* News & Events *

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Last week, the GLOBALHealthPR community connected virtually to discuss how we can best support our clients and their priorities during the coronavirus pandemic.

Leaders from our network of independent healthcare agencies around the globe shared experiences on how best to support our clients to communicate effectively at this unprecedented time.

It sounds very simple, but a key takeaway was how vital it is to ensure regular contact with clients to make sure that agencies stay up-to-date and can provide the best advice in a rapidly evolving situation. It’s important to discuss purpose and activities that can help demonstrate their organisation’s ability to adapt and commit to this ‘new normal’.

Below, we outline strategies and tactics that healthcare communications agencies and industry can take to support hospitals, healthcare professionals (HCPs) and patients:

  • Consider other channels, including virtual events, through which to share scientific information to HCPs now that pharmaceutical sales reps are off the road and all in-person medical meetings have been postponed or cancelled.
  • Develop targeted patient content to help companies reach immunosuppressed and high-risk patients with important information.
  • Prioritise internal communications to help organisations continue to operate efficiently and to maintain staff engagement. This may be especially important for smaller client companies, who may not have leveraged agency support for internal communications previously.
  • Encourage clients to pursue media opportunities that reflect the changing landscape. Over time, the media in many countries have become less inclined to tell other healthcare stories and have become increasingly hungry to tell positive stories. We can help clients convey how they have supported healthcare systems and local communities.

Opportunities for industry partnership include the following:

  • Provide phones or tablets to hospital intensive care units that are closed to visitors, so families can contact loved ones who are in critical condition.
  • Set up a phone line that provides psychological support to healthcare professionals who are extremely busy and under immense pressure.

We also discussed how agencies can support their wider communities, including other businesses and non-profit organisations. For example, our partner in Italy, Connexia, is a distributor for Cisco’s Webex and has been providing free accounts to over 300 companies, as well as offering onboarding services to this platform.

Building Business Resilience

The coronavirus pandemic may cause a lasting economic downturn, and therefore, it is vital we are prepared to effectively support each other in building business resilience and to look after our teams. Based on feedback from countries that have been hit hard by the pandemic, GHPR business leaders recommend the following:

  • Move to a working from home model sooner than required by government. This will help limit exposure to the virus, enabling employees to continue working effectively.
  • Pay close attention to your organisation’s internal communications, building in plenty of time for check-ins and making sure that people feel supported while they are working remotely. A company culture does not disappear when working virtually, but it may take a little extra care to ensure its presence continues to be felt.
  • Regularly track finances and business KPIs. Moving from monthly to weekly and even daily check-ins ensures that our businesses stay in good shape. Increased oversight empowers us to be able to react promptly to change.

We all found the first meeting of our GLOBALHealthPR COVID-19 Task Force extremely useful and will continue to connect, listen and share our learnings in the coming weeks and months.

Follow @GLOBALHealthPR on Twitter for additional perspectives on this and other timely global health issues. For more insights or communications support from our local experts, please contact GHPRHQ@globalhealthpr.com.

Authored by Rachel Terry, Director, and Jenny Davies, Account Director at Aurora Healthcare Communications, London.

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Over the past two weeks, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has been spreading like wildfire, with cases now rising faster outside of China than inside. The spread of the virus to more than 100 countries has presented new challenges for governments, health professionals and media covering the outbreak.

In case you missed it, access Part I, Part II, and Part III of our series, where GLOBALHealthPR leaders from the Asia-Pacific region, North America and Europe, and Latin America provide insights about the spread of information in their markets and the impact it has had locally.

In Part IV, we feature agency leaders from Italy, Spain, and the Nordics, who share their take on the impactful aspects, topics and evolution of this ongoing media conversation. Download the piece here.

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Over the past two weeks, the COVID-19 outbreak has taken new twists and turns, with cases now rising faster outside of China than inside. The spread of the virus to more than 70 countries has presented new challenges for governments, health professionals and media covering the outbreak.

