MediaSource

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I am the former director of public relations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was the business goal or challenge you were trying to accomplish when you approached MediaSource?

Our goal was to increase the brand awareness for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and have MediaSource help us obtain additional media coverage. We were interested in different content ideas to help generate buzz within the plastic surgery industry.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

We used MediaSource for a variety of strategic campaigns and campaign tactics. I know as of October [of 2014], they were still working with the ASPS.

What was your process for selecting MediaSource with which to work?

The ASPS was spending a lot of money and getting very little results. I learned of MediaSource from past efforts in public relations.

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

Our partnership with MediaSource spanned many different projects, of many different sizes. On the largest scale, they coordinated the shooting for our public service announcements, which ranged in prices because they were much more demanding in terms of resources and logistics.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

The quality of the product was always outstanding and always gleaned enormous results. They listened to us, took the goals from our strategy, and turned them into high-quality content that got attention. We were overwhelmingly satisfied with their work and the results. They became a team member of ours. They were an extension of our public relations department. They’re like no other vendor we’ve ever had.

Is there anything unique about MediaSource that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

MediaSource is the expert in their field. They know how to create quality content that generates buzz. Any project that had to do with media coverage, broadcast production or that needed to be of high quality, we directed to them. They proved to be invaluable through the years across the board. They could turn a serious matter into a fun fact that would get news coverage across the country. They listened very well. They were able to articulate to us what they needed in order to help us reach our vision. They would meet with the patients and the doctors and put together very compelling video content for broadcasts and for online media.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or you might have them do differently?

No. There is nothing that I could tell them about how to do their jobs that they don’t already know.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are one of the largest children’s hospitals in the country, and we have a large research component.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I am director of media relations, which encompasses all proactive and reactive media relations for all departments.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with MediaSource?

We realized our media relations program needed to grow in terms of reactive media relations. We also made a decision that we wanted to grow our national media outreach in order to grow our hospital’s visibility.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

MediaSource produces all of our multimedia releases, which are large scale releases that involve a wide variety of assets that we offer to the media. We select an average of 12 topics a year for which we’re going to produce a multimedia release and they conduct all of our national media pitching for us. They also do some of our more focused pitching for us. They have also expanded our reach with brand journalism.

What was your process for selecting MediaSource with which to work?

We made a decision that we wanted to stay with a local firm for the work we needed. We did look at other firms, but MediaSource emerged as being the firm that would be able to accomplish exactly what we were looking for and they were local.

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative in dollar terms or a personnel work-hour figure?

We have grown our partnership from what we started out with in 2005. It’s a significant retainer relationship we have with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

Last year, we were on a national network seven times. We’ve tracked hits on national media coverage. In 2013, we were averaging more than nine times the number of placements than when we started working with them in 2005. Last year, 66 percent of our placements were in national media outlets. That was up from 40 percent in 2012. We are extremely pleased with the results.

Is there anything unique or special about MediaSource that really makes them stand out compared to other companies?

I think their dedication and their expertise sets them apart. MediaSource makes clients feel like they are their only client. They are available to us 24/7 even around holidays. They are also constantly challenging themselves and us to keep enhancing our results.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

I honestly can’t think of anything that they could do differently. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Our organization works on behalf of farmers to promote particular foods as part of a nutritious diet. We share the latest research with doctors, dietitians, and health organizations. We also work with schools to create lifelong healthy habits.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I am vice president of communications. I oversee all of our external and internal communication.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with MediaSource?

We work with MediaSource to help communicate positive news for our industry, whether it’s nutrition information or information about the programs that we implement in the school environment or in the community to foster a healthier society.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

We have an ongoing relationship. We use them in a couple of different capacities. One is for media relations activities. We’ll identify together a couple of topics that we feel are timely and interesting to the consumer but also fit our goals of what we’re trying to share with the public. We’ll package a story up for either traditional or online media, and then we use MediaSource to pitch that story to the media and get placements. We also use them for coverage of special events that we do throughout the year like school assemblies or appearances at state fairs.

What was your process for selecting MediaSource with which to work?

We’ve worked with other companies through the years but MediaSource’s proven record led me to explore working with them to help us accomplish our media relations goals.

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative in dollar terms or a personnel work-hour figure?

We’ve been working with them for several years now. It’s probably been five years or more. Through the years based on the size of the endeavor, we have spent anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000 annually.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

They’ve done a terrific job for us because they can package a story for us and I don’t have to send my staff out to do interviews. We’re able to have a very strong influence that way. That is a huge cost savings for us. We can also be more responsive to the media outlets and what content they’re looking for. They do a fantastic job.

Is there anything unique or special about MediaSource that really makes them stand out compared to other online marketing companies?

One thing I really value is the size of their organization. The customer service that they provide is phenomenal considering they describe themselves as a boutique. I have worked with all the employees and they are all very quick to respond and take care of my needs. I really appreciate that. I value the expertise and insight they provide on the communications side.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

At the moment, I don’t have anything that comes to mind.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

We’re a health system, and we have multiple hospitals and outpatient facilities.

What is your role and responsibilities?

My role is director of media relations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with MediaSource?

We have two main goals. One is to generate volume for the specialties that we are focused on, for example, cardiac heart, cancer, neurology, and many other service lines that require assistance to build volume and generate business. The other goal is to increase national reputation, in order to improve our rankings and generate business from outside of our main service area.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

Content creation.

What was your process for selecting MediaSource with which to work?

We issued a request for proposal and we received multiple proposals, and MediaSource was the one we selected. They had the type of background that worked best for us. Most of the people that work at MediaSource are former journalists. We felt they had the knowledge and expertise to put together the type of stories that journalists would react well to and would place.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the results of the project?

Our relationship is ongoing with MediaSource and started around 10 years ago.

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

We measure everything. We’re measuring audience, equivalent ad value, all those kinds of things, and we’ve seen a steady increase in those types of things, especially during the past couple years. Our teams have gotten so familiar working together and each year it gets a little better. There have been big jumps the last couple of years and we’ve seen a lot of progress.

Is there anything unique about them that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

There’s two things that make the relationship different. One is their level of expertise and their skill at brand journalism. The second is their ability to work seamlessly with our team. A lot of times, it feels like there’s not two separate teams, but just one.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or something that you might do differently?

The worst I can say is that sometimes we have to curb their enthusiasm. Sometimes, they almost get ahead of us.