Case Study – Health Tech Startup Launch

MACIAS PR has run media campaigns for many large digital health companies – like Noom, WellRx and Lifesum – but we’ve also launched publicity campaigns for smaller health tech startups.

A few years ago, the Israeli startup, MDAcne, approached MACIAS PR for help with raising the profile of their mobile app in the US. The founders said they wanted to increase their downloads and establish new B2B partnerships with dermatologists.

It was a challenging campaign from the start because the digital health company didn’t have any employees in the US. Their two founders were father and son, busy running the business, so the entire media workload and strategy was on our shoulders. They also didn’t understand the complicated US consumer market and didn’t have a spokesperson. 

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Clients in the Media – MACIAS PR Accountability Report


By Mark Macias

Memorial Day is right around the corner, but MACIAS PR is not in vacation mode. We are still securing media placements for our clients with magazines, newspapers and TV.

The week leading up to Memorial Day Weekend is notoriously difficult when it comes to securing media placements. I can say from experience, TV newsrooms are understaffed as reporters, producers and photographers request vacation days to maximize the long holiday weekend.

Despite that obstacle, MACIAS PR secured two TV segments for clients in Baltimore and Philadelphia. We also secured a story with the largest newspaper in Houston. And our clients are in two national magazines. You can see those placements in the above photo.

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Editorial Approach behind Best PR Campaigns

By Mark Macias

Programming and editorial play a crucial role with every media campaign we launch. With Macias PR, every story begins with an internal analysis of the value behind the idea and the argument for why reporters or editors will like it.

As the Executive Producer with NBC, I approved every story idea and script that came out of the Special Projects unit, which included consumer, medical, health, tech and features segments. I always looked for water cooler type stories that would get people talking. I learned early in my media career that these types of stories generated huge ratings – and when my stories generated big ratings, I was viewed as a winner.

Our PR team also applies this approach to every media campaign. We make sure every story is relevant. First and foremost, we put editorial and programming at the forefront of every campaign.

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How to Launch a Campaign – Under Budget

By Mark Macias

There are many ways to launch a media campaign so it is under-budget and efficient from the start. Here are four steps to ensure your PR Firm is continually working immediately after the contract is signed.

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PR Rookie Mistakes – What NOT to do with PR

By Mark Macias

During my time with NBC and CBS, I could always identify a rookie PR person based on their mistakes. They were the publicists who put everything into their media release.

When you’re trying to identify the narrative for coverage in the infancy stages, don’t put everything – and the kitchen sink – into the press release. Narrow down your message and information into what matters.

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How to Measure the ROI of PR

By Mark Macias

It’s one of the more popular questions I hear when discussing PR with new clients: How do you measure the ROI or effectiveness of a PR campaign?

There are actually many methods to measure a successful PR campaign– 1) number of media placements and the influence of their reach; 2) the demographics of those readers (certain demographics are worth more to reach than others; 3) the credibility from the media exposure 4) actual sales, which can be measured through links published in the news story 5) and SEO – since search engines now use news stories and blogger comments to measure the value of a website.

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Selecting the Best Healthcare PR Firms

By Mark Macias

When it comes to selecting from the best healthcare PR firms, don’t fall for a fast-talking publicist or sales pitch. Listen closely to their media strategy and approach. Ask them how they are going to get your healthcare product or service on the news? The best media strategists will know off the top of their head how they will position your brand. They won’t need to “research” a strategy – or in more simple terms – see how other PR firms would position your brand.

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Online PR vs Content Marketing vs SEO

By Mark Macias

Your presence on the web is likely one of your biggest lead generators. Consumers and potential clients all use the web to research you, your services and your competitors, so if you’re not on the first few pages of Google or Yahoo, you probably won’t get discovered.

Digital PR is one of the most effective way to introduce your business to clients on the web, but I’m not talking about SEO. Specifically, I’m referring to content that creates an online brand where consumers find you with the search engines.

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Publicity for Mobile Apps – Media Strategy

By Mark Macias

It’s getting harder to secure publicity for mobile apps because the competition for news coverage is getting tighter. These days, many companies – including Macias PR – have mobile apps to help with business development and they’re all reaching out to reporters, trying to get their story on the news.

In the case with Macias PR, our team created The Publicity App, which helps businesses identify their news narrative in the B2B space. Our other mobile app, Blush No More, is a communications app designed to help consumers with talking points when the conversations lag.

Publicity for your Mobile App

Businesses are quickly learning it’s not easy getting their app coverage with the media. In the last month alone, I spoke to roughly 25-30 entrepreneurs, asking us for help promoting their mobile apps. One of those mobile apps was for a mortgage lender who wanted to get his story in front of veterans, reservists and military families.

The VA Loan App is a great mobile tool that helps veterans, reservists and active military save potentially hundreds of dollars a month, via the VA Loan program. We launched this media campaign last week and have already secured a TV story on Channel 3 and  CBS 5. ABC 15 is scheduled to run a story on the mobile app in the next few days. Now, we’re in the process of selling this story to Univision, which has a larger reach than many English speaking TV stations in Phoenix.

Our team also pulled a few insider strategies to maximize that news exposure. A few of those news organizations syndicated the story, giving the VA Loan App even more exposure.

What does this PR campaign mean for your mobile app?

Mobile apps are great tools for promoting your business. If you’re in the service sector – like any lawyer, accountant, etc – a media campaign around a mobile app can raise the profile of your business. Healthcare apps are also full of potential leveraging PR.

And if you don’t have a mobile app yet, don’t worry. Macias PR can help with that. Feel free to reach out to us if you would like to discuss a detailed media strategy for your mobile app.

Macias PR was named the 2016 “Financial PR Firm of the Year – USA” and the 2015 “PR Consultant Firm of the Year – USA” by Finance Monthly. We have launched and led media campaigns for clients in healthcare, finance, tech and the nonprofit sectors. The founder of Macias PR – Mark Macias – is a former Executive Producer with NBC and Senior Producer with CBS in New York. He is also a PR contributor with CNBC, providing media analysis, insight and crisis advice on timely business topics.