In the latest installment of our 10^th anniversary blog series, Dodge Communications’ president and CEO is interviewed to discuss Dodge’s history over the past 10 years. To view earlier installments please click here.

Brad Dodge is president and CEO at Dodge Communications. To listen to the interview, click on his picture or view the transcript below.

Question 1: When you started the company 10 years ago, where did you think Dodge would be on its 10^th anniversary?

Brad Dodge: It’s an interesting question because we didn’t really think about that back then. We were tied up in the day-to-day activities because we were starting a new business. There were so many variables, unknowns and challenges in getting started that we didn’t really think about what the future would hold. Instead, we had to think about what each day would hold. We were doing our own client management and writing our own brochures and things, so we didn’t really think that far ahead. Frankly, we didn’t know if it would be possible to grow the company strictly in the healthcare vertical, and it wasn’t until several years later that we said, “Wow, I guess this thing really can be all healthcare.” We started to get some successes and some long-term clients under our belt, and it became clear there was a real need for these services in the B2B healthcare space; it became obvious we’d be able to grow the business that way.

Question 2: How do you think Dodge has helped shape the healthcare industry over the past 10 years?

Brad Dodge: I think we’ve helped B2B vendors really understand how important it is to have clear messages. If you have clear messages and an integrated campaign that moves those messages forward, then that helps you drive awareness and grow your company. Because a lot of our clients have new technologies, they are way ahead of the markets they serve, and it’s not so easy just to say you’re out there in the market. If you’re selling cell phones, you can say you have the coolest new cell phone because it’s got better coverage. People understand that because they already know what a cell phone is and they’re already using one. They’ve probably tried different cell phones, and they understand the value of good coverage. They know whether or not they need that because those things are easy, but when you’re selling technology like our clients are, they are selling things that people don’t know. They can’t say cell phone because their market doesn’t know what a cell phone is.

A lot of times I use a car example: it’s easy for Volvo to sell a car that is safe because people already know what a car is. If they didn’t, then it would be a different kind of challenge of how to communicate that. Helping our technology clients say, “Back up and try to understand that the marketplace doesn’t even know your product exists or that they have a need for your product, never mind why yours is the best.”  You have to approach it from a different messaging perspective, and I think that’s one thing we’ve helped the vendors do.

One other thing is that we’ve really helped and stressed the importance of reinforcing messages through thought leadership. Through blogs, social media and the types of articles and white papers we develop for our clients, we really help them understand that when a prospect goes to a website and sees all kinds of content—relevant content—that’s approached from different angles but always advances the same message, that goes a really long way. I think vendors are finally starting to understand the work we do and that having a strong thought leadership position is a real strong requisite for what they are trying to do.

Question 3: What’s the best piece of advice you could give to a client who is trying to implement and integrated communications campaign?

Brad Dodge: I think the key to that question is the word integrated, and we help our clients understand what communications is in today’s world order—the speed and diversity through which we receive information—is not consumed the same way it was when we started the business 10 years ago. There was barely an Internet, there definitely wasn’t social media and magazines were all the rage.  Today, there are so many venues to get information from, and we help people understand that they need to be engaged in all types of communication venues to get your message out. So, just pick one thing like doing a webinar—there are dozens of ways you can make your market and your followers and your audience and clients aware that’s coming up. The more types of communications vehicles you use to promote an event, the better results you’re going to get from your investment in PR and marketing.

Question 4: What are your goals for the next 10 years for Dodge?

Brad Dodge: I think we know now that the business is well-established—we have 30 employees now—and we understand what the opportunity is. We understand where we can get better, where our strengths are and how we can distinguish ourselves from competition. We have a plan that says there is going to be a great need for our types of services in the B2B healthcare industry for a long time. That’s because of all the visibility that healthcare has at the federal and global level. There will be a lot of need for what we’re doing.

The business model has been proven and now our challenge is to execute it.  We have a 10 year business plan in place that has us growing to a certain size, and we just want to continue to build on the success we have and continue to grow the way we’re growing now. We realize we are going to have to go into some adjunct markets such as a bigger expansion into medical devices or medical providers or general technology. We know there’s an opportunity for a lot of growth, and we need to approach it systematically with the best practices we have developed so far.

Question 5: What are some of the most memorable moments of Dodge’s history?

Brad Dodge: You know, I think it’s every time we have some sort of a milestone. Just having moved into this office space that we’re in now was a pretty momentous occasion. It caused us to reflect for the past years we were in the other office location and what it was like when we moved in there. It also helps us look forward as to what it will be once we settle into this space. That’s kind of one of the times that you look at it—every time you move your office.

