Carmel-by-the-Sea wanted to attract more visitors and its agency Visit Carmel worked with the Abbi Agency to drive online web traffic and build awareness with key earned media placements.

The Abbi Agency, including team members Ashley Brune and Haley Gibbs, started by addressing CarmelCalifornia.com’s Domain Authority (DA) and investigating past media mentions to discover where opportunities exist to raise Carmel’s profile around travel, food, lifestyle and other media categories. The agency then sent pitches to targeted media outlets and journalists, conducted press trips in the fall with curated itineraries for a journalist’s beat, an online media room and press releases about seasonal events.

The agency secured 84 percent of earned media placements in digital outlets in the San Francisco Bay area, including Thrillist, The Sacramento Bee, The Santa Cruz Sentinel, East Bay Times and Mercury News, It earned higher DA scores than CarmelCalifornia.com, and at least one key message was represented in each of the 65 stories written about the city.

A 2.3% tax on medical devices as part of the Affordable Care Act was proven to have a detrimental effect on research, development and job growth—and its repeal was an important objective for the industry ahead of an expiring suspension of the tax in early 2020.

Schmidt Public Affairs was brought on by the Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance to create bipartisan support for repealing the tax by making the case to lawmakers that the tax hindered innovation and jobs in the medical device industry.

Tactics for the campaign came down to research and earned media efforts, taking advantage of national third-party voices, sharing patient stories to humanize the industry, and promoting key messages online through social media channels like Twitter.

The campaign resulted in 14 op-eds on local economic impact, 11 third-party op-eds in national, Hill and trade outlets, and more than 6 million impressions for the #RepealDeviceTax hashtag on social media—and  20-plus members of Congress tweeting about repealing the tax.

After ten years, Congress permanently repealed the medical device tax in the year-end spending package that passed on Dec. 20, 2019. Of special note, H.R. 2207, The Protect Medical Innovation Act of 2019, had 226 cosponsors.

In the summer of 2018, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan launched “A Healthier Michigan Podcast” as an extension of its blog to educate and inform listeners about better health practices. In each episode, host Chuck Gaidica and subject matter experts delve into topics around health, nutrition and fitness. Entering 2019, the goal was to increase traffic to the BCBS website, downloads of the podcast, and improve retention of listeners over the course of the podcast.

The team, including Brandon Burbank and Bridget Leahy, used a variety of tools to improve performance, including social media promotion, an e-newsletter, digital ads, cross platform promotion and more. In terms of content, the 2019 season of the show went from 18 episodes to 30 episodes, sourced topics through audience feedback research and increased accessibility through published transcripts and more.

Downloads in 2019 were just shy of tripling downloads in 2018 and weekly downloads grew by 39%. Pageviews grew by more than 10 times their previous totals for 2018 and measures of podcast retention were also improved.

To raise the profile of its clinical practice and health care expertise, Advent Health decided to join the conversation around big health care stories on social media. Through “rapid iteration,” ensuring a news story could be turned around on a trending topic in as little as 48 hours, subject matter experts from AdventHealth shared insight on a famous actor’s recent heat attack or an athlete’s knee injury, for example.

The pieces of content could then be directly targeted to users through their social media platform of choice. While other outlets might focus on the shock factor, AdventHealth was able to educate audiences and drive traffic back to its website. Some stories that performed particularly well include commentary on Jeopardy host Alex Trebek’s cancer journey and information around the late Luke Perry’s stroke.

More than 3.5 million consumers were reached through detailed interest targeting, and in excess of 136k people clicked back to the AdventHealth website and a total of 155 stories shared to Facebook and Instagram.

Sometimes a great media campaign starts with identifying a fortuitous situation. Rinck Advertising knew that its client, VetriScience, was poised for a lot of positive media attention if it stepped in and funded the medical costs (which it did) for a yellow lab named Lucky that needed surgery and was being fostered by a double amputee veteran, Christy Gardner. The feel-good story was the perfect opportunity for VetriScience to generate online buzz and goodwill for its brand.

The multichannel campaign incorporated digital media, social media, CSR, media relations, and influencer relations. After getting a broadcast exclusive with CBS Evening News, the team embedded the video of the campaign on its “Little Guy, BIG Mission” landing page. They also created and published “Pupdate” videos following Lucky though his procedure. A mix of 23 micro and macro lifestyle influencers were brought in to help amplify the message and organic content was published on social media channels.

The story ran as an exclusive on “The CBS Evening News” to a live audience of more than 12 million before grabbing more than 200 earned media placements. The VetriScience website saw as much as a 33% jump in traffic and posts from influencers had a potential reach of 34 million. Together, campaign pieces generated 500 million impressions and 1.5 million video views.

Peppercomm and Pirelli Tires had a simple goal: Educate the public on the need to use winter tires on a vehicle whenever the temperature drops below 44 degrees. Peppercomm developed a campaign that would go on to land top-tier coverage in outlets like The Washington Post and the Associated Press.

