by Jim Sweeney | Jul 10, 2024 | Blog
Hey, want to hear an announcement from my company?
Or,
Hey, want to hear a story?
Which got your attention?
If you’re human, it was probably the latter.
We are hardwired to listen to and learn from stories. From the earliest days of painting on cave walls through Aesop’s Fables and TEDx Talks, stories have proven themselves to be the best way to convey information to an audience. Even business information. Write a memo reminding people to always file their TPS reports with a cover sheet and they’ll ignore it. Tell them a story about the coworker who got fired for forgetting the cover sheet and they’ll remember.
But we largely abandon the power of narrative when it comes to press releases, which tend to be dry recitations of facts fleshed out with manufactured quotes and a corporate boilerplate.
For years the standard thinking on press releases has been to cram as much of the important information as possible up top on the theory that journalists won’t read past the headline and opening paragraph. There is merit to this approach if you’re announcing something truly significant or newsworthy, like a corporate merger or a new iPhone.
But, if we’re being honest, that’s the minority of releases. In most cases, the news isn’t a big enough deal to sell itself. So we, as PR practitioners, need to sell it. And stories are the best way to do it. A compelling story wrapped around a somewhat-less compelling piece of news can make an irresistible package.
Here’s an example: A chemical company wanted to announce a new polymer that would be used to line the surfaces of artificial joints. That could have been a straightforward product announcement, but I wanted to humanize the impact of the product, so I focused on the recipients of the artificial knees and hips, not the polymer itself.
I found Senior Olympics basketball players, each of whom had at least one artificial joint, and shot a video of them playing and talking about how grateful they were for the technology that let them hoop it up into their 80s. It was a step or two removed from the actual product, but it brought home the idea that this polymer had real benefits for people.
For the most part, Amendola clients are B2B and work in healthcare IT, which doesn’t easily lend itself to narrative. However, like with the above example, it’s often possible to bring it to the level of the patients and users of the technology. What does new perioperative scheduling software accomplish? Fewer delays and cancellations in scheduling surgeries, which is good for patients and clinicians. How about a new staffing platform for nurses? It gives them greater flexibility and allows them to earn more money.
Sometimes the narrative can be built around a single illuminating fact. I wrote a press release for a company whose seals were to be used on the Mars Rover. In and of itself, not that big a deal; scores of manufacturers had components on the Rover. What I learned from talking to company engineers is that it is impossible to build a seal that doesn’t leak, particularly in space; success is building a seal that leaks very, very slowly. How slowly? In this case, so slowly that it would take 1,000 years to empty a Coke can.
In the release, I told the story of these engineers working toward this ridiculously exacting specification. And it got picked up more than the dozens of cookie-cutter announcements that went out from other parts suppliers.
Of course, the stories must be interesting and short. They can’t meander and they can’t obscure the news. And they must be relevant. Don’t announce a brand of hard seltzer by telling a story about how a surfer took on a 50-foot wave and then enjoyed a can of seltzer back on the beach. Save that for the commercial.
Most press releases vanish with little notice or impact, like gnats flying into a bug zapper. But tell a good story, and people will remember it.
by Administrator | Jun 27, 2024 | News
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.—June 27, 2024 – Amendola Communications today announced it has won three top Hermes Creative Awards, demonstrating the company’s solid commitment to delivering outstanding results for its healthcare and health IT clients.
The Hermes Creative Awards, one of the oldest and largest competitions in the world, recognized Amendola with a trio of 2024 Platinum awards for its work on behalf of clients in 2022 and 2023. The judges honored Amendola with its highest awards for the following work:
- An integrated marketing campaign on behalf of Medicomp Systems, a physician-driven provider of diagnostically connected patient data solutions. Amendola won for its well-coordinated campaign that amplified Medicomp’s message and cut through the noise in a field crowded with evolving regulations and emerging technologies, including AI.