It’s also interesting to look at the employee list from awhile ago. I’m so fortunate to have a really awesome group of people who work in the company because it’s not an easy business to be in. Healthcare and technology are pretty heady business, and for someone to thrive in an environment where they have to have an understanding in healthcare and technology and a domain expertise in integrated communications as well as the fortitude to manage multiple brands at the same time—which is the definition of an agency—really requires a different breed and a stellar person. That’s what we’ve built over the years—employees who have those skill sets. It’s really awesome to work with people who are so competent and capable, and I look back and say, “Wow, the days before we had this employee or the days before we had that employee,” are the momentous times. I think about having first started a relationship with those employees and now they are really part of the fabric of the organization.

There’s also been a lot of trips—the standard conferences like HIMSS, MGMA and AMGA—where we connect with hundreds of people we’ve worked with as clients, vendors, editors or ad reps. It’s so much fun to do an event like that and connect with all types of people. It’s one of the things I look forward to all of the time—going to events and seeing people I haven’t seen in over a year and seeing them face-to-face to have some good social time together and really reconnect.

I think there are a lot of momentous times that I remember at the agency, but they are usually celebrating the people or the milestones, and that’s what make it a momentous event.

In the latest installment of our 10th anniversary blog series, a respected member of the healthcare media discusses his experience with Dodge over the years. To view earlier installments please click here.

Jack Beaudoin is the CEO of MedTech Media. He helped found the company in 2003 and was an editor of Healthcare IT News for many years before he became the editorial director for Healthcare IT News, Healthcare Finance News and all of the other websites and microsites MedTech Media produces. The transcript to his interview is below.

Dodge: How has the healthcare publishing industry evolved over the past decade in terms of developing new content?

Beaudoin: We differentiate ourselves from other publications in the healthcare industry because of our clear focus on news. I think the changes—or evolution—in “news” that we have seen has not been the content of news but the forms that it takes. As we’ve pushed online—web, tablets or smart phones—we’re experimenting with new forms; we’re not just writing the traditional article anymore. We’re using web tools like Storify or Cover It Live or slide shows. What’s really been exciting, I think, for healthcare journalists is that the range of telling stories has changed dramatically over the last decade.

Dodge: In your opinion, how can agencies best serve the needs of your editorial staff and readers?

Beaudoin: In my opinion—let me preface it with that—I’ve always said that agencies can serve editors by being the first gatekeeper to valuable information. An agency can send whatever they want to our editors, and we’ll look at it. But today, the amount of press releases or pitches vastly outnumbers our ability to report on these things. If an agency really wants to serve its customers, I think it serves editors and readers by pitching the types of stories that will have journalistic substance to them. They can announce new customers all day long, and they can announce changes in personnel; however, I think an agency should be able to say, “Hey this is part of a trend,” to place it in context, or say to an editor, “Not only are we suggesting you take a look at this institution, but look at what other institutions are doing like this.” I think that provides an invaluable service to editors who in-turn are trying to make sure that the information they deliver to readers is unique, important and newsworthy.

Dodge: How do you anticipate that the agency-publishing relationship may change in the next decade?

Beaudoin: Brad and I have talked about this before on a couple of occasions. Obviously I think there’s an increasing gray area or blur between what agencies and publishers are doing. From the agency perspective, the client is whomever you’re working for, and from the newspapers’ perspective—the newsgathering operation—we’re trying to serve our readers. We all need to be transparent about who the client is. With that in mind, I think it becomes “co-opertition”—cooperation and competition combined. I really see that happening.

I know for instance that Dodge offers its clients microsites just like we do as publishers. I think we can share information resources when appropriate. I say “when appropriate” because obviously, the information we deliver always keeps our readers in mind and their best interests, whereas an agency has to keep its clients’ best interests in mind.

Dodge: What have you enjoyed about working with the Dodge team over the years?

Beaudoin: I would say that I’ve enjoyed working with Brad Dodge or Brian Parrish because we talk. Their knowledge and experience is a resource I’ve drawn upon in the past. Instead of just leaving a great idea in our laps, we talk about it. I’ve met with Brad a couple of times over the years to talk about ways that the industry is changing and what that means for our news gathering operation and what it means for your agency. It’s that brainstorming work together that I find important when I think of Dodge.

The other thing of course, is in general, Brad and the team know what journalists need and what they don’t need. I think to protect the integrity of his operation, and thus protect the integrity of his clients, the whole Dodge team really screens what they bring to journalists. That’s invaluable, too, because like I said, we’re swamped with information. Our task becomes separating the wheat from the chaff.  The more that we can look at just wheat and the less we have to look at chaff, the better.

Dodge: Is there anything else you might like to add, or do you have a memory of working with Dodge you might want to share?

