The ABCs and the 3 Ps of Media Interviews

Dec 11, 2024

Anyone who has spent any time in healthcare can tell you that there is never any shortage of companies touting how their products are, “revolutionary” or “next gen.” We’ve all heard it: “This solution will transform healthcare into a Garden of Eden! Lower costs! Happier patients! Over-the-moon clinicians!”

Standing out in a crowded marketplace is always difficult, especially when you’re the one singing your own praises. That’s where strategic and thoughtful media interviews enter the picture.

Media interviews offer the opportunity to build credibility by leveraging a third-party’s brand, generate leads for sales teams, and deliver a story that resonates with target audiences.

However, industry thought leaders (yes, you!) most often approach media interviews as if they are merely question-and-answer exercises. Great media interviews are much more than that. They are relationship-building opportunities that enable executives to truly build relationships with journalists while educating the industry.

The most appealing stories in healthcare involve a mix of data and human impact. The detail and specificity required to tell these stories to reporters are unlikely to simply pop into executives’ minds on the fly. That’s why media interview preparation is essential.

The ABCs and the 3 Ps
While there are many subtleties and nuances involved in preparing for interviews, a good place to begin is what I call the ABCs and the 3 Ps. These are handy mnemonic devices to help executives get in the right mindset for interviews.

  • Be Audible and always acknowledge the question
  • Be Brief and bridge to your best arguments or proof-points
  • Be Confident and clearly communicate your company’s key messages

To craft those key messages, begin by thinking about how to incorporate the 3 Ps:

  • Proof points to help readers or listeners understand that the problem your company solves is actually a pressing problem for the industry, and data-driven examples of the effect your solution has in alleviating the problem(s)
  • Stories about people and patients that illustrate the difference that your company’s products make in quality-of-life
  • The deeper purpose that describes the “why?” of your company’s existence

While it’s wonderful to share inspiring and touching stories of how your product or technology led to “patients whose lives were transformed” or “doctors who overcame burnout to rediscover their love of practicing medicine,” it’s important to understand that, in reality, those stories aren’t always readily available, and massive change or sensationalism doesn’t always lead to the type of incremental progress required in the world of healthcare.

The most impactful stories can be how a new solution saves a few clicks in electronic health records or how it helps clinicians save time at the bedside. Those are still interesting stories that are worth telling; they just require a little strategic thought and planning to make them more accessible to reporters and understandable to the public.

To begin crafting a compelling story to share during media interviews, start with the ABCs and the 3 Ps – but above all, be generous with the wisdom you share. The industry will be better for it!

Grace Vinton

Grace Vinton is a dynamic communications professional with a passion for healthcare and health IT. She has worked with over 20 clients in a career that spans more than ten years across the healthcare ecosphere in the areas of HIT, big data, predictive analytics, AI/augmented reality, telehealth, health information exchange, pharma, life sciences, predictive modeling and radiology. A media relations pro, Grace has secured media placements in top tier media such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and Forbes magazine. She has also secured client interviews on all the major broadcast networks and a wide variety of healthcare and technology trade publications. Grace is fluent in social media and viral marketing platforms and has a top 1% most viewed LinkedIn profile with numerous healthcare industry heavy hitters as followers of her regular healthcare technology industry news and commentary. Grace started her career as an Assistant Marketing Coordinator at Sodexo International. In this role she supported the on-site campus team in the process of developing and implementing "healthy eating" promotions. She left to join Rand Media Company as Head of Media Relations where she promoted the publishing company and their educational books through PR and a variety of content marketing platforms. Prior to joining Amendola, Grace was a PR consultant to several health technology companies worldwide. Grace has a Master of Arts degree in Communication & Leadership and Bachelor's degrees in both Government and Communications. She has also completed educational development programs at Georgetown and Oxford Universities.