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Support
the Medical Futures Innovations Awards
Brief
and objective
The Medical Futures Innovations Awards was developed to help nurture
innovation and entrepreneurship within the medical profession. The
awards scheme forms part of a wider offering being developed by
founder, entrepreneur and medical professional Dr Andy Goldberg.
Medical Futures recognises the fact that there is a tremendous amount
of innovation within the medical profession that will remain untapped
unless mechanisms are developed to encourage the spin out of technology
and the start up of new businesses. Medical Futures is aimed at
anyone in the medical profession, whether in a research function
or not, who has a novel idea to improve patient care.
Launched in 2001,
Charles Consultants was engaged to work with Medical Futures both
to develop the offering, launch an Intellectual Property Booster event,
attract sponsors and implement an effective media relations campaign.
Objectives
In support of the Medical Futures Innovations Awards, Charles
Consultants specific media relations’ objectives were
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To create
visibility for the Medical Futures Innovations Awards scheme
in order to attract high quality entrants, support the sponsorship
drive and encourage attendance at the Awards dinner
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To gain
publicity for Medical Futures, its sponsors and the award winners |
Method
To achieve the objectives, Charles Consultants:
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Worked
with sponsors, winners, medical departments and all relevant
PR departments to ensure co-ordination between all parties |
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Worked
with Medical Futures and its sponsor NESTA to attract Sir Christopher
Evans OBE as a high profile guest speaker, and liased closely
with his PR manager to maximise media interest around his involvement
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Established
a comprehensive database of relevant media contacts |
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Implemented
proactive media outreach to attract their interest ahead of
news announcements, with a particular focus on broadcast media
and feature placements in printed media |
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Issued
a news release three weeks prior to event via healthwire that
provided a taster on the potential winners which secured significant
press interest |
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Issued
invitations and follow-up to key media to attend the event which
included prior planning with the ITV London News |
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Prepared
a full media pack containing background briefing materials on
all winners and sponsors distributed under embargo to 100 media
contacts in news rooms, science, health and medical correspondents,
and regional media local to the winners on the day prior to
the event |
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Released
announcement of overall winner released on the day prior to
the event. News of overall winner strategically pre-briefed
to ITV and BBC news under embargo and well in advance to secure
interest |
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Reacted
to the breaking news that Tony Blair, PM was making a speech
on the importance of innovation in British Science on the day
of the Awards to increase topicality of the news |
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Followed
up with the announcement and photographs post event |
Results
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Working
closely with the medical trade press resulted in articles prior
to and following the awards. Journals covering the news included
Scrip, Pharmaceutical Journal, New Scientist, Hospital Doctor,
Pharmafocus, Medical Laboratory World and Diabetes News. This
ensured that over 300 quality entries were received for the
awards |
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Prior
briefing of the Times ensured a full page feature article in
the Times 2 health pages just prior to the event |
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Collaboration
with the Financial Times as “media partner” provided
Medical Futures with a A4 advertisement to promote the awards
dinner and coverage of winning technology after the event |
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Working
with Sir Christopher Evans OBE and tapping into his contacts
gained exposure on the awards with Lord Sainsbury at the DTI
and with the Prime Minister. Achieved a feature in the Sunday
Telegraph focusing on the opportunity to create wealth through
exploitation of untapped innovation in the medical profession
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Prior briefing
of the head of BBC regional planning ensured interest of regional
radio and TV, with coverage being achieved on both broadcast
formats in London, the South, Oxford and Scotland |
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Working
in advance with ITV News to provide advanced filming opportunity
with the overall winner and filming at the awards. This led
to a feature on London Today lunchtime news, including a live
studio interview with the founder of Medical Futures and a repeat
new feature on the 6 0’Clock news. Other television coverage
included BBC South Today, Meridian Television and BBC TV Scotland
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Radio interviews
with Andy Goldberg as well as several of the winning entries
was achieved. Broadcasting stations included BBC Radio Solent,
BBC Radio South, BBC Radio Scotland and ILR Tay am |
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Internet
coverage of several of the awards on BBC Online, FT.com, Content-Wire.com
and others |
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Wire coverage
of awards plus winners on Press Association and AP London News
Service |
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Regional
coverage of award winners included Aberdeen Press and Journal,
Bournemouth News, Christchurch Advertiser, Poole Advertiser,
Dundee Courier and Advertiser |
2002
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