Beaudoin: I have lots of memories because we always see the team at HIMSS and other major industry events, and that’s always a nice time to catch up. I guess I would say that the ongoing professionalism from Dodge has always made it a great team to work with.

I was particularly interested in the question about how healthcare publishing has evolved over the past ten years. I think that’s where it gets really interesting for you folks, as well. I mentioned Storify and Cover It Live—but our team is also using LinkedIn for discussions, and we use Twitter, etc. I know that you guys are active in the social media front too. The sources, the distribution models and the communications around breaking news are all changing and it is important that we all stay abreast of emerging technologies.

Jerry Baker is CEO of Halfpenny Technologies, a leading provider of clinical data exchange solutions. Halfpenny has been a Dodge Communications client for two and a half years.

Dodge: Can you tell us briefly about Halfpenny Technologies’ history and the mission behind starting the company?

Baker: Our founder, Charles Halfpenny, was a pioneer in developing clinical applications for physicians – applications that were the predecessors of EHR systems. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, he developed Dr. Chart, which is very similar to today’s EHRs. Charles sold that company in the late 1990s and founded Halfpenny Technologies in 2000. Because of his experience with Dr. Chart, he realized that the biggest challenge once a clinical application has been installed in an ambulatory environment is achieving connectivity with other clinical and financial systems. Because 80 percent of data reside outside of the walls of the physician’s office, a reliable and secure way to exchange data is crucial. The first generation of Halfpenny’s lab platform, ITF (Integration Technology Framework), was developed in 2001 to facilitate data exchange between physician EHR systems and laboratory information systems. Currently, some 400 EHR applications are vying for meaningful use, and seeking to achieve connectivity with laboratories and other entities such as health plans.

Dodge: Can you elaborate on your business model and the company’s plan for the next five years?

Baker: Halfpenny plans on evolving what is now a lab-focused hub into a more comprehensive diagnostics hub. This hub will include adjacent ancillary areas such as radiology, cardiology, discharge summaries and other familiar transactions that require middleware in order for data to be exchanged between disparate systems – in other words, to achieve interoperability. Our main focus is building on our foundation of facilitating lab transactions that cannot be readily exchanged without some kind of translation (or normalization of data) between systems.

Dodge: How has Dodge Communications helped you with your public relations needs over the last several years?

Baker: Dodge has helped us create brand awareness in a very professional, polished and credible way. This has allowed us to focus our efforts on building out our technology and services, and on the sales of our solutions. Dodge has handled the lion’s share of our marketing and public relations efforts, and has successfully increased the knowledge of our offerings and capabilities to key stakeholders within the healthcare industry. We could never have hoped to achieve the levels of exposure through published feature articles, case studies, media interviews and news releases without a partner like Dodge.

Dodge: Thanks, Jerry. What are some of the accomplishments you have been able to realize through your partnership with Dodge? How have these accomplishments impacted your overall business?

Baker: Dodge’s contribution has been tremendous. Our sales and business development momentum is a key indicator. During each of the past six month periods, we’ve set records for all of our key operating metrics. Our involvement with Dodge and the highly credible exposure we’ve received as a result has been a contributing factor. The Dodge staff consistently demonstrates professional and proficient writing ability, and is able to secure coverage for Halfpenny within top tier HIT and lab publications, which I believe is directly correlated with the increase in our business trajectory. In fact, our second quarter sales were 40 percent higher than they were during the previous quarter – quite a significant accomplishment.

Dodge: So, based on your experience, what advice would you give to other companies that are considering adding public relations to their communications strategy?

Baker: I would urge companies to embrace the concept of engaging in a partnership with a public relations and marketing firm like Dodge – even if they already have a reasonably developed internal marketing department. A dedicated PR firm has the contacts and know-how to enhance the efforts of an existing marketing or communications department, and make it much more effective. I think those are dollars well spent.

Dodge: Any additional comments that you’d like to add?

Baker: Only that I think Dodge has been a tremendous partner for Halfpenny. If you look at Dodge’s track record and the highly credible publications in which they’ve secured editorial placements for Halfpenny during the past several years – well, that speaks volumes.

In the latest installment of our 10^th anniversary blog series, a Dodge Communications client is interviewed to discuss his experience with Dodge over the years. To view earlier installments please click here.

Tim Kelly is vice president of Dialog Medical, a division of Standard Register Healthcare. Dialog Medical has been a Dodge Communications client for more than seven years. Click on the picture below to listen to the interview or view the transcript below.

Dodge: In those seven years, how has Dodge Communications helped with your integrated communications needs?

Kelly: Dodge has been amazing over the course of seven years. Dialog Medical started with a truly missionary product—something that was unknown to the market. We were automating a non-standard process and introducing a new approach to a traditional workflow. Dodge has been invaluable to our efforts to educate the market on our solution, and even more to the point, to help the market understand there is a need for the solution we offer.

