Pharma and PR- How to Communicate to an Unhappy Public

If we’re in the business of shaping perceptions, why can’t the pharmaceutical PR industry clean up pharma’s dirty laundry? The simplest answer is because pharma CEOs aren’t putting their money (and commitment) where their mouth is.

To find out how low pharma’s reputation has sunk, all we need to do is look at media. How many times have we read the New York Times or seen a news report about litigations against a pharma company, its “deliberate” approach to not tell the truth, or its attempt to raise drug prices? According to Harris Poll Interactive’s 2005 report, these reports finally affected pharma’s reputation. It is now viewed on a similar level as HMOs and tobacco companies. Ouch.

Here’s the top three reasons why pharma now has a bad rap:

1. Rested on its laurels.
   For years, pharma didn’t share the great deeds they’ve done to help third world countries, US victims (such as Katrina), or the millions of dollars of medicines they’ve donated to needy patients. The companies kept quiet because many believed they’re already a great company, so why focus on news that wasn’t important, didn’t affect company revenues, or had positive affect on physicians? Guess what? People need to be reminded. And bad news (whether accurate or not) spread fast on the Internet.

2. Kept silent.
   If bad news did occur, many kept quiet. Rather than responding to consumer or media criticisms, they told their PR team to not comment and hope the news will blow over. They also directed their sales representatives and other staff members — individuals who are on the front lines — to NOT respond to questions from physicians, friends, or colleagues. Bad move. Guess what they actually did?

3. No guts.
   Many mid to large pharma companies tend to look up to Big Pharma (companies like, Merck, Pfizer, Sanofi-aventis) and follow their lead. So if Big Pharma decides to stay silent at times of crises, the other companies will do the same. We had one CEO tell us that if the big company doesn’t respond to criticism, “why should I?” We were smart enough to resign that account and tell our media counterparts.

So what can we, as PR professionals, do to help clients improve their image and reputation? Do the opposite of what pharma companies do:

1. Share the great news, no matter how large or small — often. And advise them not to get too big for their britches.
2. Apply the Crisis PR discipline — Tell the truth, tell it quickly, and apologize.
3. Don’t be a me too — Let them be the first in their industry to have the guts to incorporate PR into their corporate strategies.
4. Stop placing ads — Their money is better spent using grassroots PR.
5. Allow staff to talk — Their employees can be their greatest advocates. Train the employees, give them the message and let them respond to their customers, family members and next-door neighbors.

Not all pharma companies are behind the times. GlaxoSmithKline (Research Triangle Park, NC) knows the importance of building and maintaining credibility and reputation. This Big Pharma has trained its staff and sales representatives to directly respond to consumer criticisms with accurate talking points. Their staff has been empowered to speak at various local events, whether it’s the Boy Scouts, chamber of commerce or bowling league. Their grassroots approach quickly turned their reputation back on solid ground. And you’ll never guess how this affected their revenues.