Issue 12 2019

CORPORATE VISION / Success Stories 2019 29 , Oct19397 Communication Expertise Working on public relations in the world of healthcare, KOGS Communication has worked with several high-profile clients onmany high-profile campaigns, making sure that the right message meets the public. Off the back of their recent win, receiving the award forMost Innovative PR Agency 2019 –Massachusetts, we caught up with President Edna Kaplan to get a closer look at what they do. Founded in 1990, KOGS Communication is a boutique, full-service, healthcare public relations agency that manages to punch above its weight. As an independent PR agency that combines market development and adoption strategies with the best public relations practices, KOGS Communication offers clients a service that goes beyond traditional PR services. The result is an agency that allows its clients to prosper, increase their revenue and enhance their reputation. To start with, we asked Edna how public relations can affect the healthcare industry. ‘We do healthcare/life sciences public relations, where it takes a very long time, 14 years for a treatment or diagnostic to become standard-of-care she explains. It’s all about adoption, and what makes us unique is that we layer adoption strategies atop public relations strategies.’ This approach is why venture capitalists continue to refer to KOGS Communications year after year. They see first-hand the positive impact that having a successful PR relationship can have on their business. Edna gives an example: ‘For a pharmaceutical company we arranged for a reporter from a prestigious business journal to meet with the CEO in person. The reporter had written articles perceived by management to be negative; after the meeting, when she understood the challenges, her articles have been far more favourable.’ One of the advantages of being a small agency is that Edna and her team can give them each client their all. Only senior-level executives with more than 15 years of experience can work with businesses, ensuring the quality and experience that clients expect. ‘KOGS Communication, a tiny PR firm vying against the world’s best-known agencies, has won the industry’s top international awards,’ she tells us with a smile. The success of the company has set KOGS Communication in good stead when it comes to finding clients. Being constantly referred by various board members means they have always been in demand. ‘In the 30 years we have been in business, we have never done any marketing,’ says Edna. ‘We’ve been very fortunate - our business has been strictly referral-based.’ This work comes in from all over the world. We asked Edna what it meant for her boutique firm to be working on an international level: ‘These days it’s expertise that matters far more than a PR agency’s location,’ she tells us. KOGS Communications certainly have the experience. One of her most successful campaigns, for Medivance, managed to make the front cover of Newsweek, and was shown at medical meetings by her client and their competitors alike. With an increasing number of outlets for news and information, it can be more of a challenge ensuring that the right message gets out. ‘Media outlets are increasingly leanly staffed, and as more and more channels go online, it’s more difficult to establish relationships,’ Edna explains. Despite these challenges, the team at KOGS Communication still manage to provide excellent care to their clients. To round off our interview, we asked Edna if there were any announcements coming from KOGS Communications. Any exciting hires? Her answer proved why her agency is such a success. ‘Our clients do,’ says Edna with a smile, ‘and we work on their behalf.’ Contact: Edna Kaplan Company: KOGS Communication Web Address: www.kogspr.com Telephone: 0017816391910 Email: [email protected]