Smart technologies—from iPhones to wearables to electronic health record and scheduling systems, to the use of 3D printing—are changing the way health professionals and consumers imagine accessing and applying health innovation. While the age of biomedical innovation was matched with the rise of health PR, health-tech requires very different thinking and skills—both cultural and tactical.
Biomedical PR is a long-range positioning effort. From concept to commercialization—particularly with specialty drugs—moving a therapy from bench to bedside can take years and years. Those who build careers as pharma-focused PR pros understand this arduous journey of drug approval. Upon regulatory approval, the payoff can be dramatic economically and world-altering for patients and their families. Healthcare innovation saves lives. There is no better purpose to one’s work.
In many ways high tech PR is a short-term game. With health apps introduced daily, the timeline from concept to commercially available product is far shorter than that of pharma—perhaps the shortest of all PR disciplines. While there has been much written about the “second-mover advantage,” no brand actually chooses to be second-to-market in the tech world, so companies work quickly.
Given the high stakes of winning this short game, technology PR can sometimes be an exercise in shouting loudly from the rooftops and hoping for the best exit strategy to appear. Of course, mature technology brands are more sophisticated in their approaches, and can build momentum methodically. For the world of high tech startups, however, it is often a matter of holding on tight, blitzing the media and seeing what happens.
Different Approaches And cultures: Healthcare PR VS High Tech PR
Healthcare PR and high tech PR represent significantly different approaches to our craft: slow and steady versus quick and loud. What happens when you put them together? When you have a company that is a technology innovator focused on the healthcare market?
There is a cultural nuance that drives expectations and approach. Agencies must move quickly (as this is the tech world) and also understand how the world of healthcare involves drawing upon data and patient experience to convey the delicate nature of developing a product that can save lives.
To that end, here are five recommendations to keep in mind when working with fast-moving startups in the health-tech space:
1. If venture-backed, the name of the game is the exit. For some, helping a company build a strong case for exit-oriented value is sufficient reward. For others, seeing the product actually help people is key to their satisfaction.
2. As PR pros, we must determine a comfortable level—and patience—working with a company, knowing we may not see things through to commercialization. Given how high the stakes are, the blitz concept that works so well with high tech startups is not as straightforward with health-tech startups. The Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory bodies frown upon promises that are not proven clinically and part of the use label. While hyping a high tech startup is seen as a plus, hyping a healthcare startup can result in a regulatory delay from which the company might never recover.
3. The trades are still the trades, but many influential publications may not be attainable, and certainly not on a tight timeline. Key health journals often demand peer-reviewed content, even concerning technology. It’s best for PR people to simply sidestep these outlets and focus on hospital-, nursing- and pharmacy-focused trade media. At the very least, such coverage will be valuable for the company’s website, digital footprint, social media feeds and sales/partnership development efforts.
4. It’s still all about the message. What often grabs the attention of the key audiences is a sharp, compelling message. That’s the same with healthcare startups. Avoid simply relying on the “gee, whiz” element of technology to win the day. The impact must be spelled out and emphasized repeatedly.
5. The budget is a startup budget, not a healthcare budget. One day, MedTech Company X may be worth billions, but for now, the budget is, shall we say, conservative. So you have to ask yourself those key questions that we all ask about every client:
- Do I believe this product can change/impact the world?
- Can I get the company the results it expects within the budget it’s giving me?
If the answer to either of these is no, it’s probably best to stay away. For those who enjoy working with health-tech start-ups, keep in mind these companies have the life-changing ability to improve care, compliance and medical-discipline cooperation. For PR pros who like the steady, thoughtful pace of pharma PR, or the blinding pace of high tech PR, and aren’t able to synthesize the two, it may be best to think twice before jumping ahead.
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