Why It’s Worth Engaging with Media Between Major Milestones, and Helpful Tips to Get the Most Out of the Experience

By Sarah Ellinwood
February 28, 2023

Life science companies most often reach out to the media when they have a juicy story to tell, whether it be a company launch, fresh funding round, or clinical trial updates.

These announcements can come with a lot of hustle, bustle, and recognition for the company. Biotech enthusiasts will flock to a company’s website to learn more, and jobseekers will snoop around for potential new opportunities. Shortly after these milestones, however, companies are quick to slink back into the shadows, putting their heads down and working diligently until the next major announcement.

There’s certainly nothing wrong with being more conservative in your comms strategy, but you could very well be missing out on opportunities to continue building and showcasing your employer brand.

Many companies I’ve worked with over the years think that media companies will turn their nose at stories that aren’t major headline makers. And while this is certainly true for some companies, others are quite interested in telling stories between the inflection points.

Some ideas for things to talk about you might not have thought of:

  • The in’s and out’s of your company’s scientific approach and how it’s differentiated
  • Thought leadership from a senior member of your team on a topic of interest, such as progress made in a certain field and what hurdles need to be overcome
  • Publications – What were the key findings in an article you recently published?
  • People – Do you have someone awesome who you want to showcase?

And here are some of the advantages of chatting with media between milestones:

  • Growing your company’s voice, thought leadership, and authority
  • Building relationships with writers, which will help them write even better stories down the road
  • Showcasing your team, which makes your employees feel valued
  • More potential for your name popping up on Google, which is valuable when an investor or a jobseeker looks you up
  • Having positive media stories can help buffer sentiments from potential bad news, such as a clinical trial hold

With this in mind, getting writers interested in these in-between stories might take a bit more homework and outreach. What strategy should you use here?

Tips for getting the most bang for your buck

Find the right outlet

As noted above, not every media company or magazine out there is going to want to cover these fluffier stories – that’s okay. Poke around the outlet’s website to get a better understanding of what kind of stories they cover and, when in doubt, reach out to their editors to ask.

Of course, a shameless plug – if you’re in the BioHealth Capital Region, Greater Philadelphia, or RTP, BioBuzz is a prime outlet for getting your stories out there. I’d love to hear from you – reach out to me at [email protected].

Check out the outlet’s editorial calendar for opportunistic topics to pitch

Many media outlets have their editorial calendars for the year somewhere on their website. While some are more detailed than others, editorial calendars will give you a good idea of what the outlet is planning to cover in the coming months. Knowledge is power – keep a folder of these calendars for your reference.

Is the outlet covering medtech in April, for example? Great – perfect opportunity to pitch your story if you’re working on a new healthcare device! Do note the deadlines, though – some outlets must have articles finalized a month in advance, especially if they have print editions.

Also be mindful of observance days and months. March, for example, is Women’s History Month, and Pride Month is coming up in June. 

Keep your pitch short and punchy

Take it from me – writers and editors get swamped with pitches and press release notifications every day. And while we try to wade through the multitudes of emails, nothing loses our attention quicker than opening up an email and seeing a pitch the length of “The Hobbit”.

Start with the most important part of your pitch first, and remember that short bullets are your friend. 

This could be a good opportunity to try out AI tools like ChatGPT as well – the right tool can help you condense down your pitch and cut out filler words.

If you have one, utilize your PR firm!

PR firms aren’t just meant to write your releases. If you’re fortunate to have a PR firm, use them to your advantage! A good agency should be walking in step with you to ensure your communications knock it out of the park.

Use your PR firm to fine-tune your pitch and lean on them for media training. Ask them to help you identify the best outlets to reach out to – chances are they have a short list and know a handful of reporters. 

If you land that interview, resist the temptation to ask the writer for a list of questions beforehand. Do some homework and try to anticipate questions in advance

We know – interviews can be nerve-wracking, and you want to make sure you’re polished and buttoned up as much as possible. If you have the exact questions ahead of time, though, you run the risk of sounding too scripted and, quite frankly, boring.

Take the time and think through possible questions on your end, and don’t practice too much. Look up the writer you’re planning on speaking with – this will help you identify how deep in the weeds you need to go. A writer with a PhD might not need as much explanation on a scientific topic, but someone who is more of a generalist will really appreciate analogies to help dejargonize.

Many writers are also not exactly original. While there might be a question or two thrown in that you might not expect, many of the questions we ask are going to be the same – tell us how your company got started? What are the near term milestones? What are the differentiators for your approach?

Also remember that if you don’t know the answer to a question on the spot, it’s completely okay to decline or say that you’d like to followup on that question via email!

Remember – nothing is off the record

It doesn’t matter if you say something is off the record – if you say it, it’s fair game. 

Now, don’t get me wrong – most reporters will probably honor your request if you say that something is off the record. Some, though, will not, so it’s best to not bet on it. This includes everything from proprietary information to random quips.

Relax and be yourself!

The best interviews I’ve had have been ones where you can just tell the person on the other line is passionate about what they do. They’re confident, but they aren’t stuffy. They aren’t rehearsed. They aren’t scared or act like I’m out to get them (because I’m not). They aren’t afraid to crack a joke or two or admit when something is difficult.

Media interviews, especially ones where the stakes are lower, can be a lot of fun. Take advantage of the opportunity, breathe, and lean into it!