Being Resolute

We're celebrating

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:59:00 -0000

I returned from annual leave this week to discover that Resolute has won the 2009 PharmaTimes Marketing Communications Agency of the Year competition. It's quite an accolade and I'm betting there were a few headaches the morning after the Pharma Times award ceremony!

FDA Social Media Guidance - 18 months to go

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:23:00 -0000

Twitter, Facebook, Google and their online accomplices were the prime suspects under investigation when the US FDA held a two-day public hearing (11-12 November) in Washington, DC. More than 60 representatives of the pharmaceutical and marketing industries shared their perspectives on the responsible use of online and social media to promote pharma products.

Running with Sir Richard

Mon, 19 0ct 2009 08:29:00 -0000

It's not every day that you have the chance to dance with a celebrity. And it's certainly not every day that you can justify public displays of dance moves that surfaced in a past decade. Am I talking about a Resolute outing to the disco with some high-profile faculty members? Not quite..

Giving it 100%

W3d, 23 Sep 2009 12:29:00 -0000

Walking to work this morning over the Millennium Bridge I encountered a dozen or so glamorously dressed businessmen and women striding purposefully along, looking both perky and over-excited. A bit further on I was greeted by a camera crew and photographers and it all became clear.

Playing it safe

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 20:50:00 -0000

When did healthcare communications become such risky business? It seems like risk is everywhere today: risk vs. benefit, risk management, high-risk patients, R&D risk and public health risk, and so on.

Letting the cat out of the brag

Tue, 02 Jul 2009 15:10:00 -0000

Everyone deserves recognition for a job well done. Although some of us are better at being recognised than others.

The reasons for this are numerous; be it due to modesty, self deprecation or being just too busy to shout about it - many of us achieve milestones both personal and professional throughout the year that go unnoticed.

By creating a forum whereby each individual can brag about one of their achievements at least once a year, we can remove those obstacles and free ourselves to boast about how good we are without fear!

From Rep to Resolute

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 09:18:00 -0000

Having a pharmaceutical representative background definitely provides a fantastic grounding for healthcare communications. It's really interesting and exciting to watch the development of materials from the initial concept right through to the finished product. As a representative, I'm not sure I ever really appreciated the amount of thought and work that went behind all the materials I used.

My previous experience has helped me to critique materials such as detail aids and case studies from a rep's perspective. I often test run the materials in their concept stage to ensure they would bring added value to a rep during a call with a healthcare professional.

The Rise of the Individual and the Agents of Change

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 09:58:00 -0000

Looking for some food for thought? Then check out our new PR Week White Paper, issued by PR Week US and written by me and my colleague Laurie Hurley, who heads up the New York office.

The Rise of the Individual and the Agents of Change looks at multiple converging societal and technological factors that are having a significant impact on communication theory and practice. In our White Paper we examine the pace of change, the increasing personalisation of audiences and messaging, and their influence on healthcare communications as a discipline.

Back into the fold

Thu, 4 Jun 2009 11:00:00 -0000

So around this time last year I was slowly waddling into the office, complaining of the heat and the size of my bump.

As always in PR, things never quite happen according to the approved timeline, so instead of turning up on 9 July as predicted, my son decided he would wait a little longer and make his entrance more than a week late on 18 July. The client (me) was not too happy about the production delay but supposedly ‘it couldn't be helped'. From that day, life in our house has never been the same again.

Walls have ears

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 09:42:00 -0000

Just back from a couple of weeks' holiday, I was vividly reminded that in healthcare communications, confidentiality and sensitivity are key when it comes to talking about what we do for our clients. Sitting in a restaurant one evening, I listened with fascination to the neighbouring table, where there was a bit of getting to know you chat going on.

The reason I was fascinated wasn't just because I am inherently nosey (although that's not such a bad attribute for a communications person I have to say), it was because one of the party spelt out their career history and current occupation in great detail. The individual concerned is a freelance HR consultant, working for some pretty well known upmarket consumer brands and my goodness she's had some hair-raising experiences. Thing is, if I had been a reporter, I could have made quite a few calls and placed a few stories on the back of what I overheard, resulting in quite a few red faces.