To get this coverage, Peppercomm devised a program that played on the “44 degree” threshold for cold weather tires: a fully-integrated campaign that would last for 44 days until it ended on the Winter Solstice. Throughout the effort, Pirelli Tires would share facts about winter weather tire care and driving in cold weather and a Pro Guide was pitched to media outlets that focused on myth-busting misconceptions about winter tire use.

The campaign was also supported by social media content crafted by Peppercomm and shared on Pirelli Tires’ social media channels and a special event with sportscar makers Pagani at Grand Central Station in New York City.

The results? A media hit with the Associated Press that was syndicated to 148 outlets including The Washington Post, placements in other outlets like Popular Science and AutoWeek for a total of 176 articles reaching more than 211 million unique visitors, and 74,000 social media impressions.

In April of 2019, The Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) community needed to educate suppliers about a new bidding system to get their offerings approved for the federal Medicare program. Schmidt Public Affairs was contracted for six months to drive industry professionals to a series of educational tools, secure attendance at two training summits and help create a unified brand for the initiative.

The agency team, including John Schmidt and Ellen Almond, turned to earned media, paid digital media and social media to achieve their goals. Earned media products were created to drive coverage, including press releases, opinion pieces and direct reporter outreach. On the paid side, the campaign sponsored newsletters and placed banner ads in online trade publications. Social media channels that belonged to participating organizations also helped amplify the message.

Over six months, tens of thousands of users downloaded and used the tools developed by the campaign, media coverage was placed in key trade magazines like HME Business and Homecare Magazine, and the hashtag #BidSmart2019 was successfully adopted by industry leaders on social media. Additionally, a media hit with the Associated Press that was syndicated to 148 outlets, including The Washington Post, and 74,000 social media impressions.

Even global companies must play by national rules.

Pharmaceuticals giant Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Australia component falls under that country’s strict social media constraints regarding the pharmaceutical industry. For example, under the Medicines Australia Code of Conduct, pharmaceutical companies cannot talk about specific treatments and must be vigilant about messaging being perceived as “promotional.”

Still, not having a social media presence is not a viable communication option, so it set out, in partnership with Palin Communications, to show BMSA’s human side, expertise and workplace culture.

The 2019 results, in part: 

• 97 posts shared via LinkedIn double that in 2018)
• Featured over 150 employees and over eight business teams in content
• 10,901 reactions, 437 comments and 254 shares
• 100% of content was code-compliant and aligned with content pillars
• 31% increase in Australian followers
• 648,700 impressions (157% increase over 2018)
• 22% average click-through rate (1.22 percentage points above industry average)
• Reach, engagement rate and follower increase exceeded BMS global results
• Eight trade media stories triggered by Bristol-Myers Squibb Australia’s LinkedIn posts

Not everyone goes holiday shopping over Thanksgiving weekend. Many stay home and figure out what to do with all those leftovers.

Maxwell PR cooked up an inspired campaign—dubbed Leftover Upgrade—for Pacific Foods.

The campaign motivated consumers to use Pacific Foods staples, such as chicken broth, to take their best shot at Leftover Upgrades such as Remarkably Rosemary Turkey Noodle Soup and Tantalizingly Tart Potato Waffles. Ads on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest featured classic Thanksgiving leftover foods with a clear call-to-action and a “Play for a chance to win!” bug. 

Launching one week prior to the holiday, it generated the following results over a two-week time frame:

• 95,000 video views
• 63,000 sweeps entries
• 46,000 e-news sign-ups
• 1 million social media impressions

Beyond that, the campaign received 33% more video completions than entries, suggesting many visitors returned to “play again.”

• Fans continue responding to traditional flavor profiles and savory comfort foods, making Thanksgiving an ideal timeframe for the brand; Remarkably Rosemary Turkey Noodle Soup was the result for 50% of total entries.
• More than seven in 10 entrants opted into Pacific eNews to receive recipe content and news (more than four times the goal).

The deluge of misinformation about health issues and preventive measures predate COVID-19.

Reported vaccination coverage—for measles, flu and other preventable illnesses—of young children remains high nationally, yet coverage varies by state.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases enlisted Porter Novelli, which launched a successful campaign called CDC NCIRD Instagram Story Q&As: Opening the Vaccine Dialogue. The campaign reached many modern, Instagram-savvy parents—younger consumers starting families.

Porter Novelli conducted Instagram Story Q&A sessions on the @CDCgov Instagram account. One addressed relevant questions parents had about childhood vaccination; the other focused on flu inoculation.

The Q&As reached thousands of CDC followers. Among the results:

• Childhood immunization: Published a total of 26 story frames, including an introduction, conclusion, and 22 responses to audience questions. 
• Flu: Published a total of 39 story frames, including an introduction, conclusion, and 35 responses to audience questions.
• Engaged audience: The childhood immunization Q&A received 125 questions and the flu Q&A received 104 questions. This direct line to the audience allowed both Porter Novelli and the CDC to respond questions in real time, as well as gain further insight into parents’ concerns and questions.