Dodge: What are some of the major accomplishments you’ve been able to achieve with Dodge, and how have these accomplishments impacted your overall business?

Kelly: The great thing about Dodge is their ability to secure media placements. The last media report you folks generated listing the number of placements you’ve achieved over the past seven years was over 25 pages long. That’s not 25 individual placements, that’s 25 pages full of great journal placements. Probably one of the best was a Wall Street Journal piece, and as a matter of fact, Dodge won a Communicator Award for that particular placement. It has probably been our most-used piece in the last several years. That Wall Street Journal article has been employed by our sales force; it’s prominent on our website; and it’s really validated what we do. One of the amazing things about that piece is that it contained two pictures of our product in-use and three full screen shots —a placement that is just absolutely outstanding.

We are now in a stage where we are beginning to see the impact Dodge has had on our clients now that we’re doing interviews with those same clients who were at one point influenced by our media placements. Just by way of example, one client is a large healthcare system in the Chicago-area—an eight hospital system. When interviewed for and article, we asked them why they selected a Dialog Medical product, and we found out they did their research on the market, and they looked at the evidence—evidence that was mostly developed by Dodge Communications that ultimately influenced their decision to purchase our application. We also uncovered the same thing in an interview we just completed with a client in the Boston area. It’s exciting that Dodge has now come full circle, and we’re interviewing people who based their purchasing decision on evidence that Dodge had prepared in years past for us.

Dodge: Where do you think integrated communications is headed, and why do you think Dodge is positioned to succeed?

Kelly: I think Dodge is just doing an amazing job in the area of integrated communications. You folks, to your credit, are dragging me kicking and screaming to the area of Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and all of that. You can tell from the gray hair that I’m a little older, even though I have teenagers who try to educate me in the area of social media. Dodge is helping keep me stay current with my own kids.  Traditionalists like myself would love to stay in the print area, but Dodge has done a great job of expanding the scope of our marketing communication efforts. I use Dodge extensively for PR, for some marketing (we’ve done a few brochures), and a lot for web development. They’re helping with placements now, not only with web communications, but we’re also finding ourselves commenting on the postings of others in an effort to better communicate our message. Dodge has done a wonderful job on the social media side of things through picking up on trends, pointing us where we should go to comment on themes to better position ourselves as experts on a particular area. Their assistance with our website has been focused on search engine optimization and search engine marketing, and that’s been a huge help for us as well.

Dodge: That’s all the questions we have for you, is there anything else you might like to add, or do you have any fun memories of Dodge you’d like to share?

Kelly: I’ve worked with a number of PR firms over the years, and Dodge is just absolutely outstanding. We’ve been a Dodge client for seven years, and I don’t think in any previous existence did I ever spend seven straight years with any one PR firm or any one ad agency. Dodge just continues to add value; they continue to make us exceptional in the marketplace. One of the fun things personally, is you folks drive me; you folks make me a more effective marketing person by staying behind me and pushing me to constantly promote our solution. Your attentiveness to deadlines, your knowledge of the market, and your continual presenting to me of new promotional and communications opportunities that has helped make our company successful. Dialog Medical is now a division of Standard Register Healthcare and that has a lot to do with Dodge Communications.

My heart goes out to all those who suffered losses of any kind resulting from effects of hurricane Irene and the subsequent tropical storm. And I certainly don’t envy the jobs of the crisis spokespersons–governors and mayors, police and fire personnel, disaster response organizations and others.

Spokespersons have a very important responsibility updating citizens and media outlets, conveying difficult facts while being sympathetic and empathetic to the plight of everyone affected. And while “it ain’t that bad” and “sure coulda been a whole lot worse” may seem like appropriate, hopeful observations, tremendous care must be taken in how, when and to whom pep talks are delivered.

Take Connecticut’s governor Dan Malloy, for example.

On Wednesday, in comments I read in a Wall Street Journal article, Malloy said, “Let’s put this in perspective. Only two people died. It’s miraculous if you think about it.”

He was addressing hundreds of thousands of people who had been and were being impacted by the surprising wrath of the storm. People were angry that the response to power outages wasn’t faster and more organized. People were devastatingly sad that their homes were damaged or even completely destroyed. But most importantly, there were families and communities that were mourning the loss of loved ones whose lives were taken by the storm’s furor. “It ain’t that bad”, “coulda been worse” and “It’s a miracle there ain’t more dead” are all very insensitive remarks that–in my opinion–crossed the line from constructive to destructive.

“Aw, he was jes’ tryin to help” you say? Had he considered the impact of such insensitive remarks by thinking of the specific audiences he was addressing, it wouldn’t have taken much thought to realize it.

