Measuring ROI: Is Your Communication Strategy Outmoded?
June 24, 2011
Anita Harris
Anita M. Harris is president of the Harris Communications Group, a public relations and marketing communications firm in Cambridge, MA.
Is the News Embargo Dead? Not so fast…
May 11, 2011
Xconomy senior correspondent and San Francisco editor Wade Roush says he’s done with news embargoes.
In a column entitled, “The News Embargo Is Dead. Tech Crunch Killed It. Let’s Move On,” he writes that he’ll no longer agree to being “pre-briefed” by tech companies or PR firms with the understanding that he’ll wait to publish until the stories are made public— because he’s been burned one too many times.
What happened? TechCrunch went to press early with an embargoed story that he was also covering–making him look like an “also ran.”
Disruptive Diagnostics for the (Developing) World
April 26, 2011
Earlier this month, I attended a great MIT Enterprise Forum discussion on new medical devices designed to provide low cost tests far from laboratories or medical centers, in the developing world.
At the meeting, held by the Forum’s Health Care and Life Science Special Interest Group at the British Consulate in Cambridge, former Mass Biotechnology Council President Una Ryan described the paper-based medical testing technology that her new nonprofit enterprise, Diagnostics for All (DFA), has licensed from the George Whitesides Lab, at Harvard.
The technology allows bodily fluid to accumulate in patterns on postage-stamp sized pieces of paper–to be used for multiple tests simultaneously. DFA’s first project, funded in part by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is a liver function test to monitor the effects of drugs for HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, to help manage viral hepatitis. Such tests, which ordinarily require laboratory evaluation, will first be sold in convenience stores in Africa at a cost of approximately ten cents each, Ryan said.
Bill Rodriguez, CEO of Daktari Diagnostics, showed a handheld, point of care, battery-operated diagnostics device the size of a small lunch box or portable radio that will first be used to test for AIDS in Africa–at a cost of $1.50 per test–starting next year. He pointed out that while drugs are available to treat the 33 million people worldwide who have HIV– “ten million of them don’t know it.”
Scientia Advisors Partner Arshad Ahmed, who served as moderator, (and is my client) pointed out in a recent blog that emerging markets may have the opportunity to adopt the latest point-of-care products, leapfrogging developed countries, in some instances–and that “emerging markets are where we will see the first application of low cost and inovative disruptive technologies at work.” Launching in the developing world allows companies to test out and market technologies before going through the rigorous approval process required in the developed world.
I was blown away by the prospects for devices like these and asked when and how they will affect the costs and structure of, say, US healthcare–and whether those who make and market our costly technologies will try to keep these new testing devices out. While Ryan, whose nonprofit will have a commercial wing, responded that she does not expect opposition from stakeholders in our current system. But can that possibly be right?
Anita M. Harris
Anita M. Harris is President of the Harris Communications Group, a marketing and public relations firm specializing in health, science and technology industries, worldwide.
Paying for PR in shifting media landscape
October 28, 2010
Explaining how agencies charge for media outreach is always an interesting challenge. Most work on retainer (receiving a monthly fee in return for promised services). Some operate on a project basis, or charge an hourly fee. The other day, someone wrote in to Harvard-Startups, a list-serve to which I subscribe, asking if some public relations firms work on a “results” basis–that is, get paid only for coverage they obtain, not just hours.
I was impressed with a response from Sylvia Scott, who has worked in public relations and is now Creator & Director of Realizing A Vision Conference, Girl’s CEO Connection. She said it would be fine for me to share it, so here goes:
By “hours” do you mean paid by the hour? Most good ones are not paid on an hourly basis as the norm may be a specific number of hours devoted to you per month and the fee is determined by many variables.
Paid by results –well let’s see-an article in the New York Times may be valued at $10,000 for some companies. For others it may be more- if your PR firm gets you on Larry King vs. say GMA how would you differentiate. I got a client on Fox Morning show in San Diego-now
what would be the difference in fee from San Diego and say Chicago or Dallas? AND if you get editorial in the Tulsa World that is picked up by AP and then the article or or let’s say you get a call to be interviewed by the New York Times how do you pay for that?
Some results may take 3 months and then others 6 months-also, if the pitches are going on and accepted yet there is another scandal in the White House like it happened with Bill Clinton and the scheduled interview or placement is moved or forgotten-which is not the fault of the PR firm-are you going to not pay them for their work?
I know I did not answer you directly-just wanted you to see that “results” may not always be the same and some times one result leads to another even though no extra hours were put into place.
*
I chimed in that the Public Relations Society of America Code of Ethics frowns on promising results that can’t be guaranteed, so most PR consultants won’t work with clients on a straight contingency basis. Because it can take three-to-six months to build relationships with reporters on clients’ behalf, I prefer to work on retainer. But I have occasionally worked on a project basis–charging a minimum fee to cover time and effort with a bonus for major media “hits”.
Media relations is a tricky business–especially in today’s shifting media landscape. If you’re hiring, I’d advise paying more attention to a PR consultant’s track record than to promises, plan on a six month minimum and, for that period, at least, keep the faith.
—Anita M. Harris
Anita M. Harris is President of the Harris Communications Group of Cambridge, MA.
Chicago Trib Board should throw book and more at CEO Daniels
October 19, 2010
In his piece, Carr reports that Randy Michaels, a former radio executive and disc jockey, was “ handpicked” by Sam Zell, the Times Mirror’s new controlling shareholder, to run much of the media company’s vast collection of properties, including The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, WGN America and The Chicago Cubs”.