In case you missed it, access Part I and Part II of our series, where GLOBALHealthPR leaders from the Asia-Pacific region, North America and Europe provide insights about the spread of information in their markets and the impact it has had locally.

In Part III, we feature agency leaders from the Latin America region, who share their take on the impactful aspects, topics and evolution of this ongoing media conversation. Download the piece here.

Next, access Part IV, where we feature agency leaders from Italy, Spain, and the Nordics for their take.

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GLOBALHealthPR has developed a series with local healthcare communications experts in countries where COVID-19 coronavirus cases have been confirmed.

In case you missed it, access Part I of our series where GLOBALHealthPR leaders from the Asia-Pacific region provide insights about the spread of information in their markets and the impact it has had locally.

In Part II, we feature agency leaders from North America and Europe, who share insights about the impactful aspects, topics and evolution of this ongoing media conversation. Download the piece here.

Next, access Part III and Part IV, where GLOBALHealthPR leaders from Latin America and Europe offer their insights.

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GLOBALHealthPR partners worldwide collaborated to develop a series focused on the most impactful aspects, topics and evolution of media conversation surrounding the coronavirus outbreak. In this first installment, GLOBALHealthPR leaders from the Asia-Pacific region provide insights about the spread of information in their markets and the impact it has had locally. Download the full piece here.

 

Next, access Part II, Part III, and Part IV where we feature agency leaders from North America, Latin America, and Europe, who share insights about the impactful aspects, topics and evolution of this ongoing media conversation.

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This holiday season, we gather. The lights are low, the fireplace is lit. Regional expertise is shared, and there’s laughter in the air as visions of successful global healthcare communications dance in our heads.

As we close out another great year, we invite you to get cosy with some of GLOBALHealthPR’s favourite holiday movies from around the world!

Argentina, Paradigma – Todo el Año es Navidad

Every year, we watch the classic Argentine holiday movie Todo el Año es Navidad, or Christmas is the Whole Year Round, a black and white film that premiered in 1960. In the movie, Santa Claus disguises himself among the citizens of Buenos Aires to help teach them about the marvels of Christmas. In our opinion, Todo el Año es Navidad is the best example of a traditional Argentine Christmas movie and a must-see during the holiday season!

Australia, VIVA! Communications – How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Many associate the holiday season with cold winters and snow, but here in Australia the holidays bring us warmer temperatures and we often spend time at the beach instead of huddled under blankets inside! To get in the holiday spirit, we like to watch classic cold winter movies while cooling off indoors—our favourite is the widely beloved How the Grinch Stole Christmas, which plays right into our sense of humour.

Brazil, Tino Comunicação – Love Actually

While we may not have traditional Brazilian holiday movies, we still love to start the season by watching one of our favourite films, Love Actually! We especially enjoy how love and the holiday spirit bring people together from different backgrounds.

Canada, energiPR – Elf

For us in Canada, Elf is the winner! There’s nothing funnier—or more Canadian—than Will Ferrell eating spaghetti with a boatload of maple syrup on top! We love how silly and heart-warming this holiday classic is.

Chile, Strategika – Un Cuento de Navidad

In Chile, one of the most popular films to watch during the holiday season is Un Cuento de Navidad, or as it’s more commonly known outside of Spanish-speaking countries, A Christmas Carol! This timeless classic gets us into the holiday spirit while reminding us of the importance of treasuring the lives of those around us and how we impact them.

Germany, fischerAppelt – Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel

While Germany may not have a traditional German holiday film, we have a tradition of watching the Czech film Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel from 1973. Based on the German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm called Aschenputtel, or Cinderella, the movie has become so popular to watch during the holidays that newspapers and social media sites publish lists about when and where to view the film. We’ve even seen playful competitions between friends and families about who has seen the film the most recently and most often!

Hong Kong, Madison Communications – All’s Well, Ends Well

Here in Hong Kong, when it’s time to celebrate the Chinese New Year, we enjoy watching Stephen Chow’s All’s Well, Ends Well, which we consider one of the few classic movies that involves gambling, Kungfu and family—we love to watch it again and again every year with family and friends!