It all comes around to the need to empathize with your audience’s pain points, whether you’re a crisis spokesperson serving the public, a director of PR for a public company, or a sales manager for a small tech startup.

Be strategic with your messages. Think about what to say, and what NOT to say. Like my dad always said, “Why do you think you were given two ears but only one mouth?”

In the latest installment of our 10^th anniversary blog series, a Dodge Communications account director is interviewed to discuss her experience with Dodge over the years. To view earlier installments please click here.

Chowning Johnson is an account director at Dodge Communications. She has been at Dodge for five years. Click on the picture below to listen to the interview or view the transcript below.

Dodge: How has Dodge helped you develop as a professional communicator?

Johnson: I came from an agency that focused on a variety of businesses from automotive to museums to government and a little bit of healthcare and pharma.  They had a wide range of clients for B2B and B2C situations, so coming to Dodge was quite a shift. I think going into the niche market that we’re in here has been absolutely invaluable. I’ve been able to develop an expertise through working with our clients and working with colleagues here. Being so ingrained in this industry is great. I can’t imagine having that type of experience at another agency, and I think it makes me as a communicator and our company truly unique at what we do, which makes us really valuable for our clients.

Another thing I think that is important to note from a media relations perspective is that a lot of agencies maybe don’t do as much homework on the reporters as they should. I think one thing that has been ingrained in me here is knowing who we’re pitching, who their audience is and what they like to write about to make sure that the stories we’re offering are truly applicable and what they’re looking for. It’s really the life blood of what we do, so I think that’s another huge attribute of what Dodge has given to my professional career here. Those are really the two things that stick out the most.

From an integrated communications stand point, there are other agencies that solely focus on just the public relations side of things or just the marketing side of things. One thing I really love about what we do is we look at everything from a holistic approach. We have the public relations, the marketing and the social media. We look at everything from a strategic, high- level overview before we go into the tactical level which really ensures our clients are getting everything they need from a lead nurturing and a lead generation stand point.

Dodge: What role do you think Dodge has in shaping communications in the ever-changing healthcare industry?

Johnson: That’s a really good question—a tough question. You know, I think it goes back to a little bit about what I said about the first one.  Being in such a niche market, we have this great insight into the space we’re in, especially with the legislation incentives, the different payment models that are coming down, ACOs and patient-centered medical homes. The industry is changing rapidly right now, and it’s really amazing to watch and be a part of it through our clients, who are the ones out there talking to hospitals, IDMs, medical groups, payers, etc. We work closely with these organizations—whether it’s commentary on legislation or a bylined thought leadership article on these new models of care. I think through that, we’re helping them hone their voice in the industry and ensuring the messages they’re getting out there are striking a chord.

In addition to that, social media has obviously been a huge change in the industry in the past few years.  We have some clients that love it, and we have some clients that are terrified of it. We have others who are just dipping their toes in it. I think that’s one of the valuable things about what we do at Dodge. We look at both traditional tactics that are out there and also new things that we’re seeing.  We bring those to our clients to ensure they are reaching their maximum audience with multiple touch points—whether that’s a press release, something on Twitter or a blog.  I think that’s one way that we’ve really shifted our clients focus to make sure they’re really communicating with their target audiences.

Dodge: What do you think is the most important part of working with clients to make integrated communications campaigns?

Johnson: This also ties back to what I just mentioned about the way Dodge is shaping communications within the healthcare space. I think it’s really important—sometimes it’s easy on a day-to-day basis to get stuck on the tactics and not look at the overall picture. From an integrated communications standpoint at the outset of every project, whether it’s an initiative, an event—whatever it may be—it’s taking an overview and looking at everything from a strategic level.  It’s looking at what the objectives are that we want to accomplish and making sure we’re aligning the tactics to meet the strategies and objectives. I think every campaign requires something different, and I think we’re very comfortable with customizing everything that we’re doing per the clients’ needs. The real take-away there is looking at every different facet, whether that’s social media, marketing, PR and not just honing in on one specific channel in that area.

Dodge: What is your favorite part about working for Dodge?

Johnson: That’s a good one. You know, I think one of the things that most attracted me to the company when I came here originally was the people.  It’s a very dynamic group—everybody’s highly motivated, competitive, hard workers. I feel like then and even today I’m always learning something new from someone—whether that’s our CEO or one of our VPs or an account coordinator or an intern. I feel there’s a collective wealth of knowledge here, and if you just keep your ears out there, you’re learning something new every day. It’s a great group of people to work with, and it’s what keeps me passionate about my job. Also, our clients are awesome. We try to act as an extension of their organization, and through that we like to think of them as family. Whether it’s going to have a glass of wine or giving presents when they have a baby, it makes it a very family-oriented place both internally and externally, and that’s something I really love about it.

