Content area
Full Text
Company: Bayer Comsumer Care
Agency: HealthSTAR Public Relations
Timeframe: December 2004 - December 2005
When people hear that a medicine they rely on may have serious side effects, their concern is instantly piqued, often before a scientific verdict ever confirms or denies the allegations. For a crisis management team facing this combination of an anxious consumer base and a potential product-recall situation, it's essential to state the facts loud and clear amidst a cacophony of criticism and concern.
In 2004, a series of studies called into question the safety of a number of commonly used medications, including Vioxx. Unfortunately for drug company Bayer Consumer Care, the list also encompassed a group of medications that included Aleve, an over-the-counter pain reliever.
Enter HealthSTAR Public Relations. The full-service agency dedicated solely to healthcare, medical and pharmaceutical communications was charged with calming public fears and helping the media get the story straight, both before and after a Food and Drug Administration Advisory Committee meeting that would review the medications under scrutiny.
In the effort to put things right, the PR team found a winning strategy in lining up experts with multiple areas of expertise.
Take, for instance, Dr. James Rippe and the Rippe Lifestyle Institute. Bayer formed a partnership with Dr. Rippe and, as part of the brand's recovery effort, surveyed arthritis sufferers about their confusion over the safety of different pain relief medications. Dr. Rippe was a natural fit for the campaign because he could interpret and explain the results within the context of the existing news environment, and he also had a long...