advertising at American Home Products to fours years at Manning Selvage & Lee and Burson-Marsteller, gaining a reputation as a creative, results-oriented healthcare specialist. Wang Associates' clients include Hoffman-La Roche, Janssen Pharmaceutica and Pharmacia & Upjohn [PNU].
Finding new business is always on the minds of healthcare PR executives. What are your tips for bringing new clients?
The key is to stay in touch with whomever you have ever worked with in healthcare. You should network as much as possible and try to keep your finger on the pulse as much as possible. For example, if you are interested in the Alzheimer's business you should work with thought-leaders in that arena. You may even want to do pro-bono work for a non-profit organization in order to network and get more industry perspective. You want to do whatever possible to get a first class proposal out.
What is your one golden rule?
Don't be afraid to turn down business. You need to know your strengths and weaknesses as a PR firm. There are three kinds of clients out there -- A clients, B clients and C clients. A clients are the ones that you absolutely love and you want to solicit. B clients you would like as well but you are not as keen; for example, you might not have the same rapport. C clients are ones that you would have no problems declining. You may not respect them, they may not pay their bills, their people may be abusive to your staff --whatever the case may be --you don't want their business.
But most agencies frown upon turning business away...
We as agencies can and should choose our clients just as they choose us. Of course it is a risk; if you turn them down you could potentially say goodbye to their business forever. In the early days, [Wang Associates] went after everything because we were flattered to be asked but it could hurt your reputation as an agency when an AP reporter calls and you take him down the garden path.
Sometimes new clients have little loyalty to the firm. What can you do to keep new clients?
When you take on A or B clients -- eat, sleep and breathe about their industries. Do your homework. Read all industry publications before sending out a press release, know the annual report, know the product line. You build business by having enthusiasm about your clients. It is the passion that you bring to the table that will win you results. Another way to keep clients is to produce results as quickly as possible because your clients need to prove to their bosses that they made the right choice.
That does not always mean getting immediate media delivery but it could be as simple as getting thought leaders to support the product or originating patient focus groups.
What are some ways to get your staff more involved or dedicated?
It goes back to picking and choosing the right clients. At Wang, we just do healthcare and we keep our staff involved and interested by picking great clients. You may not want to take on totally traditional clients if they restrict your staff. Find your style, and always come up with new and different ideas. You shouldn't have to be afraid of showing up with something off the wall because that is part of our job.
What are some untouched markets for healthcare PR?
Right now the nutritional field is very big. There are all kinds of alternative medicines that crossover from health to the environment. NIH has an alternative medicine department and consumers spend more out of pocket on non-traditional approaches than they do on conventional medicine. Diagnostic medical equipment is another big field. (Julie Wang, 212/685-1900)