Home is what the influencers’ hearts are.

Porter Novelli worked with social media influencers to drive participation, awareness and donations, while also highlighting Habitat for Humanity’s corporate partners.

The campaign identified and courted three key groups: successful doers, worldly idealists and social influencers—all shown to be avid followers of online influencers in the home décor/lifestyle and DIY realms. It secured 339 social media posts from influencers across all channels, a 290% increase from 2018, including: 

• 34 total blog posts, generating 1 million potential impressions, a 142% increase from 2018
• 117 tweets, generating 6 million impressions
• 58 Facebook posts, garnering 2,000 engagements
• 110 Instagram posts and stories, earning 67,000 engagements

The campaign also achieved the following results:

• Recruited 49 influencers as brand ambassadors, realizing an increase of 23 influencers from 2018 campaign
• Garnered 71,000+ total campaign engagements from influencer posts, a 685% increase from 2018
• Partnered with 13 top-tier influencers to serve as on-the-ground reporters.
• Including all PR tactics, the campaign garnered 523.5 million organic impressions out of 579.1 million total impressions

Heart health begins with information—which in turn begins with knowing what you need to find out.

MDVIP’s Year of Cardiovascular Health put that idea into practice with a robust marketing campaign.  

The campaign’s primary tool, the Heart Attack IQ Survey, drove traffic to the MDVIP.com survey landing page, the homepage, and the Heart Attack IQ Quiz.

The campaign yielded these results:

• Member and physician engagement was strong with a 44% open rate, up from 39% in 2018.
• Member led 200+ cardiovascular health member events in 2019, a 100% increase.
• Physicians proactively looked for and treated disease with increased orders for more advanced cardiovascular lab panels.
• A newsletter survey showed 40% of members claimed more knowledge in 2019. 

The key to business and communication success: Know your audience.

Porter Novelli, with its Facebook Solar System Lead Generation Campaign for Panasonic Solar US, followed that formula, resulting in hundreds of sales leads for Panasonic.

In general, consumers aren’t knowledgeable about solar panels and battery storage, nor do they know their household energy consumption. Consumers focus on affordability and are likelier to buy premium solar packages based on return on investment.

Porter Novelli found that Facebook was most effective in reaching this audience with messaging that reinforced these points. It paired direct-response ads with educational, organic content, beating both cost per lead and total lead targets. The campaign entailed split-testing copy, image, message and targeting options to drive consistent, efficient connections with consumers.

The program surpassed its KPIs for the number of leads, cost per lead, impressions, engagements and link clicks. 

It’s important to see the big picture without forsaking the particulars.

Dunn Pellier Media was tasked with driving 1 billion impressions in total for the 2019 Wellness Your Way Festival (WYWF), a three-day health and wellness festival, co-founded by Kroger Co. and singer/songwriter Jewel. 

The attention to both the forest and the trees helped Dunn Pellier Media take home top honors for “Best Event Promotion” in PR Daily’s 2020 Digital Marketing & Social Media Awards.

Because wellness is a universal concern, Dunn Pellier Media emphasized the festival’s accessibility, inclusivity and affordability. It also highlighted—with emphasis geared to the media outlet—Jewel’s commitment to mindfulness, as well as her celebrity status and musicianship.

Overall, Dunn Pellier Media solidified 200 pieces of coverage with 1.51 billion online readership, 5.39 million estimated views overall, and 4.21 million reach on Instagram stories. Top press hits include Yahoo, In Touch, Life & Style, Buzzfeed, Extra, and Fox 31 Denver. (The 2019 event was held in Denver.)

Health concerns vary widely from family to family, from child to child.

That’s why Children’s Health took on a mammoth project, expanding from one general e-newsletter to 11 offerings.

The team set out to grow its email marketing program by creating 10 new clinical-specific, consumer-facing eNewsletters. The new, more specific newsletters include focuses on cancer and blood disorders; food allergies; diabetes and other endocrine-related matters; and mental health and substance abuse.

The newsletter’s objectives included:

• Increase awareness and reach of its clinical programs and expertise.
• Establish and deepen relationships with existing and potential patient families by providing personalized, relevant content about specific programs or conditions.
• Ensure that all emails are brand-comp­liant and meet best practices by setting up a standardized, system-wide email process.

The effort expanded the email consumer base by 46% in 2019, along with the following successes:

• Increased website traffic driven by email communications. Website sessions from email subscribers increased 69% year over year.
• Increased email engagement rates. With the addition of new digital newsletters, average engagement increased 47% year over year.
• Above-average open rates for consumer-facing email lists, the highest being the Food Allergy Community Times email, with an open rate of 43% (roughly double the health care industry average open rate).