Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America
EVENT PLANNING
Montel Williams with the "Help Is Here Express"
CHALLENGE
Increase Awareness of Patient Assistance Programs in the San Diego Area
Rx Help for Californians, A Partnership for Prescription Assistance, was created in March 2005 as a model to launch the Partnership for Prescription Assistance nationwide. The mission of Rx Help for Californians, A Partnership for Prescription Assistance, is to increase awareness of patient assistance programs and educate of those who are eligible. The Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA) offers a single point of access to more than 475 public and private patient assistance programs, including more than 180 programs offered by America’s pharmaceutical companies.
The goal of the press conference in San Diego, California, was to use the national PPA spokesperson, Montel Williams and the “Help Is Here Express,” a 45-foot orange touring bus to increase awareness, especially among minorities, of the free service offered by Rx Help for Californians, A Partnership for Prescription Assistance. Perry Communications Group needed to secure an appropriate site for the event, as well as build a crowd, line up additional speakers and pitch the event to local media.
SOLUTION
Leverage Existing Partnerships and Build New Ones to Find an Appropriate Location and Build a Crowd of Interested Individuals and Groups
Once it was determined by the client that Montel Williams and the “Help Is Here Express” would be in San Diego, Perry Communications Group began working with its local partners to determine what site would be most appropriate for the event. Scripps Mercy Hospital provided a heath care background and was easily accessible to the press and community members. Perry Communications Group continued working with its local partners and got them involved by asking them to contact their clients and contacts about the event and the service offered by Rx Help for Californians, A Partnership for Prescription Assistance.
Perry Communications Group developed an agenda, media and press packets, and garnered the proper permits and permissions to park the “Help Is Here Express” and hold a press conference at Scripps Mercy Hospital. Perry Communications Group also began contacting and securing media for the morning press conference and by the day of the event had secured commitments from the local affiliates from CBS and Univision, as well as Fox Network News (national) and other local publications.
RESULT
More Than 150 Culturally Diverse Patients Attended the Event and there Were More Than 1.8 Million Media Impressions
- The Montel Williams “Help Is Here Express” press conference was a huge success, with approximately 150 culturally diverse patients coming to see if they qualified for prescription assistance programs.
- Attendees first listened to Montel Williams and other speakers before having the opportunity to climb aboard the “Help Is Here Express” to see if they qualified for prescription assistance programs.
- Over 1.89 million media impressions with stories running on Fox Network News nationally, KFMB-TV (CBS), KBNT-TV (Unvision), KUSI-TV, KOGO-AM radio and in the San Diego Business Journal and El Latino de San Diego, despite there being a major freeway accident that prevented some media from being able to attend the event.
- Rx Help for Californians, A Partnership for Prescription Assistance, increased the people it had helped from 82,675 in December 2005 to 97,867 in February 2006, an increase of 15,192 Californians receiving prescription medicines for free or nearly free.
