Hythiam
Situation
Hythiam came to RLM with a series of complex communications
challenges. As a “healthcare services management company” focused on
treating alcoholism and drug addiction, mainstream media—and most
healthcare trade press—simply did not understand them or their
product. As a result, Hythiam had received minimal media attention,
despite having strong spokespeople and patient testimonials.
Hythiam’s communications were further complicated by stringent
regulatory guidelines and the lack of published clinical trial data on
their product, PROMETA, a treatment protocol for drug and alcohol
addiction. As a treatment protocol—not a specific pharmaceutical—
regulations had to be carefully followed, while still getting the
message out.
Strategy and Tactics
RLM started by immediately creating a clear and straightforward
message matrix for Hythiam, reducing 16 pages to a one-page grid with
messages that were each supported by a metric and illustration. With
clear messaging in place, RLM created a media kit that was geared to
explain Hythiam and illustrate the value of PROMETA for mainstream
press, and included case histories created based on interviews RLM
conducted with patients. RLM also conducted media training with
Hythiam’s spokespeople, including corporate executives and physicians.
Because Hythiam’s audiences were diverse—including health care
professionals, government officials, and patients and family members
in many different geographic and demographic groups—RLM researched
appropriate regional and national consumer and professional media;
this research involved in-depth media audits and interviews with key
journalists.
RLM then examined this research in the context of Hythiam’s upcoming
announcements, which included the addition of new sites where patients
could undergo the PROMETA medical treatment protocol, the results of
pilot programs with government entities, and the announcement of
results of the first open-label clinical study of PROMETA.
Because drug and alcohol addiction is a sensitive and personal topic,
RLM worked closely with physicians and patients to develop story
angles that were compelling while still cognizant of the delicate
nature of the stories. Through a Hythiam licensee physician, RLM
identified a patient and her mother who were willing to tell their
stories. Following thorough preparation, they shared their story with
audiences around the country though a satellite media tour with b-
roll.
RLM also positioned Hythiam’s CEO as a thought-leader in addiction
treatment and identified opportunities for him to utilize his
expertise to comment on the epidemic of methamphetamine addiction and
the evolving area of medical treatment for addiction.
In order to deliver our messages to all of Hythiam’s diverse
audiences, RLM drafted a matte release that ran in markets across the
country. We also took one of Hythiam’s physician spokespeople on a
radio media tour that provided a forum to highlight new treatments for
addiction in markets where the scourge is particularly severe. In
addition, we created opportunities for Hythiam physicians to
contribute bylined articles to key professional publications and
provided full-service support at conferences and sponsored events.
The GLBT community is an important audience for Hythiam, and RLM
implemented a specific plan to raise the visibility and awareness of
PROMETA with this group by placing stories in the on- and off-line
GLBT press that were built around immediately relevant story angles
tied to the prevalence of addiction in this community.
Results
By highlighting a problem in American society—alcoholism and drug
addiction—and providing credible spokespeople to speak to a solution—
new medical treatments available—Hythiam is now positioned as a go-to
expert for reporters covering issues related to alcoholism and
addiction.
Hythiam is now a company to watch for thanks to the hard work of RLM’s
team. Hythiam coverage included:
CBS News/LOGO
CNBC: Squawk Box
Counselor MagazineDoctorsGuide.com
Good News Broadcast Network
KMEG/KPTH (Dakota Dunes, SD)
Knobis.com
KOB (Albuquerque, NM)
KPDX (Portland, OR)
KPTV (Portland, OR)
KSFX (Springfield, MO)
KSFY (Sioux Falls)
KXLY (Spokane, WA)
KYTV (Springfield, MO)
Life & Style Weekly
M2 Presswire
MidnightTrader.com
New Age Media Concepts
New York Times MagazineSeattle Post-IntelligencerStreetInsider.com
WAND (Decatur, IL)
WFAA (Dallas)
WOR Radio
WSIL (Carterville, IL)
WXIN (Indianapolis)
