Headlines
Public relations tips, tactics and trends
Volume
Three, Number FourWelcome to Headlines, a free newsletter published by Polaris Public Relations with practical information about the PR industry. The power of the press If you’re trying to gain traction for an issue or cause, getting a foothold with a high profile media outlet is a compelling force that can often lead to swift and definitive action. A recent case in point that delivered remarkable results was the push to approve funding for Herceptin at the provincial level. Considered by many to be one of the biggest breakthroughs in the treatment of breast cancer, Herceptin has been used to improve the chances of survival for women whose breast cancer has spread. It’s been described by oncologists as a breakthrough because it can literally reverse a patient’s prognosis from poor to good. Clinical results demonstrate that 33 per cent of women receiving only chemotherapy had breast-cancer recurrence four years after diagnosis. With Herceptin, that rate fell to 15 per cent. The real story behind Herceptin is that the treatment is not new on the scene. In fact it has been in use in limited cases for six years and has long been approved by the federal government. Political wrangling and red tape at the provincial level had slowed approval for funding treatment. The floodgates opened in June of this year, when the media grabbed hold of the Herceptin story and began a relentless, high profile awareness campaign to push approvals. In June 8, a Globe and Mail article "A Case of Growing Impatience" appeared that focused on the lack of government funding for Herceptin. This article was the catalyst for a continuing barrage of stories that personalized the cause by featuring breast cancer victims unable to access treatment in Canada. By putting a human face on the issue—backed by solid statistical reporting that outlined government initiatives (or lack thereof)—the media was able to embarrass the various provincial governments into taking immediate action on an issue that had been languishing for years. The coverage included a number of elements that made it effective:
How effective was the coverage? On June 24—just two weeks after the first article—the Ontario government became the first to announce it was fast-tracking the drug approval process. Others quickly followed suit and by July 11, the matter had been pretty much addressed across the country (although new problems surfaced such as too few doctors able to test and treat the thousands of women who could be saved by the drug). The Herceptin case study is a sterling example of just how powerful the right word to the right person at the right media outlet can be. © 2005 Polaris Public Relations. All rights reserved. Shelley Pringle is principal at Polaris Public Relations, an associates-based PR agency that offers a full suite of communications services. She can be reached at 416.597.1518 or shelley@polarisprinc.com. 
|
If you need help in profiling an important issue or in drawing attention to a new product or service, just give us a call at 416.597.1518. We’d be pleased to discuss your needs and develop an affordable program for your organization. If you’d like to suggest a topic for a future newsletter, or have a comment on this one, email us at info@polarisprinc.com.
*Required information
|
