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Product
PR
Supporting
PowderMed around its Avian Flu vaccine in development
 PowderMed is
a private immunotherapeutic company based in Oxford, UK. The Company
is focused on the clinical development and manufacture of therapeutic
and prophylactic DNA-based vaccines for viral diseases and cancer.
The company has 4 clinical and 3 pre-clinical stage projects. Its
lead clinical programme has shown positive Phase I results in the
treatment and prevention of human influenza. The company’s
approach and technology is uniquely and easily adaptable for the
development of a vaccine against avian flu and to address the pandemic
threat. PowderMed has been a PR client of Northbank’s since
its high-profile media launch campaign in May 2004.
Objectives
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To
raise the profile of PowderMed’s programme in Influenza |
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To leverage
the potential of PowderMed’s technology in the treatment
of both annual and pandemic flu |
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To increase
awareness about PowderMed, both in Europe and in the US |
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To increase
awareness about flu vaccine manufacturing problems and offer
PowderMed’s technology as a solution |
PR
strategy
Northbank efforts
to support PowderMed were divided in two phases. Firstly, Northbank
used the opportunity around the publication of papers in Nature
and Science on the mathematical modelling of flu pandemic, and a
press briefing at the Science Media Centre to gain both immediate
coverage and ongoing interest from the media. Secondly, once Northbank
had placed PowderMed firmly on the map, the agency actively focused
on positioning PowderMed as the answer to avian flu preparedness
and vaccine manufacturing issues.
Methods
Phase
1:
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A
few days prior to the papers' publication and the SMC briefing
Northbank prepared a press release on the development of PowderMed's
new DNA vaccine for H5N1 avian flu and its suitability as a
"plug and play" cassette for H5N1 and future pandemic
strains. The release was supported by a media pack that included
a fact sheet on the company, a diagram describing the vaccine
action mechanism and a picture of the delivery device in use. |
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Northbank
researched journalists who had covered flu in the last 12-18
months and added them to the distribution list created for the
release. |
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More than
60 key broadcast and press journalists were sent the release
under embargo - "Friday for Monday". This allowed
them to prepare interviews, carry out filming in advance, and
facilitated the timely transmission and print of comprehensive
news pieces. |
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On the
release day, the new was sent to more than 350 media contacts
and followed up by telephone calls to a comprehensive list of
broadcast and print media contacts to ensure they were aware
of the story. |
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The press
release was also posted to several news wires and on the Company's
website. |
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Following
the release, Northbank continued its proactive media outreach,
provided a 24/7 media desk function responding to queries and
providing materials to media contacts, and arranging interviews. |
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A few hours
before the embargo time for the news on the Nature and Science
publications, Northbank issued an email statement in response
to the publications' findings. This was followed up with media
outreach to relevant broadcast and print media contacts. |
Phase
2:
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Northbank
updated the list of journalists daily having recently covered
bird flu and monitored external sources for news on avian and
pandemic flu. Media alerts were used to promote PowderMed as
an expert spokesperson around emerging news and issues. |
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A proactive
PR campaign was executed, targeting nationals, trade publications,
as well as other major TV/radio broadcasters to arrange media
briefings, interviews with PowderMed's management team, and
feature coverage. |
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Briefings
and the interviews were organised and photographers arranged.
Northbank helped PowderMed prepare for interviews and presentations,
and also fielded queries for pictures and materials following
interviews. |
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Northbank's
studio provided advice on preparing diagrams for presentations/articles. |
Results
Phase 1:
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Broadcast
coverage was obtained on several television news programmes
and radio stations, including live interviews on Channel 4 Lunchtime
news and BBC Radio Oxford, recorded features on BBC South and
Channel 4 Evening News, photo coverage and filming by Getty
Images and British Satellite Broadcasting, and a recorded interview
posted on the Wall Street Reporter website. |
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Good coverage
was obtained in UK national and international newspapers including
the Times, the Financial Times, the Guardian, the Wall Street
Journal and the Washington Post. Additional coverage was also
obtained in many local papers and trade press. PowderMed was
the only company cited in a "flu facts" feature in
the Times, demonstrating that Northbank had succeeded at putting
PowderMed and its flu vaccine on the map. |
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Key newswires
also reported the announcement, including Associate press, Reuters
and Pravda news wires: this fed into many papers and news sites
worldwide. |
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News was
also run on BBC News Online as the top health story and on many
other websites. A link to the PowderMed news was achieved as
part of the Nature/Science publications story. |
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Commenting
on Northbank's work around the release, Dr Brenda Reynolds,
Chief Operating Officer of PowderMed said: "There is no
doubt that the coverage obtained to date has been excellent
and the amount of effort you have all put in is reflected in
this." |
Phase
2:
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This
push resulted in more than 35 pieces of coverage for the month
of October only. Articles and interviews investigated available
vaccine technologies for flu and positioned PowderMed and its
DNA vaccine as a promising alternative to other technologies. |
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Group media
briefings and interviews were organised with several local,
national and international newspapers and resulted in very good
coverage, including pieces in the Wall Street Journal, the Financial
Times, The Independent on Sunday, The Times, the Guardian, The
Daily Telegraph, the Sunday Telegraph, the Sun, the Daily Mail,
the Daily Express, the Evening Standard, The Scotsman and the
Daily Mirror. |
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PowderMed
was also featured in BBC Newsnight and several other TV and
radio broadcasters including BBC News, Channel 4 News, Channel
5 News, ITV News, Sky News, Hong Kong TV and BBC Radio Oxford. |
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Print coverage
was also achieved in UK and International weekly news magazines
and in financial and trade publications, including the Economist,
Red Herring, the Pharmaceutical Journal, Business Week, the
Scientific American and Le Point. |
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PowderMed
was also covered by all major newswires including AFX News,
the European Press Agency, and PA News. |
15 November
2005
To discuss
our capability in this area please contact:
Sue Charles, Managing Partner
+44 (0)20 7457 2020
sue.charles[at]collegehill.com
This project
was implemented by Sue
Charles and Christelle
Kerouedan
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