Wanda Engages Amendola Communications for Public Relations and Content Creation

Amendola Communications, a nationally recognized, award-winning public relations, content creation and marketing firm specializing in healthcare and health information technology (HIT), is pleased to announce that San Francisco-based Wanda has selected Amendola for public relations and content creation services.

“We had excellent results working with Jodi and the Amendola team while I was at CareInSync, making it an easy decision to select Amendola for Wanda’s PR and content creation needs,” said Steve Curd, CEO of Wanda. “The Amendola team’s healthcare and technology experience is deep and they’ve developed strong relationships with the media and analyst communities. I’m confident that Amendola is the right partner to help us advance our mission to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of care, and the quality of life for people with chronic conditions.”

Wanda provides a digital health platform that connects the consumer and the clinical care team in a virtual network, intelligently collects critical vital and symptom information, and applies proven machine learning analytics to deliver ongoing risk analysis and decision support. Individuals are equipped to take better care of themselves and clinicians are able to more efficiently engage with those consumers when they need the most assistance maintaining a high quality of life at home.

“When Amendola is selected by a former customer, I view it as the ultimate compliment and a testament to the outstanding talent of our team,” said Jodi Amendola, CEO of Amendola. “We are excited to work with Steve and the Wanda management team as they work to help caregivers deliver better health outcomes and overcome the financial and human costs of managing chronic disease.”

With the shift to value-based medicine, clinicians are demanding innovation that facilitates more informed care decisions. By leveraging machine-learning, advanced analytics and algorithms, and remote monitoring technology, Wanda provides caregivers with more rapid access to better decision-making information, as compared to conventional methods.

Amendola Communications will provide broad PR services, including media research, aggressive media relations, and securing top-tier awards and speaking opportunities. The agency will also be responsible for delivering a range of content demonstrating the thought leadership and expertise of Wanda’s
subject matter experts including bylined articles, blog posts, press releases, and other materials.

About Wanda

San Francisco-based Wanda is dedicated to advancing the effectiveness and efficiency of medicine by using machine learning in place of conventional technologies and by enabling clinicians to make more informed care decisions. Wanda recognizes that remote monitoring and algorithms cannot save lives or reduce hospitalizations unless the individual and their caregivers are promptly informed and highly engaged. Through the collaboration of data science and applied medical research, Wanda has proven that its inline analytics predict preventable events much better than conventional methods. Wanda serves as a diligent companion, providing encouragement and intelligent visual guidance that simplifies and improves lives, while simultaneously helping organizations reduce their care delivery costs. More information about Wanda can be found HERE.

About Amendola Communications

Amendola Communications is an award-winning national public relations, marketing communications, social media and content marketing firm. Named one of the best information technology (IT) PR firms in the nation for times by PRSourceCode, Amendola represents some of the best-known brands and groundbreaking startups in the healthcare and HIT industries. Amendola’s seasoned team of PR and marketing pros delivers strategic guidance and effective solutions to help organizations boost their reputation and drive market share. For more information about the PR industry’s “A Team,” visit www.acmarketingpr.com, and follow Amendola on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Media Contact: Michelle Ronan Noteboom | 512.426.2870 | mnoteboom@ACmarketingPR.com

Digital Nutrition Innovator Zipongo Names Amendola Communications its Public Relations Agency of Record

Amendola Communications, a nationally recognized and award-winning public relations, content creation and marketing firm specializing in healthcare and health information technology (HIT), announced that it has been selected as the public relations agency of record for Zipongo, the digital health company that makes it easy to eat well.

Zipongo’s mission is to reduce chronic disease by positively impacting the one thing everyone does: eat. The San Francisco-based company provides highly personalized and medically relevant meal plans, recipes, and shopping lists tied to grocery loyalty cards, as well as a growing number of food-related innovations. Some of the nation’s largest employers and health plans use Zipongo to improve the health, satisfaction and productivity of employees and members by making it easy for them to eat healthy food at home, on the job and while eating out.

As part of Amendola’s comprehensive and aggressive public relations program for Zipongo, the agency has already delivered a New York Times article, “Wellness App Aims to Improve Workplace Nutrition,” in the Feb. 22 national edition of the newspaper and online. The Amendola team will provide Zipongo with ongoing strategic counsel on market developments and messaging to support media and analyst relations, as well as speaker and award initiatives.

“I’m delighted to have a public relations partner like Amendola, whose team has already demonstrated their ability to get us in front of the news,” said Scott Smith, Senior Vice President of Revenue for Zipongo. “Brands are built on what people are saying about you, not what you’re saying about yourself. We’ve already seen that the Amendola team can help foster critical relationships within healthcare and the benefits management industry, and position us as knowledgeable and trusted thought leaders.”

“Zipongo is one of the most exciting companies I’ve seen in a long time, with a unique means of addressing the single biggest influencer of population health what we eat,” said Jodi Amendola, CEO of Amendola Communications. “Until this week’s New York Times article, Zipongo was flying under the radar despite landing some of the nation’s best-known self-insured employers, health plans, and large provider organizations, who see the company as the answer to many of their wellness problems. Our deep knowledge of healthcare and technology media is helping to viralize the Zipongo story, which we believe with drive ever greater market success for the company.”

