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Physicians: The New Celebrities

Written by: Katherine Rothman

Article Overview: Look who is on the phone with their PR Person

Physicians: The New Celebrities

When most people envision public relations, they think of publicists at fashion shows with headsets or handlers shielding overzealous fans from their celebrity clients on the red carpet. A sector of pr many are unfamiliar with is medical public relations. In ever increasing numbers, physicians nationwide are engaging publicists to craft their image and splash their names on the pages of prestigious publications, television programs, and radio. Physicians who hire public relations firms are typically those in elective medicine whose practices are in areas teeming with competition.

In recent years, savvy physicians have sought this method of practice promotion in lieu of advertising. Much of it stemmed from a response to this nation’s insurance crisis. Many physicians were disconcerted that HMOs were dictating patient care. They sought a patient population that would be willing to pay more for a higher level of care. What makes public relations valuable to a practice is that unlike advertising, it is seen as a second party endorsement and does not translate as biased. The potential patient feels that the media’s endorsement of a physician certifies him/her as being first rate. At this point, some physicians have become synonymous with their subspecialty and veritable stars.

How does representing a physician client differ from other areas of public relations?
What are some of the inherent challenges?
Unlike those who represent celebrity clients, physicians are not a known entity to the media when they engage a pr firm. They also do not generate their own news such as a Grammy win, world tour, or a hit TV series. When a firm is representing a physician, they must develop carefully crafted stories related to a sub-specialty that will be of mass interest to a general audience. To do so effectively requires a good degree of medical knowledge to devise press release topics and convert the medical jargon into lay speak. It is easiest for a publicist to promote a physician when they have invented a new procedure, cured a disease or ailment, or when they can cite celebrity patients. Medical publicist cannot count on having this ammunition for a pr campaign. In areas of medicine such as cosmetic dentistry, dermatology, and plastic surgery, most physicians are performing the same procedures. New developments may only occur sporadically throughout a given year. The onus is on the publicist to fashion a new spin on what may be an old topic by giving the press release a timely spin by linking the story with a season, trend, holiday or celebrity angle. Instead of the story being deemed “evergreen” by the media and filed for future use, it gives the media a reason to use that idea immediately.

Unlike celebrity clients who are accustomed to interacting with the media, physicians often need to be coached. When left to their own devices they might speak to a press person in a manner that is too clinical. They might also have their own agenda and stray from the topic which can irk a writer who is on deadline. The publicist must teach the client to give “good soundbites.” Many physicians are used to advertising and they need to understand that a concept that makes good ad copy does not necessarily mean good pr material.

While every publicist knows it is a coup to secure prestigious coverage such as CNN or one of the morning news programs, doing so can prove even more difficult with physician clients. If the media is going to cover a medical procedure, they inevitably want to film the surgery and interview the doctor as well as the patient and follow up with the post-operative results. Not only must that physician have that surgery scheduled with the confines of a news teams shooting schedule, they must also have a patient who is a good subject and will appear on camera. Many people are hesitant to tell their friends they are having plastic surgery, imaging the challenge of finding a patient who will admit it on TV in front of millions! It is very difficult for the pr firm to see a media placement fall by the wayside because the physician cannot find a suitable patient willing to participate. For those who represent medical clients, it is wise before going with a particular story angle, to confirm that the physician client has all of the components in place to see it to fruition.

Just as the PRSA sets standards and practices for this industry, medical doctors have their own governing boards to they are beholden to. A pr firm must have some comprehension of the various codes of ethics their physicians must adhere to. If the firm breaches these ethics by means of questionable promotion, they can compromise a physician’s good standing with their respective associations and with their peers. There is a much smaller margin of error that can be permissible on the part of the publicist when representing a physician. The old adage, “any publicity is good publicity as long as they spell your name right” does not apply in this case. While a celebrity can rise from the depths of scandal, a physician embroiled in a negative situation will sink. Therefore, a publicist must always assess risk versus reward when placing a client in what could be a controversial situation.

What do physicians hope to gain from a pr campaign? Some approach a pr effort with lofty goals that may not always be attainable, while others have more realistic expectations. There are some who will not be satisfied unless they have appeared on “Oprah” or made New York Magazine’s annual list of Best Doctors. Luckily, many others realize that other media coverage generated with consistency over a period of time will ultimately benefit their practice. A publicist must manage expectations before a pr campaign has begun by stressing that the benefits of medical pr are extremely cumulative and that a physician will not become an overnight sensation as is common in Hollywood. It is wise to take a physician through the course of a pr campaign explaining the difference between long and short leads as well as asking a client for a wish list of target media. Having this discussion before engaging a physician prevents negative ramifications.

While medical pr may not be the sector of choice for everyone entering the field, for those who thrive in it, this niche can prove to be an excellent training ground teaching creative brainstorming skills, media relations, as well as how to tailor a press release for a specific editorial bent while affording first hand knowledge of medical developments from around the world. Publicist beware: Do your job too effectively and your physician clients just might become addicted to their newfound fame.

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Article Tags: celebrity clients, fashion shows, headsets, insurance crisis, mass interest, medical jargon, medical knowledge, medical public relations, own news, patient population, pr firm, practice promotion, prestigious publications, public relations firms, publicist, publicists, red carpet, s endorsement, subspecialty, television programs



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