- A PR campaign for KeyCare, the nation’s first Epic-based virtual care platform. Through strategic planning and creative storytelling, Amendola took KeyCare from an unknown startup to a leading player in the crowded virtual care field.
- A PR campaign on behalf of SteadyMD, which powers high-quality telehealth experiences for digital healthcare companies, labs, pharmacies, large employers, and other healthcare innovators. Building upon the explosion in popularity of weight loss drugs, Amendola crafted a campaign that positioned its client as an authority on how digital medicine could be used to responsibly manage demand for the medications, guide patients to weight loss, and provide appropriate care.
Amendola is a multi-year Hermes award winner and is marking its 20-year anniversary as a full-service PR and marketing agency focused on healthcare, health tech and life sciences with a new logo, a brand refresh, and a shiny new website—which you can check out here.
“The agency consistently delivers amazing work on behalf of our clients, and it is truly gratifying to have campaigns for three separate clients singled out as among the best in the world,” said agency CEO Jodi Amendola. “It’s a testament to our team’s extensive healthcare experience, knowledge and overall dedication to delivering excellence on behalf of our clients.”
Hermes Creative Awards is sponsored by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals, which engages senior-level professionals to serve as competition judges who evaluate the creative industry’s best publications, branding collateral, websites, videos, and advertising, marketing, and communication programs. Its annual contest draws thousands of entries from across the globe. More information on winning entries can be found here.
About Amendola
Amendola is an award-winning, insights-driven public relations and marketing firm that integrates media relations, social media, content and lead-gen programs to move healthcare, life sciences/pharma and healthcare IT decision-makers to action. The agency represents some of the industry’s best-known brands, as well as groundbreaking startups that are disrupting the status quo. Nearly 90% of its client base represents multi-year clients and/or repeat client executives. Amendola’s seasoned team of PR and marketing pros understand the ongoing complexities of the healthcare ecosystem and provide strategic guidance and creative direction to drive positive ROI, boost reputation and increase market share. Making an impact since 2003, Amendola combines traditional and digital media to fuel meaningful and measurable growth. For more information about the industry’s “A-Team,” visit www.acmarketingpr.com, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Media Contact:
Marcia G. Rhodes
Amendola Communications
mrhodes@acmarketingpr.com
by Jodi Amendola | Jun 26, 2024 | Blog
As I look back at two decades of running a successful PR and marketing agency, I can draw two conclusions: Predicting the future is impossible, but preparing for it is a necessity.
That’s not the contradiction it first appears to be. Twenty years ago, it was the dawn of the digital age for healthcare and I was certain there would be an opportunity for an agency devoted to healthcare, health tech and life sciences. I didn’t know with any degree of precision what was coming, but I knew I wanted to be a part of it.
So, I took the leap and founded Amendola. My crystal ball was clear enough to spot an emerging opportunity, but it could not have anticipated everything that would happen in healthcare and health tech over the next two decades: generative AI, machine learning, genetic and precision medicine, telehealth, the shift to value-based care, remote patient monitoring and more.
In all, it’s fair to say the last 20 years have been some of the most exciting and transformative in the history of healthcare. My agency has not only weathered these tumultuous times, but prospered in them.
Amendola is the recognized industry leader in promoting visionary organizations driving technological change across healthcare delivery and life sciences. We have earned billions of media impressions for clients and received numerous awards from industry organizations honoring the firm’s innovative content generation, media relations and marketing programs.
Our success is not due to anticipating every development, but to being prepared for them.
I built the agency around the principles that I value in PR and marketing: creativity, continuous learning, collaboration, and a deep commitment to customer service and delivering results. With those as our bedrock we have been able to meet each new challenge and help our clients find their footing in the new digital landscape.
From early-stage startups to publicly traded companies, Amendola has helped drive company recognition, revenue growth and wider implementation of cutting-edge IT solutions across healthcare delivery organizations, health insurers, pharmacies and numerous other entities. Amendola has also helped clients pivot their messaging and content during changes in healthcare, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic when care delivery began a greater shift from brick-and-mortar institutions to patients’ homes through telehealth and virtual care.
