Trying to do PR in a marketing vacuum can be very challenging. Being at an agency and working with clients that combine their branding, marketing programs, web strategy, and advertising together with their communications strategy, I am able to see firsthand how all the marketing processes can fit together and build on one another towards a common goal. It makes a world of difference. I am now a firm believer that a public relations campaign that includes other aspects of marketing will help maximize its effectiveness. Plus it’s fun to work on “both sides of the house” so to speak. Public Relations is so much more than just pitching traditional media. Creating a brand identity and maintaining it in the press is just as important. Sitting in as creative briefs are being prepared, and watching the client pick logos and banner ads gives you a much better sense of the direction the CEO is trying to take the brand. For instance, perhaps pitching a quirky consumer pub isn’t quite right if the company is trying to create a more serious, old school image. This kind of information is not as readily available when the marketing is being handled by numerous firms. Teaming up with media buyers is also a great way to maximize outreach potential. Advertorials are a great way to leverage messaging. PR pros and media gurus can split up demographics and make sure each target vertical has a little bit of editorial, and a little bit of paid media. Again, this kind of planning and strategy is much more difficult when two or more firms are being used in the overall marketing campaign.

Whether it is a television commercial from a pharmaceutical company touting a small pill, or a print ad for a large metropolitan hospital, the health care industry is out to capture your business. The pharmaceutical companies send their messages directly to consumers promoting either over-the-counter or prescription drugs. Hospitals, on the other hand, get their patients principally from referrals made by their associated physician. Hospitals compete…for patients…and physicians. Hospital advertising targets individuals to get them to ask their doctors about specific treatments. At the same time, it tells physicians about services they offer and what a great place their hospital is. The goal is to get the physician to be an affiliate and refer his or her patients to that hospital.

There is a third, more subtle goal, to promote the hospital in such a manner that physicians and staff will be proud to say they work there. This helps morale and recruitment.

CCA was named to Inc. magazine’s list of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in America. This list, which is an extension of Inc. magazine’s annual Inc. 500 list, catches many businesses that are too big to grow at the pace required to make the Inc. 500, as well as a host of smaller firms. Taken as a whole, these companies represent the backbone if the U.S. economy.

CCA, which grew nearly 40% in the last three years, continues to expand its client base through its success in adapting marketing and public relations programs to the new content-driven web era. CCA provides a level of service and service integration not typically found at traditional advertising and marketing agencies. The agency provides unparalled expertise in developing marketing and public relations strategy for its clients.

The agency was also recently ranked the 5th Largest Advertising & Public Relations firm in the Worcester Business Journal’s Annual Book of Lists, (July 16, 2007). The listing includes companies in Central Massachusetts and the MetroWest areas.

Today, the health care industry is moving from monopolistic position to a competitive position. The original face of the industry - Governmental and charitable hospitals, is rapidly shifting towards profit-generating and technology-intensive tertiary hospitals. In this competitive scenario, marketing has assumed an important role to highlight the health care organization to the end users and intermediaries.

Today, marketing is more to do with image building and brand development. It is directed towards creating more faith in the organization, creating awareness about services, quality, cost and philosophy of the organization.