Dodge: What are some of the most memorable moments you’ve had here at Dodge?

Johnson: Well, some of these might fall a little flat, as they’re inside stories, but I’ll give it a go and see if it resonates. One thing that we do is we try to have events as a company where we go out together and have time to get out of the office, get out of work  and just have a little fun—something that I think is a key to success for any company. One of our favorite activities is this thing called WhirleyBall. If you haven’t heard of WhirleyBall, let me try and give you a brief description: think bumper cars, a basketball court, lacrosse sticks, a ball and a basketball goal with a center target. So basically, you zoom around in these cars, and you have two teams trying to make goals in a five minute period. Needless to say—I mentioned how competitive we can all be, which is one of our great strengths—it can also lead to a lot of bruises and battering, but it’s a lot of fun nonetheless. We get out there, have a couple of beers and have fun with our colleagues. It’s a really good time to get your frustrations out on the court and walk away saying you’ll never do it again and go back six months later.

Another fun thing, Jerold, who is our controller here, had a vendetta at our old office building. There wasn’t a left turn light for crossing multiple lanes of traffic. He worked tirelessly for years with numerous government agencies to get a turn light in there. So, after sometime—I think it was my first or second year at Dodge—he finally succeeded, and they said they were going to put a traffic light in. We got this big traffic light cake and of course there was black icing on it. Needless to say, that stains your teeth and your mouth and everything, but that was quite a triumph for Jerold. It was a fun, feel-good thing, and it made our lives a little bit safer which is a good thing.

On a serious note, we just moved to a new office building, and it’s really amazing to see ten years later—I’ve only been there half of that time—to see how far the company has come. Moving into this new office space really signifies everything that everyone has put into growing this business and working with our clients and ensuring we continue to succeed. I think that’s a good tenth anniversary note that we’ve been able to move into this new space that better fits our needs. It really is representative of who we are and who we strive to be as a brand at Dodge.

In the latest installment of our 10^th anniversary blog series, a Dodge Communications client is interviewed to discuss her experience with Dodge over the years. To view earlier installments please click here.

Jennifer Kuesel is the director of marketing at NextGen Healthcare. She says that partnering with Dodge Communications has been fruitful and that Dodge has always been a great team player with the NextGen team. Click on the NextGen Healthcare logo below to listen to the interview or view the transcript below.

Dodge: How long has NextGen Healthcare been a Dodge client?

Kuesel: We’ve been working with Dodge for nine years.

Dodge: How has Dodge Communications helped with your integrated communications needs over the last nine years?

Kuesel: Dodge has been our dedicated PR partner and our go-to partner for integrated communications support over that time frame. We are a full service marketing organization here at NextGen, but oftentimes the volume of work that we have exceeds the internal capacity. We’re always looking for partners who can seamlessly fit in with our team and feel like they’re a part of our team. Dodge has always done a really good job with that for us. Additionally, what we find is that their expertise in integrated communications augments some of the skill sets that we don’t maybe have here on the team. They are able to take our goals and our objectives and help us formulate an action plan that goes beyond what I would view as standard marketing communications and help us develop a plan that really reaches both web, live events, printed collateral, and full service campaigns that help drive lead demand for us, which is typically one of the key functions we look for in integrated communications action plans.

Dodge: What are some of the major accomplishments you have been able to realize through your partnership with Dodge? How have these accomplishments impacted your overall business?

Kuesel: Well, as I mentioned, a lot of times what we’re looking for is lead gen and support with developing our funnel, so integrated communications is an integral part of that. A lot of times what we’ll do, is have a kick-off call with Dodge and work through what our specific objectives are—whether it’s in a specific market, or whether it’s a specific trade show we’re working on. I’ll give you an example:

Last year we worked on a brand awareness campaign in the areas of Maryland and St. Louis. They were important to us because we acquired a business unit in Maryland and the same was true of St. Louis. They were all for one business line but were two companies coming together to form that business line for us, so it was important to begin to be recognized in those markets as a key player. The business units we acquired were considered small market vendors. It really helped us make sure the market saw the companies we acquired as now part of the NextGen family, and it helped us expand our footprint to the national level we were looking for.

The campaign we put forth, we ran first in St. Louis, and then we copied the best practices from St. Louis to Maryland. It was a brand awareness campaign, but there was a full suite of objectives that were based in web and printed collateral as well as online and face-to-face. There was a live event to culminate the end of the campaign. We were working on brand as we went along, but a secondary objective was to create lead demands in those markets. Dodge was our partner for that and worked seamlessly with our internal department in both creative services, web services and marketing communications to put forth a campaign that supported those markets. They really took the lead on it and managed the project for us and helped us measure our objectives.

