A common misconception is that public representation – often referred to as PR – is a service tailored to the requirements of a celebrity or media personality. They need the help of professionals in order to stay in the spotlight and attract the headlines for all the right reasons.
However, this line of work is no different to any other when stripped to its bare bones. Celebrities still compete with each other for the big product endorsements and chat show appearances with the hope of moving from C to A list in the eyes of their target audience. Businesses across a number of industries and sectors hope to achieve the same thing, which is why they invest heavily in marketing to maintain or improve on their status.
Healthcare businesses, for example, are required to fight for their place in today’s competitive marketplace. Whether it’s a firm of doctors or a supplier of hospital equipment, these businesses need good PR to fend off the competition and maintain their brand image.
Professional agencies help healthcare firms to communicate while encouraging the public to recognise them as a market leader. In addition, healthcare PR is essential to medical businesses because..
It prevents controversy
No firm is perfect, although some are better at dealing with criticism and controversy than others. Nine times out of ten this is due to a good PR strategy.
Everyone must have heard of the saying ‘the best defence is a good offence’. This approach is exactly what healthcare businesses, celebrities and athletes need to stave off the critics. To earn the good will of the community, healthcare PR firms ensure their clients are remembered for the work they do. Then, should they come under attack, the business isn’t condemned by the public court of opinion over social media and other influential outlets.
Healthcare businesses need to install trust more than anyone and PR helps them do exactly that.
They can sustain a client base
When they’re not fending off an onslaught of criticism from the general public, healthcare PR agencies help businesses to create and maintain their client base.
Using tried and true techniques, PR firms thrust the name of the business into public view and ensure it stays there for the long-term. Clients aren’t all ‘consumers’ in this market, though. A company’s reputation with key journalists could receive a boost because their PR firm is presenting a consistent, professional image of their brand in the media. See, healthcare firms aren’t so different to celebrities after all!
It’s more cost efficient than other methods of advertising
Any healthcare business should recognise the hefty and increasing cost of advertising. Every single piece of promotional material must form part of a huge campaign nowadays, and settling for anything less will ultimately prove to be a waste of time, effort and resources. That’s where healthcare PR comes in.
Public relations campaigns span across numerous advertising channels and often prove to be a much more cost efficient way of conducting a promotional project. They get people talking about the brand by blogging, maintaining an active presence on social media and advertising both on and offline. Rather than risking it all by conducting their own campaigns, healthcare firms should find that PR companies are better equipped for promoting their brand.
Image courtesy of digital cat , Flickr.