John M. Grohol, Psy.D., CEO, Founder, Editor-n-Chief, Psych Central
Gene Ostrovsky, Senior Editor, Medgadget
Ed Silverman, Editor, Pharmalot
Sandra Yin, Senior Editor, FierceHealthcare
Here are a couple of key takeaways for healthcare PR folk on how to get your product or company into a story on one of their sites:
Share what you’ve got: There are more product and company placement opportunities in digital media, say these influencers, than traditional media. So give them useful information and communicate in real time, as they live 24/7 lives. Include links to your sources and companies, so they can post them for interested readers who want more information.
Make it relevant for today: Talk about actionable information that has news value now, not hypothetical or academic studies that might impact us in five or ten years.
We are not shy in the Well-Being Group at MMC, so when Kimberly-Clark’s Poise brand posed the challenge of de-stigmatizing light bladder leakage (LBL), we didn’t think twice.
LBL is probably the last women’s health taboo, and it’s more common than you would think. One in three women of all ages and life stages experience LBL, but many women are too embarrassed to talk about it. Interestingly, focus groups conducted by K-C showed that although women were first reluctant to admit experiencing LBL, once the conversation was started among several women, they couldn’t stop talking! One of the other observations from the groups was that humor truly opened the dialogue around this often uncomfortable topic and women were relieved to hear they weren’t alone.
Drawing from these insights, MMC worked with K-C and their digital and advertising agencies to spark a national dialogue about LBL using a light and humorous approach. The integrated campaign, “1 in 3 like me,” included new advertising and the launch of a Web site about LBL that establishes how common it is and helps women embrace the issue and solutions. The brand also enlisted Whoopi Goldberg to star in a candid Webisode series that would make women laugh and open up about LBL. Go to www.1in3likeme.com to check them out.
MMC launched the campaign with a dynamic consumer event in NYC where women were invited to watch Whoopi unveil the Webisodes, learn more about LBL and be among the first to start the conversation! The next day, Whoopi, along with the founder of Women’s Health Foundation, Missy Lavender, continued the conversation on The View.
Despite a snow storm on the day of the event (even Whoopi was snowed in but we Skyped her into the event), the campaign is off to a great start! Until now, light bladder leakage has received very little media attention, with most press avoiding the topic altogether. As a result of our work, outlets including People, More and Parents covered the campaign and trade press has touted Kimberly-Clark as a marketing force in AdAge and MediaPost. And this is only the beginning!
Attendees at the event told us that after watching the Webisodes and being around other women with LBL, they felt more comfortable discussing it. The View’s discussion boards have been buzzing with conversation and women have been calling K-C’s consumer hotline just to say thank you.
Although we faced quite a challenge when we developed this program, we couldn’t be more excited by the results and the conversations that we see taking place. Of course, our work doesn’t stop here. We’re now busy preparing for 1,000 parties nationwide with House Party™, taking place on April 10, where women will have the chance to continue this important discussion (and laugh a lot!) with their friends.
What’s the next conversation MMC Well-Being should start?
I was having a hard time getting into the holiday spirit this year. Not in a Scrooge or Grinch-like way, but I just wasn’t feeling it. I put up a Christmas tree in my apartment two weeks ago (if it qualifies, it’s three ft tall and lives on our kitchen table), enjoyed MMC’s fabulous holiday party last week and was listening to holiday music on repeat, but something was missing. I had hardly started my holiday shopping list, took no joy in trying to figure out what to buy my father or his girlfriend for Christmas and was at a loss when asked what I wanted. I knew Christmas (and MMC’s Gift Week) was right around the corner, but it didn’t quite feel like the season to me yet.
Saturday, I was at Bryant Park, finally making a dent in my Christmas list when the first flakes of the season’s first snowstorm began to fall. Suddenly the park, and New York City, was magical. Despite the cold, I chose to walk home so I could pass by Macy’s and through Herald Square in the snow. Although it doesn’t stick in the city like it does in my hometown in Massachusetts, there’s something inherently beautiful about the first snowfall that covers Manhattan. That day, I returned home to enjoy hot chocolate with my roommates by the soft glow of our baby Christmas tree and it finally felt like the holidays. The snow had kicked my holiday spirit into high gear.
Though, I will admit I found myself cursing the snow as I tried to (gracefully) leap inches deep puddles of slush when I ventured out to finish my holiday shopping on Sunday. My holiday spirit also began to wane when I was caught in the flurry right before Macy’s evacuated due to a fire. Nevertheless, I find myself truly looking forward to heading to Massachusetts to celebrate the holidays with family and old friends.
How did you get into the holiday spirit this year?
After my brief trip to Germany in February, my thirst for travel was not quite satiated, so a good friend and I decided to plan a true vacation. We booked flights to Prague, and left the rest to figure out later.
A week before our trip, I felt woefully unprepared. We had booked our hotels, having decided to make a mid-week trip to Vienna for two nights and return to Prague for our flight home. Being in PR, my instincts urged me to develop a “Vacation Binder” with an itinerary and key information. Instead, I printed the flight/hotel information and several emails from friends with their personal recommendations for things to see and do, packed a light duffle bag and decided to go with the flow.
Going with the flow worked well for us. Our week began on a high note with a surprise upgrade to business class and continued to run smoothly. Armed with a borrowed book on the Czech Republic and a copy of The Prague Post, we set out to explore. We saw the standard sights (Old Town Square) the unfortunately-under-much-construction Charles Bridge, Prague Castle) as well as some unexpected gems (historic Vyehrad, beautiful gardens by the castle, a rainbow over the city).
After two and half days in Prague, we were off to Vienna. Guided by an email and a very helpful tourist map, we successfully saw several of Vienna’s key sights in less than two days. The highlights for me were the whimsical Hundertwasser House and Prater, where I took a ride on a ferris wheel for the very first time (I kid you not).
When it came time to fly home, though we would have been happy to continue exploring Europe, we both felt ready to move on from Prague and Vienna. I actually found myself missing New York!
Now it’s time to plot my next trip . suggestions anyone?
When you start your first Real Adult Job, it’s easy to forget all of the things you want to do in life aside from your career. I’m not talking about marriage and children and becoming a homeowner, but what you find on those 100 Things To Do Before You Die lists (y’know what I’m talking about – go sky diving, climb a mountain, embarrass yourself at karaoke and not care, etc.). If you asked me to make a list, the top is probably to See the World. Endowed with an insatiable thirst for travel thanks to two semesters abroad, there are barely any places I wouldn’t go.
So, when an opportunity to quite literally whisk off to Germany for a weekend presented itself, I had to make it happen. The flight was nonstop and cheap. I had the 2 ½ days I would need off from work approved and booked my ticket on January 16 for President’s Day weekend. Why not, right?
So, I went to Germany. No, I didn’t see the Berlin Wall. I didn’t go to Oktoberfest. But my experience was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I met wonderful people who were gracious enough to give me a glimpse into their lives and homes. I learned about their hopes and dreams and where and who they want to be. In a society often dominated by individualism, that’s rare.
I was reminded that at the end of the day, we’re all made of the same fabric. We’re all a myriad of thoughts, experiences and dreams. Our careers are beautiful and enriching, but our experiences beyond the office are also vital. As PR professionals, one of our missions is to help the brands we represent make emotional connections with their audiences. How can we do that for our clients if we don’t in our personal lives?