As I wrote in a letter to the New York Times,
Letter: The Troubled Tribune
I’m appalled and saddened by the irresponsible attitudes and actions of those now in command of a once respected, trustworthy pillar of the fourth estate. Even if (especially if?) those in charge care more about making money than fulfilling their privileged societal watchdog role they must be subject to the same laws prohibiting sexual discrimination and harassment as are all other businesses across the land.
A new review by my client, Scientia Advisors, finds that, with the market for biologic drugs growing much faster than that of drugs based on chemical compounds, many biopharma companies are repositioning and forming new alliances in order to succeed in a rapidly changing pharmaceutical landscape.
In the review, released today, Scientia reports that revenue growth for the small molecule (chemically-based) drug segment has slowed and will begin to decline within three years as numerous blockbuster drugs go off patent and are replaced by less expensive generic substitutes.
In contrast, the market for biologics (based on living matter) which comprises approximately one-third of the overall pharmaceutical market, increased at a 21% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2003 and 2008, to $110B.
While the CAGR for biologics has since slowed to 8%, Scientia projects 2013 revenues of $165B, due largely to rapid growth in monoclonal antibodies. Scientia also projects growth opportunities in the vaccine and cell therapy segments.
Many biologics command relatively high prices and require complex and expensive manufacturing processes. To keep costs down, biopharmaceutical companies are increasingly seeking to outsource their manufacturing to contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs).
In addition, “numerous biologic therapies with total revenues of $37B will have lost patent protection by 2017, promising considerable opportunity in biosimilars (government-approved new versions of branded biopharmaceutical products following patent expiration),” Glorikian said. “As a result, pharmaceutical, generic drug, and contract manufacturing companies are joining forces to enter the biosimilars space. To be successful, they must take into account the considerable technical, competitive, and regulatory hurdles that will be involved.”
Scientia Advisors’ review, entitled “Assessing the Biopharmaceutical Market: Promises and Challenges,” is available for download at no charge from www.scientiaadv.com.
–Anita M. Harris
HarriscomBlog is a publication of the Harris Communications Group–a public relations, content and thought leadership firm in Cambridge, MA. We also publish New Cambridge Observer.
Molecular Diagnostics, Personalized Medicine, Changing Health Care Landscape, Scientia Advisors Finds
April 26, 2010
A new global review from my client, Scientia Advisors , predicts rapid growth in molecular diagnostics and that, with traditional pharma companies slow to innovate, a myriad of new entrants vying for market share will change the healthcare landscape.
(Molecular diagnostics are genetic tests used to judge the effectiveness of particular treatments for individual patients–key to the burgeoning new field of personalized medicine).
Released earlier this month (and available for download at no charge at www scientiaadv.com) the review projects that MDx will grow at an annually compounded rate 15% to approximately $7.5B in 2013.
Currently, molecular tests used for oncology and critical care infectious diseases are experiencing the fastest growth among MDx segments.
“Ultimately, MDx will enhance care, cut health care costs and make personalized medicine a worldwide reality,” said Scientia Advisors Managing Partner Harry Glorikian.
Among other major findings:
- The industry is transitioning away from low-cost, low-margin tests. New, “high-value” MDx tests are changing the health care paradigm by providing critical information to physicians more quickly and accurately than was previously possible.
- While most MDx revenue is currently generated in the US and Europe, future growth will be most pronounced in the developing world.
- New, easy-to-use, random access and fast-turnaround-time MDx platforms are enabling widespread adoption of MDx in small and mid-sized hospitals, worldwide.
- Companies seeking to enter the MDx field must be cognizant that, with the growing impact of MDx, government oversight and regulation will likely increase and reimbursement policies will evolve to reflect added value.
Scientia Advisors is a global management consulting firm specializing in growth strategies for companies in health care, life sciences, biotechnology and nutrition, world wide. The firm is based in Boston and San Francisco.
—Anita M. Harris
HarrisCom Blog is a publication of the Harris Communications Group of Cambridge, MA.
I’m very
pleased to announce that the Harris Communications Group is now located at 1 Broadway, on the 14th floor of the esteemed Cambridge Innovation Center.
The CIC, founded in 1999, offers shared or dedicated space to some 250 startups and emerging companies–in an atmosphere of co-operation and positive energy. (Those are my words, not the CIC’s!)
My first day at the CIC, I met at least 10 people; now two weeks in, I’ve attended three “VC Cafes,” which are social events, open to CIC members and the public, at which venture capitalists are available, by appointment, to discuss funding opportunities. 
VC Cafe 4-15-10
I’ve also met Internet entrepreneur Costas Boussios; clinical trial designer Candida Fratazzi, MD , president of Boston Biotech Clinical Research; CIC founder Tim Rowe , and a gentleman from another CIC floor whose name I did not catch but who advised me, in the 14th floor snack area, to stay away from the yogurt because it has high sugar content–then indulged in some, himself.
14th floor snack area
Brenda Steinberg and Candida Fratazzi, of the CIC Women Innovators Network
On Thursday, I was invited to speak about blogging at a May meeting sponsored by the CIC Women Innovators Network (WIN), which will be open to everyone at the CIC.
Nicole, the concierge, whose last name I need to get.
I’m about to head over now; can’t wait to see what the new week will bring!
—–Anita M. Harris
HarrisCom blog is a publication of the Harris Communications Group of Cambridge, MA. We also publish the New Cambridge Observer and Ithaca Diaries blogs.
