Advice You - Business

Have you ever sent out a media release and got no response? Zero, zip, nil, zilch?

The majority of media releases never get used by the media. Why is this?

H

According to USFDA, a combination product is one composed of any combination of a drug and device; biological product and device; drug and biological product

aving worked in the media and in media relations for more than 20 years here are my insights on the nine reasons the media won't use your news release.

1. Inf

; or drug, device, and biological product and fixed dose combination would include two or more combinations of drug.

Examples of combination products may in

rmation Overload.

Journalists are bombarded with information. When I was at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation our fax would spew out at least a hundred

lude drug-coated devices, drugs packaged with delivery devices in medical kits, and drugs and devices packaged separately but intended to be used together.

edia releases a day. With email, the amount of information journalists receive on a daily basis is huge.

2. The Operating Environment.

Walk into any newsroom

here is enormous increase in the number of combination products entering the market in the recent years. Combination products have proven advantages but fixe

around the world and its dominated and run by alpha males. In senior editorial ranks the glass ceiling is set in the stratosphere for women.

It's a competitiv

d dose combinations are still in the process of convincing regulatory authority on their advantages over the single ingredient formulations.

Combination pro

e dog eat dog environment, shaped by egos and deadlines. Journalists have to worry about publishers, editors, sub-editors, executive producers, peers, stakehol

ucts have become life saving products for the pharmaceutical companies who doesn’t have many innovative molecules in their product pipeline and have been inc

ers, advertisers, readers, viewers and listeners.

Understand this environment and you understand the pressures they are under. Learn to work within this opera

easingly used in the product life cycle management. Even the companies having product patents are trying to extend their product life cycle through the combi

ing environment. For example, always ask them what their deadline is when initial contact is made.

Most media relations fails because of a lack of understandi

nation products and maximize the revenues. But the companies involved in this practice are overlooking that they are burdening the patients both economically

g of the environment the media work in.

3. Deadlines

Deadlines are absolute and immovable. If you promise something before a deadline and don't deliver, you

and physically. They need to rightly judge the benefits of the combination products and they have to even look at the risks involved when combining the produ

not only let the reporter down, they are under added pressure to fill a hole.

If you can't make a deadline, let the media know as soon as possible.

Miss a de

ts. Some of the combination products were well accepted by physicians while others suffered. Companies involved in development of combination products are fi

dline and you miss an opportunity. Always make it a priority to return calls from the media.

Respond to requests for extra information, interviews or photo sh

ding difficulty in defining their combination products and facing various challenges from selecting a combination to marketing it.

Following aspects would a

ots promptly.

4. Media Products Differ

Different publications and programs are aimed at different audiences. From daily newspapers to specialist trade magazi

dd to the challenges in developing combination products:

Which markets to tap where the combination products can do fairly well?
Which combination prod

es and newsletters all have a clear brief.

Make sure your media releases matches their brief. If there is not a match, they won't use it.

5. Media People Dif

cts are meaningful and rational?
Which therapeutic categories to select?
Which Combinations can address unmet needs of the patients?
Do combin

fer

People differ. Some are ego-driven, some are story-tellers, some are mirror holders, some are truth seekers, and some are social activists.

Find out the

tions increase the patient compliance?
What would be the developing cost?
How to tackle the risks encountered during combination product developmen

ey to what motivates them and you unlock the secrets of good media relations.

6. Media Organisations Differ

This is known as agency, where the economics, pol

t?

As combination products don't fit into the traditional categories of drugs, medical devices, or biological products, the USFDA is in the process of devel

tics and culture of a media organisation impacts on what stories they run and how they treat a story. For example, public broadcasters like the Australian Broa

ping new procedures for reviewing their safety, efficacy and quality.

Professional from academic institutions, pharmaceutical industries, health care indust

casting Corporation have clear editorial guidelines preventing any promotion of commercialism.

7. No Relationship

Relationships are built on trust. The stron

y and representatives from various regulatory agencies are working out to design the regulatory requirements for manufacture and sale of combination products

ger the relationship, the more likely you will understand what the media wants.

The best approach is to communicate, follow-up and then leave it at that. Don'

.

As there is an increasing trend of the combination products companies manufacturing such products should be able to tackle the problems involved in the de

be a pest or time-waster.

8. Lack Of Clarity And Consistency

If you're not clear on what your key message is, how will the media know?

It is better to be c

elopment. They need to be wiser in analyzing the market trends and the regulatory requirements.

Companies that provide selfless information through particip

ear and concise than original.

9. Accuracy and Style

Inaccurate information destroys trust and the relationship. The style must be in a media friendly format

tion in industry events and feedback to regulatory authorities would be able to face the challenges and will be successful in developing combination products

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You have the chance to deliver value to your customers at every turn - use it or deminish your brand.

The internet is fast becoming a popular place to buy and sell goods. Record numbers of consumers are buying and selling products on the internet. Because of the sheer volume of transactions, there is an ever increasing risk of scams. and abuse. Research shows that online shoppers and surfers have a very short span of attention, after all the internet is all about getting targeted information, fast. Because of this, purchasers of goods and services need to be able to identify quality suppliers in an instant. The internet is full of weblogs and forums, but reading through many of them can seem like a chore in itself. Content and feedback must be organised, relevant and targeted in order to be useful.

In the quest for the essence of doing business with China, Hong Kong is historically speaking a logical port of call. In this dynamic city with a population of more than 7 million, we team up with Daniel Ben-Ezra, Media Director of Spotz Media. December 2005, he severed his ties and set out for China, armed with a pocket sized Lonely Planet. What are his findings so far? Can he confirm the prevailing prejudices about the Chinese and doing business in China? Or does he dispel any form of cultural clash?

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