In fact, we submitted that along with Dodge as a candidate for the 17^th annual Communicator Awards, and it was named as an award of excellence for the campaign. It was a great partnership; it helped us drive the brand; it helped us meet our lead objectives; and it helped us get to a place where we were able to measure both the hard dollars and the soft dollar because brand tends to be more soft dollar.

Dodge: Thanks for sharing. That’s a really great example.

Dodge: Where do you think integrated communications is headed, and why do you think Dodge is positioned to succeed?

Kuesel: I think there has been a major shift in what integrated communications means in the last 12 to 18 months. Some of it has to do with social media; some of it has to do with one-to-one marketing advances that people are making out there in the market; and some of it has to do with the way the world does its research these days. I feel like one of the things that  in the last four or five years has really switched is that it used to be very much a direct mail world and integrated communications was a piece of that, and that’s really shifted . A lot of the communications in an integrated communication plan are now focused on web and social media and areas where previously it had been maybe not so—popular—to communicate via the web and email. Campaigns were driven in a much different way than they are today.

I think Dodge for us, specializes in the healthcare market, so they have that knowledge going in and they have a fairly robust bench. Each member of the team has a different skill set. You have experts in marketing communication; you have experts in PR; you have experts in web; you have experts in social media.  Many times an organization who is looking for a partner doesn’t have all those skill sets in-house, so it’s beneficial to have a partner who is dealing in those types of media everyday and has expertise right at the pulse of the industry.

Dodge: That’s all the questions we have for you. Is there anything you’d like to add to the conversation or say?

Kuesel: I think overall our partnership with Dodge has been a very fruitful one for both Dodge and NextGen, and I believe that true partnerships are born from that. I couldn’t have better things to say about our experiences with Dodge along the way the past nine years.

I’ve been watching the coverage of the interviews with former Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell this week with great curiosity and amazement. The buzz started when she walked out of the interview with CNN’s Piers Morgan when—apparently—she’d had enough of his questions that weren’t what she wanted to talk about. After that, Morgan talked with Anderson Cooper, and both agreed that the interview questions were fair game because they addressed topics discussed in the book and in other public forums. I thought that might be the end of the discussion. Then, to my surprise, she appeared on the Today Show to explain why she walked off the set at CNN. “We were late for another interview” was the main point she tried to put forth. Let’s have a show of hands who believes that excuse. No one? C’mon, she and her advisors must have thought SOMEone would believe that. I mean, forget the fact that she spent the first 8 minutes of the interview criticizing Morgan’s approach as creepy, and alleging he used such tactics because he was desperate for ratings. “I was late” was the main point.

I believe that these interviews illustrate why any person, company or other organization needs to have a clear messaging strategy and platform before venturing out onto the world’s stage. Any communications strategist could have predicted what Morgan’s line of questioning would have been, and she admitted on the Today Show that she didn’t even want to do the CNN interview because of Morgan’s style. (She also admitted she didn’t want to do the “I am not a witch” ad but the experts convinced her that it was a good idea. And she lamented that it’s a sexist thing, observing that no one continues to ask President Clinton about his Lewinksy escapades.)

Could you sit through an interview with Piers Morgan? Can you think what he’d ask? Are you prepared with solid messaging that clearly and forcefully articulates your position and advances your message? Do you know how to segue from a question about one topic to an answer about another?

Watching the political process is one of the most fascinating forms of messaging. How many times has President Obama said “millionaires and billionaires?” Do you think he and his minions are speaking off the cuff? Or are they using carefully crafted messaging points that are designed to resonate with the voting public. It’s an integrated communication strategy with a solid messaging platform. It doesn’t matter whether you agree or disagree. Top tier politicians are heavily coached on communications strategy.

Every healthcare, technology and life sciences company needs to be prepared with an integrated communication strategy and a solid messaging platform. It’s the vital foundation you need to promote and build your brand in a tough environment.

Sure, most healthcare companies will never sit down with a tough interviewer looking to exploit scandal. Most healthcare media are hard working folks trying to do a good job and deliver compelling news to their readers, visitors and followers. But if your messages aren’t clear in your interviews, on your blog and on your web content, you run the risk of missing opportunities to advance your message and build your company. You lose the momentum that could be seized by your competitors.

The scariest thing of all is that O’Donnell has worked as a PR and marketing consultant in the past. Unbelievable.

In the latest installment of our 10^th anniversary blog series, a Dodge Communications senior account manager is interviewed to discuss her experience with Dodge over the years. To view earlier installments please click here.

Kat McDavitt is senior account manager at Dodge Communications. She has been at Dodge for a year and a half and says that having a great group of supportive colleagues is one of her favorite parts of her job. Click on the picture below to listen to the interview or view the transcript below.