About Zipongo

Zipongo is a San Francisco-based digital health company that makes it easy to eat well. We work with employers, health plans and other wellness partners looking for an easy way to engage their members in healthy and sustainable eating habits that drive positive results. Zipongo’s proprietary MealRx personalization engine delivers individualized recommendations tied to convenient, real-time actions that enable healthy eating at home and at work, including healthy recipes, meal planning tools and discounts and incentives to healthy groceries. We provide a HIPAA-secure, easy-to-implement software-as-a-service platform that runs on web, mobile and tablet. Learn more at www.zipongo.com.

About Amendola Communications

Amendola Communications is an award-winning national public relations, marketing communications, social media and content marketing firm. Named one of the best information technology (IT) PR firms in the nation by PRSourceCode for four years running, Amendola represents some of the best-known brands and groundbreaking startups in the healthcare and healthcare IT industries. Amendola’s seasoned team of PR and marketing pros delivers strategic guidance and effective solutions to help organizations boost their reputation and drive market share. For more information about the PR industry’s “A Team,” visit www.acmarketingpr.com, and follow Amendola on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Media Contact: Todd Stein | tstein@acmarketingpr.com

Maximize Media & Analyst Interviews at HIMSS

It’s hard to believe that HIMSS is next week. In addition to meetings with new business prospects and partners, networking, and reunions with friends and former colleagues, you can maximize your HIMSS experience by arranging media and analyst interviews during the show. HIMSS is a golden opportunity to meet one-on-one with these key industry influencers and differentiate your company from the competition. You can also leverage these meetings to identify and secure opportunities to be included in print or online articles, blog posts and industry reports.

These industry movers and shakers are incredibly powerful: One positive mention and your sales leads could skyrocket. One negative comment and the opposite can occur. Don’t panic. The following media training “cheat sheet” can help you achieve your goals and generate positive coverage:

  • Do your Homework. One of my most embarrassing HIMSS moments was when a client told an analyst that he “really liked his magazine.” The client obviously hadn’t taken the time to read our prep book! Before a meeting, research the background of the editor or analyst and become familiar with his/her areas of expertise and interest. Always customize your answers to address their audiences needs and pain points.
  • Remember your Manners. Nothing is more annoying than being interrupted. Listen to the entire question being asked and tailor your responses. Address the questions within the context of the target audience(s) and avoid dominating the conversation with a product or service pitch. Sometimes it will be appropriate to share your knowledge, vision and thoughts on the industry rather than focus on your company.
  • Body Language. Be confident, enthusiastic and friendly. Smile, lean forward and make direct eye contact. Don’t cross your arms or fidget. Remember, how you deliver your message can be as important as the message itself.
  • Get to the Point. Prepare an “elevator” pitch a two to three sentence description of your company that is easy to understand. In other words, how would you describe your company and its products and services to your mother or the person sitting next to you on an airplane? Make sure it includes the key points you want editors or analysts to remember.
  • Avoid Jargon. Explain your product or service in layman’s terms. It’s your responsibility to make the pitch simple, clear and memorable.
  • Power of Three. Focus on three main talking points and weave them into the conversation whenever possible. Often a reporter/analyst will ask if there is anything else that you would like to add at the end of an interview. Use this opportunity to restate your three core messages.
  • Tie to Hot Topics. Demonstrate that you are a thought leader and can address hot topics such as meaningful use, ACOs, and where the industry is heading — not just talk about your product or company. Share the bigger vision.
  • Zen of Interviewing. When asked a difficult question, maintain eye contact, control your gestures and breathe. Listen to the question and request clarification if necessary. Give yourself time to collect your thoughts and then respond. If you don’t know, don’t make it up. Offer to get back to the reporter/analyst with the appropriate information.
  • Tell a Story. People remember stories. Talk about client successes and lessons learned that highlight how your products deliver real-world value. If possible, include relevant ROI data in your storytelling.
  • Build Relationships. Be yourself, be genuine and have fun. Let editors and analysts know that you can address multiple topics and to feel free to call on you for commentary or to discuss industry trends. Offer your clients as sources for future articles. Remember, these editors and analysts can have an incredible impact on your company’s reputation and marketplace visibility. Take the time to establish and strengthen these important relationships. Your investors, board members and employees will be glad that you did.

Amendola Unveils Redesigned Website and Thought Leadership Blog

Amendola Communications, a nationally recognized, award-winning public relations, content creation and marketing firm specializing in healthcare and health information technology (HIT), has redesigned its website to create an immediately meaningful experience for visitors. Along with information about Amendola’s services and capabilities, the new site showcases the agency’s broad portfolio of successful client campaigns, plus incisive, insider advice for healthcare and technology organizations seeking to effectively communicate their message.

Following website best practices, Amendola’s new site emphasizes visual impact over text-heavy content, and features distinctive graphics and a color palette of rich ambers and other desert hues in a nod to Amendola’s Arizona headquarters.