I want to thank the many clients who have hired Amendola multiple times, bringing us with them as they have moved from company to company. Many of them have become friends over the years, which has been an unexpected bonus.
Of course, most of the credit for our success goes to my team. I make a point of hiring only experienced professionals with deep backgrounds in healthcare, health tech and life sciences. They share my principles, are committed to evolving as healthcare does, and their fine work and dedication have allowed the agency to grow and prosper.
A 20th anniversary is a chance not only to reminisce, but to look ahead. And my crystal ball is no more finely tuned than it was when I founded the agency. I don’t know exactly what will happen over the next decade or two; no one does. I will stand by two predictions, however: The years ahead will be at least as exciting and unpredictable as the past 20.
by Grace Vinton | May 1, 2024 | Blog
Sometimes you say what everybody is thinking. And when that happens, the reaction can be tangible and immediate.
I was a member of a panel at the recent HIMSS conference and was talking about misinformation. At one point I observed, “Healthcare has a B2B problem, but it’s not business to business; it’s boring to boring.”
All of a sudden everybody started snapping their fingers. I hadn’t seen this reaction before and asked whether people were trying to get my attention. It was confusing! Someone said, “No, you’re on fire.” It seems they agreed with what I said and wanted me to keep going, but didn’t want to interrupt me by clapping. Hence the snapping.
That interesting cultural moment wasn’t about me, but about an awareness clearly shared by most healthcare PR and marketing professionals: Healthcare technology companies and their buyers are mired in boredom. Boring problems. Boring solutions. Boring conversations.
The sad reality is that both healthcare technology companies and their customers – providers, payers, and third parties – are afraid to express a strong opinion or point of view for fear of losing business opportunities.
We’re all sick of boring. Still, I get it: Clients don’t want to confuse or concern a potential customer by saying something audacious or expressing bold thoughts. Healthcare tech companies want to focus their message on what their product does and the problems it can solve for customers. No point in straying from focused thought leadership.
While I understand the strategic impulse toward boring, companies that want to stand out from their competitors need to get more creative with their messaging without confusing buyers or pigeonholing the company as providing a specific solution to a specific problem. Otherwise they may continue to float anonymously in a sea of boring.
Below are some tips for healthcare marketing and PR pros to help their clients and organizations inject some personality and perspective into their messaging.
Connect on a human level
This is healthcare. By definition, it’s about people; serving people and connecting with people. One of the best ways to connect with people is to tell a compelling story. People love hearing stories and are drawn in by a narrative arc that features a journey with highs and lows, challenges and triumphs, and lessons learned.
Great storytellers are relatable and interesting and thus able to connect with an audience. Their stories create a whole world that provides context, rather than running an audience through a tedious list of specific product features and use cases. To sell your product, tell your story.
Go multimedia
Storytelling is about more than the written word. Audio and video are powerful mediums for healthcare technology companies to tell their stories. Not only do some audience members absorb information more efficiently through multimedia, allowing them to see and hear the people behind a healthcare technology company leverages that human connection we all seek.
Even a great infographic or data visualization provides a multimedia tool that can help you articulate a story and emphasize key points. Audience members have diverse learning styles and digital literacy skills; adding a multimedia element to your message will broaden its reach.
Initiate and be part of a conversation
Rather than just relentlessly pumping out marketing collateral, healthcare technology companies should strive to be thought leaders in their sector. Having a voice in an ongoing conversation establishes credibility and puts a human face on the company. Healthcare is a mission-based career, so advocating for your mission and what you believe in resonates with a like-minded audience. People don’t follow companies; they follow other people with great ideas.
Bylined articles published on respected healthcare websites are a great vehicle for demonstrating sector expertise and thought leadership. When potential buyers think you really “get” their challenges, they’ll remember you and your company.
