It is always impressive to pull new ideas out of your healthcare PR bag of tricks. But don't lose sight of some classic seasoned elements of a marketing communications action plan that can leverage your initiatives.
Creating an advisory board for a client's product or brand, for instance, is a strategic move that can build backbone for your program.
From vitamins to cancer drugs, the right team of people can provide essential brand-credibility, enhance positioning efforts, and provide reputable corporate support. Product messages and claims resonate the loudest when you have access to the expertise of a group of leaders who live and breathe the subject.
Before creating an advisory board be sure to have the internal support of your client's medical experts before you finalize the membership.
Once you have an internal green light, start to research potential candidates. Find out what other advisory boards your candidates sit on, or if they have previous experience.
When you contact these candidates, let them know about your client's goals. Most often, clients will expect ongoing advice on marketing strategies and publications. Right from the start, let the advisory board know what their responsibilities will be as well as the length of their tenure.
Selecting 'Top Brass' Members
Use a multidisciplinary approach to select board members. For example, if you are launching a pain reliever, specially positioned for muscle soreness, you may want to create a panel that is comprised of orthopedic physicians, rheumatologists, physical therapists, fitness trainers, and consumer advocates. These diverse experts will feed on each other's ideas.
Keep in mind that most board members will prefer to meet with others who are on their same professional level. In terms of communicating with an agency or client, these experts will want to speak with an equivalent executive.
Don't place too many members on the board - more than five and less than 10, is a good rule to follow. Try to have demographic diversity whenever possible.
Nominate a chairperson and co-chairperson: Every board needs a person that can lead meetings and settle potential disputes. There should be a clear understanding and willingness on the part of the chairperson to assume these roles.
What To Keep 'Top of Mind'
The main goal of an advisory board is to establish and leverage credibility - impacting professionals as well as other audiences. In addition, an advisory board also can be used for tangible purposes.
These industry experts can advise you on the right research and how the competition perceives the company and client's product.
If your advisory board members sit on the editorial board of a journal, they can help publish your data.
They also are ideal spokespeople for interviews and quotes for press releases and articles.
And, as the front runners in their field, advisory board members can ensure the accuracy of your information prior to campaign launches.
Advisory board meetings can take place as often as you want them to, but about two to three times per year is the norm. You don't have to be at a table to have a successful meeting, take advantage of new technology, such as video teleconferences and e-mail. Keep in mind that an advisory board is a living, breathing body. The more that they are involved and consulted, the more they will consider themselves as an active group of counselors.
As an agency, your job is to develop an agenda, record the minutes, and provide facilitation. Everyone likes to see results, including the advisory board members and the client. Therefore, be prepared to take next steps based on the outcome of the meeting.
Also, expect ideas that may take you away from your original communications goal. This is a necessary part of acknowledging their leadership and areas of expertise.
While advisory boards accomplish many goals, keep in mind that what they do best is advise. Your advisory board has a depth of knowledge that you cannot find anywhere else. This knowledge is not only in the therapeutic area of a product and the science surrounding it, but also includes evaluating how their peers are likely to react to the product positioning. Members can ensure that their peers will receive the targeted messages that affect all phases of the communications campaign.
Nancy Turret is president of the healthcare & consumer division of Edelman Public Relations Worldwide. She can be reached at 212-704-8195 or [email protected].
Contributing author Nick May is the global sector head for healthcare in Europe and Asia Pacific for Edelman Public Relations Worldwide.