Thought leadership advice from PR and marketing veterans

Just in time for HIMSS, Amendola’s free guide “Hacking HIMSS: Your Guide to Conquering the Annual Conference & Exhibition” and free eBooklet “Can I Quote You On That? Becoming a Media Interview Rock Star” are both available for download at the new website. Additionally, the new site includes a weekly blog from Amendola’s team of public relations and marketing veterans on all topics related to delivering an effective message in the healthcare and healthcare technology arena.

A platform for agency’s client work

An experienced agency, Amendola has a long track record of success and a portfolio of referenceable client work to prove it. The new site includes a prestigious collection of Amendola’s PR, marketing and creative work for clients like Health Catalyst, The Joint, Greater New Orleans Health Information Exchange, Bernouilli, Recondo and many others. A library of case studies outlining Amendola’s successful campaigns for public relations, marketing, content marketing, social media and strategic counseling initiatives is also on the new site.

“Every facet of Amendola’s redesigned website was created with the visitor in mind, from the eye-pleasing layout to easy access to samples of our work and a blog that answers the questions we most consistently hear from clients and the industry-at-large,” stated Jodi Amendola, CEO of Amendola Communications.

Visit Amendola’s new website at www.acmarketingpr.com.

About Amendola Communications

Amendola Communications is an award-winning national public relations, marketing communications, social media and content marketing firm. Named one of the best information technology (IT) PR firms in the nation for times by PRSourceCode, Amendola represents some of the best-known brands and groundbreaking startups in the healthcare and HIT industries. Amendola’s seasoned team of PR and marketing pros delivers strategic guidance and effective solutions to help organizations boost their reputation and drive market share. For more information about the PR industry’s A Team, visit www.acmarketingpr.com, and follow Amendola on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Media Contact:

Marcia Rhodes, Regional Managing Director | mrhodes@acmarketingpr.com

Getting Noticed at HIMSS: 4 Insider Tips from Industry Journalists

It’s a brand new year and HIMSS season (a.k.a. #HIMSSanity) is officially upon us. The Amendola team is in full swing preparing clients for the big show in Las Vegas, from media kit development and booth collateral to social media campaigns and on-site support for interviews and analyst briefings.

It goes without saying that garnering media attention at the healthcare IT industry’s largest annual conference is no easy feat. With 125 credentialed press floating among a sea of 43,000-plus attendees and over 1,300 HIMSS exhibitors, rising above the noise takes hard work, tactical planning, and a little bit of luck to land the coverage your company desires.

No matter what time of year, it’s always a challenge for us healthcare PR folks to determine what will tickle the media’s fancy. But even more so when the industry’s journalists are flooded daily with pitches, product launches, and interview and meeting requests the months before and during the conference.

So how can you make the most out of your HIMSS investment and improve your chances of getting noticed among press, analysts, and ultimately, potential customers? I asked four respected healthcare IT journalists what advice they would give to attending vendors to maximize their efforts, remain relevant, and stand out among an overly “transformative,” “disruptive,” “innovative,” and “solution”-saturated HIMSS conference world.

Fred Bazzoli, Editor-In-Chief, Health Data Management, @fbazzoli “Many companies feel compelled to release news at HIMSS. This happens to such a degree that, sadly, most news releases issued during HIMSS are hardly noticed in the email onslaught. Nor is it true that five releases issued during HIMSS are better than one. Your best bet is to manage your news release to occur before HIMSS (one to two weeks) make it as strong as possible, and be ready to discuss it at HIMSS, especially opportunities for follow-up or second-day coverage, if the outlet did not cover the release earlier.”

Kate Gamble, Managing Editor, HealthSystemCIO.com, @khgamble “Journalists receive tons of requests for meetings during HIMSS. If you’d like your request to stand out, customize it. Tell us why you would like to meet with us in particular (for example, you have a specific interest in an article series our publication is running, or you have someone you can recommend for an interview). And if we can’t take a meeting, please be understanding – we really are bombarded with requests, and we only have so much time to cover the conference. Also, please do not have multiple people from the same company reach out to us. And lastly, thank you for your interest – we do appreciate it, even if we can’t accommodate you.”

John Lynn, Blogger and Founder, HealthcareScene.com, @techguy “Don’t shout on social media, engage. No one cares that you’re at Booth #0000 at HIMSS, so don’t shout that out on the #HIMSS16 hashtag. Instead, focus your social media efforts on engaging with those talking on the #HIMSS16 hashtag that could be customers or could be influencers that your customer watch. No one will remember your booth, but everyone remembers someone who sincerely engages with them. Others will notice that sincere engagement too.”

Neal Versel, Reporter, MedCity News, @nversel “Respect our time. There are 1,300 vendors, and we can’t meet with everyone. We also have to find time to do our regular writing assignments, and can’t afford to spend all day meeting with vendors. Plus, a lot of the educational sessions are excellent and worthy of coverage. A lot of vendors don’t understand that it isn’t just the zoo of a show floor.”