Articles by Jennifer
Is Your Crisis Communication Crash Cart Ready?
by Jennifer Allen on April 30, 2009 | no comments
in Crisis Communications, Healthcare
You guessed it! It is time for another PR / medical analogy from the resident Lovell nurse. There have been a lot of crises in the news lately – the swine flu, the global financial downturn, Lindsay Lohan’s love life. Thankfully, most of our clients are well-prepared to respond to crises because they have put a crisis communications plan in place. Naturally, I find a way to relate this to my clinical experience and equate crisis preparation to the development of code response plans.
And so the analogy unfolds: Our clinical audience is certainly familiar with the crash cart. The crash cart contains array of emergency drugs and equipment neatly organized and easily accessible in the event of a code – or serious patient emergency, such as cardiac arrest.
Hospitals and clinical personnel realize the importance of planning ahead for this type of emergency. Waiting until a crisis arises to make decisions could be disastrous in these life-and- death situations. So in preparation, code response teams, (made up of nurses, physicians and other clinical personnel), designate each team member’s role and how each person should react the instant a code is announced.
This should serve as an example for companies of all sizes. Planning how your team will react in a time of crisis determines the overall impact a crisis will have on your customers, your employees and your organization. A crisis is no time to start making decisions.
Just as the medications in the crash cart and emergency equipment must be routinely checked for expiration dates and to verify everything is in working order, the crisis plan should also be revisited on an annual basis. (Clinicians, this is your “Mock Code.”)
Many plans are great in theory and look even better on paper, but when put in practice, problems arise. We usually recommend an annual “tabletop run through,” during which the crisis team assembles and we present various crisis scenarios and work through the plan with the various departments that would have a role in responding to a crisis. This gives everyone the opportunity to catch glitches in the plan and identify details of the plan that should be reworked and updated.
When it comes to a crisis, it is better to have a plan on a shelf that you never have to use than to be caught in a crisis without one!
Assess, Diagnose, Plan, Implement and Evaluate: A Nurse’s Approach to Public Relations and Marketing
by Jennifer Allen on March 25, 2009 | 9 comments
in Healthcare, Measurement, Social Media
You clinicians out there are probably familiar with the ADPIE (Assess, Diagnose, Plan, Implement and Evaluate) approach to patient care. Because nursing is so deeply ingrained in my psyche after 16 years in the industry, I still use this approach as a strategic planning tool for our health care and non-health care PR / Marketing clients.
The acronym illustrates the importance of gaining an in-depth understanding of our clients’ businesses, by investing time and resources into the assessment and diagnostic phases, before developing a strategic plan of action.
Picture this: As marketing and communications counsel, we assume the role of the physician. Before we jump into a treatment regimen (strategic marketing, communications or crisis management tactics), we must complete a thorough evaluation of the patient’s (client’s) signs and symptoms and correctly identify (or diagnose) the issues.
Here’s how it works:
Assessment
During this time we develop an in-depth understanding of the company. The information we gather during this phase will serve as the foundation for the strategy and tactics to come. This process may include a review of:
- Company mission, values and goals
- Business plan
- Target audiences
- Competitive landscape
- Factors of influence within the industry
- Internal and external audiences
- Success of past marketing efforts
Diagnosis
The diagnosis will be unique for every client based on the “signs and symptoms” identified in the assessment phase. Diagnoses may lead to a focus on:
- Employee / Internal communications
- Advertising strategy
- Public relations
- Crisis planning / Crisis management
- Reputation management
- Online presence
- Website functionality, appearance and ease of navigation
- Collateral development
- Media training
- Media relations
Planning
During the planning phase, we formulate an action plan. As with the diagnosis, plans will be unique to each client and may include:
- Media relations
- Print media / Editorial promotion
- Electronic and broadcast media
- Social media
- Sponsorship opportunities
- Advertising and promotional campaigns
- Community relations
- Strategic networking
- Cross promotions
- Website improvements
- Search engine optimization
- Collateral development
Implementation
During this phase we put the tactics outlined in the master plan into action by methodically developing resources to accomplish the objectives identified in the plan. Just a few examples are:
- Development and distribution of news releases
- Develop feature stories and targeted pitches
- Develop marketing materials
- Website redesign
- Ad development and distribution
Evaluation
During the evaluation phase, we identify efforts that have been most successful as well as opportunities to modify those that have not produced desired results. ROI can be tricky, but there are always methods to monitor results. Considerations may include:
- Increase in website traffic
- Increase in sales
- Media coverage of success stories
- Calls in response to ads
- Improved internal and external relations
Although the assessment, diagnostic and planning phases may require a significant amount of time and resources, it is indeed a wise investment. After all, would you let a surgeon you never met or who had no knowledge of your medical history operate on you?