This year’s CES was a whirlwind – from the months of planning and execution around client activities to being surrounded by 100,000 fellow conference-goers – and I was blown away by the exciting technologies that have so much potential to change the world. I spent most of my time on the show floor of the Digital Health track, as this year represented the event’s most robust health programming to date with both a large industry presence and extensive expert speakers.
One of the most interesting aspects of PR is its potential is pretty much limitless. What PR is continues to evolve, as does what it means for brands. And that’s been an interesting thing to witness, particularly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. What’s been encouraging to see over the years is how clients have continued to invest in – and prioritise – PR.
When I think of 2017, I reminisce a bit on a pandemic-free world we used to inhabit. So, I am grateful we are in a much better place now! That aside, 2017 was an exciting year for us, launching Allison+Partners in India and seeing the opportunity and the phenomenal prospect of the India market. As Steve Jobs said, “You can’t connect the dots forward but only backwards.” 2017 was only the precursor to PR’s increasing prominence on the centerstage. And as the pandemic showed later, companies placed even more importance on the need to over-communicate. I am glad that we had the opportunity to quickly build valuable relationships with our clients, demonstrating our value from the get-go to all the way through the worst of the pandemic to present day.
In the fifth year of the event and the first year many in the industry went back to in-person attendance at conferences, #HLTH22 drew nearly 10,000 healthcare entrepreneurs, thought leaders, journalists, experts and life-long learners.
From innovative scans to seamless data platforms, automation is transforming the technology that’s the very backbone of our healthcare system. In fact, in a recent Allison+Partners health survey of 500 health tech leaders, 63% identified automation as key to unlocking Health 4.0, a future in which technology connects our fragmented system and improves the patient experience. As more companies look to implement automation solutions in healthcare, industry communicators must learn how to humanize the automation story so that the benefits to both patients and providers can be fully understood and appease fears.
As we enter the endemic stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, one thing is certain – efforts to communicate complex health information have often failed and deeply eroded trust in science, healthcare providers and policymakers. In the absence of credible health information, people rely on social media and hearsay, often filled with misinformation, to make critical decisions about their health and well-being. At the same time, thousands of businesses across the healthcare spectrum offer new, innovative solutions to health and wellness.
Acting with people and the planet in mind isn’t just a moral imperative for businesses. It’s also becoming a financial necessity. That’s because today’s consumers expect more from brands. When choosing where to spend their money, they’re increasingly turning to those that genuinely make a positive difference in the world.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was virtually all talk and no action when it came to telehealth (pun intended). Patients were intrigued by the idea of connecting with care at the touch of a button, but most were too nervous to follow through and engage online with healthcare professionals. Similarly, many providers expressed high levels of interest in diversifying care delivery models, but ultimately most found the regulatory and reimbursement barriers to entry were simply too high to make telehealth a priority.