Social media also provides an excellent platform for conversations and idea exchange. LinkedIn probably is the best for healthcare professionals, though many also actively use X. Healthcare technology leaders also can connect with their community through organizations like HIMSS or CHIME.
Finally, some healthcare technology companies have been successful in using podcasts to tell their stories. Some are even launching their own podcasts to provide another venue for interacting with an audience.
Speak the truth (with humor)
The great comedians find humor in everyday life. They also find humor in the truth. If healthcare technology leaders speak the truth to their audiences and find a way to inject humor into the message, they will stand out from the crowd. Humor that is informed by a deep understanding of the industry and the challenges of a particular sector can be memorable. If your humorous truths support your value proposition, all the better.
Conclusion
Healthcare technology companies that hide in the herd and play it safe get ignored. To rise above the boring noise and get your message across, you need to inject your marketing and PR initiatives with a strong storyline framework that employs passion, humanity, humor, and a distinctive voice. Sincerity sells because it’s real and conveys a compelling message: We’re all in this together.
by Administrator | Apr 23, 2024 | News
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., April 23, 2024 – Amendola, a nationally recognized, award-winning healthcare technology and life sciences public relations and marketing firm, today announced that it has been selected to implement a national PR program by Peerbridge Health, developer of a hospital-grade, remote diagnostic and monitoring platform that harnesses artificial intelligence (AI) for early detection of heart failure and other conditions.
“Amendola comes highly recommended by healthcare technology peers, giving us confidence that its industry-specific expertise and successful track record will produce valuable results,” said Chris Darland, CEO of Peerbridge Health. “We look forward to working with Amendola to educate the industry on the life-saving potential of early detection of heart failure through AI-enabled remote monitoring technology, which we are able to offer at a significantly lower cost compared to traditional methods.”
More than 6 million Americans live with heart failure, and each year around 1 million new cases are diagnosed in adults 55 years of age and over. Heart failure is the second-leading cause of hospitalization in the U.S. and the leading cause of hospitalization among adults 65 and older.
To reduce the impact of heart failure, Peerbridge Health has developed the Peerbridge Cor™, an AI-enabled, 3-lead, 2-channel wireless ambulatory ECG device. A recent feasibility trial showed the device had a nearly 96% accuracy rate in identifying heart failure in patients utilizing ECG as the only input.
“Heart failure is a serious condition that is often only diagnosed after a visit to the emergency room,” said agency CEO Jodi Amendola. “We are pleased to partner with Peerbridge Health in its efforts to extend access to care, improve outcomes for cardiac patients, and reduce the financial burden of this disease.”
About Amendola
Amendola is an award-winning, insights-driven public relations and marketing firm that integrates media relations, social media, content and lead gen programs to move healthcare, life sciences/pharma and healthcare IT decision-makers to action. The agency represents some of the industry’s best-known brands as well as groundbreaking startups that are disrupting the status quo. Nearly 90% of its client base represents multi-year clients and/or repeat client executives. Amendola’s seasoned team of PR and marketing pros understand the ongoing complexities of the healthcare ecosystem and provide strategic guidance and creative direction to drive positive ROI, boost reputation and increase market share. Making an impact since 2003, Amendola combines traditional and digital media to fuel meaningful and measurable growth. For more information about the industry’s “A-Team,” visit www.acmarketingpr.com, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
About Peerbridge Health
Peerbridge Health is revolutionizing cardiac care as the first company to bring the quality and accuracy of hospital-grade cardiac diagnostics to the home. The company’s AI-enabled device, Peerbridge Cor™, includes a three-lead, patented AECG wearable device that features a design based on the Einthoven Triangle. The Peerbridge platform leverages ECG to diagnose and monitor the most important elements of cardiac care at a lower cost than ever before. Data captured provides actionable insights that promote early invention, reduce hospital visits and saves lives. For more, go to peerbridgehealth.com or visit our LinkedIn page.
Media Contact:
Marcia G. Rhodes, mrhodes@acmarketingpr.com
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