Nordics (Denmark, Sweden, Norway), Effector Communications – Far til fire i byen

A classic Danish holiday movie we make sure to watch with our loved ones is a film called Far til fire i byen, or Father of Four Going to Town. We especially enjoy singing a song from the movie called “Til julebal i Nisseland,” which is about the wonders and joy of celebrating Christmas!

India, MediaMedic Communications – Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham

In India, while we do not have any specific movies we watch to celebrate the holidays and festivals, we do sing songs from other popular movies that depict and describe various festivities. We particularly enjoy the title song of the film Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, a film that chronicles the lives and reunion of a family and uses song and dance to celebrate local festivals!

Italy, Connexia – Vacanze di Natale 

We celebrate with a popular Italian Christmas movie called Vacanze di Natale, or The Christmas Holidays, in Italy! This movie is special because it marked the first in a series of holiday comedies released around Christmas; it has become a tradition to watch each new film and see the different locations each takes place in!

Mexico, PRP – The Holiday

One of our traditions both in the office and in Mexico is to watch the 2006 romantic comedy The Holiday. While it may be a US-made movie, here in Mexico we love the film’s perfect mix of comedy and holiday spirit!

Poland, Alfa Communications – Listy do M.

In Poland, we enjoy what some have called the Polish Love Actually film, Listy do M., or Letters to Santa. Like the UK blockbuster, Listy do M. is a romantic comedy that follows various inter-connected stories of love and family on Christmas Eve in Warsaw. You can find us watching this fan-favourite holiday movie with our loved ones during every holiday season!

Portugal, Guess What PR – The Sound of Music

It wouldn’t be the holiday season without watching the classic film, The Sound of Music, in Portugal. To us, this movie represents the power of family and love that helps us conquer different challenges in our lives, which is what the holidays are all about!

Romania, MedicalPR – Home Alone

In Romania, most of us would agree that Home Alone is our favourite holiday movie! We love to watch this comedic film with our children, who we look forward to spending the holidays with the most!

Singapore, Spurwing – Home Alone

There may not be many Singapore-produced holiday movies, but that doesn’t stop us from getting in the spirit! Most Singaporean families watch the universally loved movie Home Alone with their children sharing the holiday joy!

Spain, Berbés – La Gran Familia

We enjoy watching La Gran Familia, or The Big Family, during the holiday season in Spain. It’s a very classic and traditional movie originally released in the 1960s that we continue to gather our families in front of the TV to watch—from the youngest to the oldest family members, everyone can enjoy this film’s depiction of a typical Spanish family during Christmastime!

South Africa, F/NE Group – How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Here in South Africa we love to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas during the holiday season. This well-known film is a family favourite because it is a funny and quirky reminder that the holidays are about more than just gifts and trees—it is about love.

United Kingdom, Aurora – Love Actually

It simply wouldn’t be Christmas in the UK without watching the hit blockbuster Love Actually. What makes this movie so special is that it delves into different aspects of love through ten separate stories involving a wide variety of individuals in the lead up to Christmas. The stories are revealed to be interlinked as the film progresses—it’s truly a viewing necessity to get us in the holiday spirit!

United States, Spectrum Science – Miracle on 34th Street

When it comes to the holiday season, Miracle on 34th Street immediately comes to mind here in the US. This heart-warming redemption story exemplifies the power of spending the holidays with the ones you love and the belief that everything will work out the way it’s meant to. Miracle on 34th Street has been solidified as a traditional American holiday movie since its release in 1947 and continues to air on television multiple times throughout the season, so you can find us in front of the TV surrounded by our loved ones watching this classic!

 

Whether you’re celebrating at the beach or by the fireplace, we hope that you get in the spirit by watching one of our favourite holiday movies with your loved ones! Happy Holidays, from your friends at GLOBALHealthPR!