What has netball got to do with healthcare comms in a pandemic?
It’s about pivoting – a word that you’ll have heard and probably used many times in 2020. Victoria brings it to life with an illuminating description of a netball player.
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With one leg rooted to the ground and pointing in the direction they want to go, the netball player’s other leg is spinning around, adjusting balance, creating angles, making space for a long or short pass, constantly pivoting to get the best shot. For netball player, read client. That’s how it’s been for any person, business or organisation that’s had to rethink on the spot and rapidly adapt the way they work over the past seven months.
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It’s a good metaphor for the experiences we’ve shared with clients since the UK went into COVID-19 lockdown. Working virtually has been thrust upon almost everyone in our healthcare world and it’s changed perspectives and operating models in unexpected ways. We’ll see over the coming months how much of the change sticks for our clients. Some of the change has been positive and creative. In other areas it’s created challenges.
The outlook is a little different for our team. The Difference Collective was set up to work virtually from the get-go. That means our client-facing systems and processes are purpose-built to support doing brilliant work for our clients. The model is designed to remain agile and responsive to client needs. In these times more than ever, our approach actively strengthens your teams. As Victoria puts it: “When our clients pivot, we pivot.”
Our ability to mobilise teams of highly trained healthcare comms specialists at short notice to meet client needs quickly is what sets The Difference Collective apart. Medical writers, behaviour change consultants, biotech experts, digital specialists, media relations experts, creative brains and storytellers – everyone’s ready to seize the latest role or requirement. And we’re plugged in to proven virtual working practices that clients can rely on.
Our central resources and processes control and systematise what we’re doing so everyone’s informed. Our clients need to know what’s going on. They need us to map a project or campaign’s progress, set out what we need from them and by when.
We have a simple framework for reporting and regular client contact so we can foster accountable, transparent and meaningful client relationships virtually. It’s been especially important in these past months to help our clients share with their managers, board, investors and stakeholders how they’ve responded to the pandemic and adapted planned activity.
Hear from six of our Differentiators below: they share how we’ve been working with healthcare clients in the pandemic using our intentionally virtual approach. They tell it like it is for their work in media strategy, global teamwork, corporate comms, medical affairs and charities and patient groups. We round it off with an inspiring list of the five best things about our intentionally virtual work style.
Jump to the end of this email to find out how you can join the Difference Dialogues to explore reputational risks and opportunities with crisis simulation and management experts.
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Effective media strategy for the pandemic
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Jo Willey
Media Strategy Differentiator
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Media relations and media strategy have been hot topics throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and UK lockdown. Initially some clients wanted to batten down the hatches, stop communicating externally and ride out the storm – unclear about how to navigate not just what to say and how to say it but also how to gain cut-through in a completely changed healthcare media environment.
Then everything changed… read more
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Global virtual teamworking:
best practice from the front line
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Clare Evans
Global Communications Differentiator
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In global communications, remote working has always been part of the game. Managing and collaborating with teams in different countries and time zones, with different healthcare rules and regulations, just serves to make the job more diverse and challenging.
How to orchestrate successful international projects… read more
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Corporate communication is a core need in a crisis
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Alexandra Harrison
Corporate Communications Differentiator
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The true value of corporate communication, both as a key strategic function and a core business activity, has been explicitly demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Working from home has become the new normal in healthcare and pharma communications. So effective virtual collaboration has become essential.
Find out how we’ve helped clients react… read more
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Agility wins out in medical affairs
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Susan Cuozzo
Global Medical Education Differentiator
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When we began working with one of our Medical Affairs clients at a major global pharma organisation in January, we had much to do in a five-month timeframe. We had plenty of relevant therapy area experience but were breaking new ground in innovative sustainability topics.
Discover how the pandemic affected our project… read more
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Creative, daring and resourceful work for
charities and patient groups
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Elspeth Massey
Charity and Patient Groups Differentiator
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The latest Charity Digital Skills report has shown that COVID-19 has driven digital change across the charity sector. Two thirds of respondents are delivering all their work remotely, which highlights how charities have had to react quickly and embrace what digital has to offer. Since the pandemic began, we’ve seen some charities, like Action on Hearing Loss, give up their London offices and switch to remote working for all staff permanently.
Find out the hope can we offer charities beleaguered by lockdown… read more
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The five best things about being intentionally virtual
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Anna Gray
Prescription PR Differentiator
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The Difference Collective was built from the start to be virtual. We pioneered and honed our approach before COVID-19 forced everyone else to join us. We won’t be going back to the office, because we’ve never had one. For our team, it’s a way of working that benefits everyone – members and clients alike.
Find out why it works so well… read more
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The Difference Collective:
What can we do for you?
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The Difference Collective connects clients with the best independent consultants in healthcare communications. We deliver exceptional results through an agile, virtual model with no traditional agency overheads.
Want access to specialist skills? Looking for creative focus for a new communications initiative? Need to step up the pace of delivery to a deadline? Short of in-house resources?
Visit our freshly updated website to see more of what we can do for you.
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Our Different Services
* Media relations * Communications strategy & planning
* Message development * Storytelling * Copywriting * Event management
* Product launch * Creative direction & design * Issues & crisis management
* Social media & content * Spokesperson identification and training
* Stakeholder mapping and liaison * Meetings management * Case study support * Communications audit * Strategic consultancy * Behavioural psychology
* Employee engagement * Leadership & executive comms * Surge support
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What happens next?
Join the dialogue
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Between now and Christmas, we’re running a monthly discussion series with clients. The Difference Dialogues will explore the reputational risks – and opportunities – appearing between the ever-evolving challenges facing the pharmaceutical sector and the “expectation tsunami” unleashed by COVID-19.
Delivered in partnership with issues, crisis and reputation specialist Rod Cartwright and crisis simulation experts Polpeo, we’ll explore how the healthcare sector can prepare differently and effectively for 2021 and beyond. There are no right answers - yet - but we hope to learn from each other and build our collective readiness.
If you’d like to take pa rt in these 90-minute Zoom Dialogues, just say the word via hello@thedifferencecollective.com
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Find out more about the intention behind our new branding in the latest blog from our founder Angie Wiles
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