Dodge: How has Dodge helped you develop as a professional communicator?

McDavitt: I think it’s helped me most by being able to work on a team. In my previous position I was the sole PR practitioner at a corporate firm, and there was no one to bounce ideas off of. There was no one to get a second opinion from, so it’s been really great to have a group of really supportive colleagues who go out of their way to give you good advice.

Dodge: What role do you think Dodge has in the ever-changing healthcare technology industry?

McDavitt: I think Dodge has a great opportunity to cut through a lot of the noise that is out there right now, especially with healthcare reform and a lot of changing rules and deadlines. There’s a lot of uncertainty and chaos, so I think we have a great opportunity to tell the story of the companies who might not have the biggest, baddest budgets, but the companies that might have really great benefits to offer and really great solutions.

Dodge: What do you think is the most important part of working with clients to create integrated communications campaigns?

McDavitt: I think the most important things to consider when putting together an integrated marketing campaign is to set really clear expectations upfront and to define clear objectives. I think if you skip ahead to the fun stuff and skip the foundation, I think you may be disappointed in the end. It’s very important to take time at the beginning of a campaign and set everything up right.

Dodge: What’s your favorite part about working for Dodge?

McDavitt: My favorite part about working at Dodge is probably my first answer—that you get to work with a fun team and a fun group of people. I’ve made a lot of good friends here and a lot of good professional relationships as well.

Dodge: What are some of the memorable moments you’ve had here at Dodge?

McDavitt: On a professional level, I think one of the best experiences I’ve had so far is getting to go the HIMSS conference this past year. It was great to go to one of the biggest industry events we have here. To have the chance to see our clients in a different environment and face-to-face makes it a very interesting place to be. On a personal level, I really loved the Dodge WhirleyBall competition last year. That was a lot of fun!

Over the past few weeks, much of the country has been directly or indirectly affected by the tornadoes that have torn through cities such as Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Joplin, Mo. Towns have been devastated by the damage, and the storms have left many residents with nothing. Though no one can be fully prepared for the magnitude of storms like these or the damage they create, there are precautions that can be taken to be kept as safe as possible.  Companies and organizations can learn a few lessons from and be reminded of the importance of a crisis communications plan from these recent storms. Learning how other companies and organizations handle crisis situations can also be very helpful.

While the cities affected by the tornadoes and strong storms may not have been able to fully prepare for what was coming, many were prepared to seek shelter and listen to weather advisories. Most Florida residents, who brace for hurricanes each year, have become quite good at preparing for storms.  These residents, who take many precautions, serve as a good example for a company when creating a crisis communications plan.

1. Listen to the warnings: Hurricanes are fairly easy for meteorologists to predict because of the weather patterns they follow. The same applies to certain communication storms such as the resignation of an executive, bad press in the local newspaper, negative comments on a Facebook page, or misinterpreted advertising.  All companies have faced similar problems before, and many have done so very successfully. Take time to learn about crisis communication best practices when developing your own plan.
2. Secure your home: Take necessary precautions to ensure your company is as safe as possible. Homes with strong foundations and boarded-up windows usually survive better than those without. Different types of companies have to safeguard against different things. For instance, healthcare and technology companies must safeguard data to avoid crisis situations . Make sure your organization takes time to establish a plan so no one is caught off-guard in the event of a crisis.
3. Stock up on essentials: When a storm is eminent, most people go to the store to buy food and essentials—just in case. Don’t wait until a crisis has occurred to begin developing a plan. Create a list of media contacts you might need to contact after a crisis; decide how your company is going to respond to a negative Tweet; determine who the company spokesperson will be; have training sessions so everyone knows what to do.
4. Leave if necessary: If the crisis has created so much buzz that your company cannot handle it, consider stepping out of the spotlight for a little while. Many experts thought BP should have followed this advice in the midst of the oil spill crisis.  Another option is to reconsider the direction of your communication. When a hurricane is threatening, residents leave their homes, and roads are rerouted to be most efficient. Crisis communications requires attention and message redirecting, as we’ve discussed before.
5. Develop a plan: This is the most important step. Many hurricane preparedness sites suggest creating a family plan so everyone knows what to do if a storm is coming. Where will you meet? What will you pack? Who will you contact? The same applies for a company. Who will speak about an accident at a manufacturing plant? Who will respond to a negative newspaper article? How should employees interact in the local community in response to a crisis?

A crisis communications plan acts much like a generator after a big storm. When there is no power, a generator helps restore power to some areas; a crisis communications plan helps restore reputation and raises awareness among the audience about a company or organization in the event it is needed. It is never too early to start preparing for a pop-up thunderstorm or a hurricane in the world of communications.