Definitive Healthcare, a healthcare commercial intelligence company, faced an opportunity to become a strategic media resource and showcase its value within the healthcare industry.
Research shows that reporter staffing shortages persist, altering the media's storytelling approach. With a lack of media resources, providing strong first-party data is more important than ever, which is what Definitive Healthcare's platform offers. However, the company was facing a crowded marketplace.
Definitive Healthcare's objective was to position, differentiate and demonstrate its approach to healthcare commercial intelligence so that its partners could enjoy greater commercial success and growth. By providing reporters with reliable, data-driven insights, this strategy helped them achieve just that.
Highwire helped develop and market a report based on industry trends — specifically, the healthcare staffing shortage to demonstrate the value of Definitive Healthcare's platform. The company's first-party data highlighted this staffing crisis, which was incorporated into an earned media approach.
In this blog, learn about the relationship between media and healthcare staffing issues and how Highwire laid the foundation for a winning partnership. As a result, Definitive Healthcare became the category creator of healthcare commercial intelligence.
Media staffing issues and the healthcare staffing crisis
According to Pew Research, media newsrooms have shrunk by nearly 30%, changing how reporters work. These reporters have less time to craft compelling stories but face higher expectations.
To alleviate the lack of resources in the newsroom, many are leaning on the power of reliable, easy-to-understand data to communicate critical insights. In 2023, 40% of journalists say they relied more on data to drive editorial strategies than the previous year, which is what Definitive Healthcare capitalized on.
Another industry facing staffing shortages? Healthcare.
Physicians are leaving their jobs, and nursing strikes continue. Highwire PR utilized Definitive Healthcare's first-party data to highlight this crisis. As an expert in PR services for the healthcare industry, Highwire's primary objective was to transform Definitive Healthcare into a go-to data resource.
The healthcare industry's data is growing at an exponential rate. By 2025, the amount of data is expected to hit 175 zettabytes worldwide. However, the industry continues to have relatively little access to helpful insights. Highwire and Definitive Healthcare attracted attention by pinpointing a hot-topic industry trend and sharing data-driven thought leadership.
This trend and its comprehensive data were shared in an easy-to-digest report that utilized the art of storytelling. Then, strategically shared with targeted reporters.
Layer one: relationship-building with the right reporters
Media relations was Highwire's primary focus since day one. Highwire conducted a detailed audit of the media landscape, including business, healthcare trade and local media, to uncover the top data reporters. The ultimate goal was to showcase the value of Definitive Healthcare's intelligence.
Highwire established relationships with reporters across Kaiser Health News, Boston Business Journal, Boston Globe, Axios and the Wall Street Journal. It developed these relations with detailed intro pitches, focusing on Definitive Healthcare's data quality and in-depth discussions with its thought leaders.
After positioning Definitive Healthcare as an invaluable data resource, this groundwork led to the next step surrounding the importance of client relations. Highwire worked closely with Definitive Healthcare to elevate its storytelling approach — one that uncovered concerning trends within the healthcare industry.
Definitive Healthcare can transform billions of data points into meaningful answers to create paths to commercial success. So, starting with one of the industry's top pressing issues made sense.
Layer two: customizing data insights
The healthcare industry faces hurdles like never before, but some trends weigh more heavily. Based on Highwire's analysis, staffing shortage is a top-of-mind concern, which fueled a multichannel campaign strategy.
Definitive Healthcare had the insights and an upcoming report to help quantify staffing issues and develop solutions. However, it needed a breakthrough campaign to capture the attention of hospitals and health systems. The company needed to tell an impactful story in a quantifiable way that cut through the noise.
Highwire conducted a top publications analysis to drive and maximize attention to determine media targets. Narratives surrounding the news, like the hidden dangers of the nursing crisis and the impact on mental health among workers and patients, brought the data to life.
Highwire contacted select reporters based on previous relationship-building strategies one week before the report went live. That way, media professionals were primed to receive it, ensuring optimal coverage.
The report went live
Once Definitive Healthcare posted the report on its site, the promotion began on social media and within its customer base. The objectives were to foster engagement and provide intelligence for existing subscribers and prospects.
Here is how Definitive Healthcare maximized these objectives, expanding the reach and understanding of its data:
- It externally promoted coverage of the report.
- Definitive Healthcare repurposed takeaways from the report into several blog posts to extend the life of the content.
- Definitive Healthcare used its podcast, Definitively Speaking, to amplify the report by welcoming guests like Sean Burke, President at Ascend Learning.
Bottom line: Within two weeks of the report going live, Highwire secured 20+ media placements, and to date, 60+ placements continue to drive customer and partner deals.
Layer three: keeping data insights fresh
Highwire and Definitive Healthcare created a second iteration of the staffing shortage report to maintain momentum.
Highwire capitalized on breaking news and current events to pitch the report's findings, like regional nurse strikes and industry burnout stats. Definitive Healthcare executives offered commentary on findings and events to contextualize the data, adding another layer to news stories.
Many reporters that covered the first report did the same with the second benchmarked report to illustrate staffing concerns over time. As a result, Highwire secured 40 placements on the 2023 report in just one month, and Definitive Healthcare's revenue grew 34% year-over-year.
The results of strategic media relations
Based on Muck Rack data, Definitive Healthcare is now the category creator for "healthcare commercial intelligence."
The partnership between Highwire and Definitive Healthcare was paramount. Highwire bridged the gap between Definitive Healthcare and journalists to ensure reporters had the necessary data to craft relevant, compelling stories. By taking the staffing shortage report across earned and owned media, social and podcasting, Definitive Healthcare achieved sustained growth.
The company's year-over-year coverage and share of voice have more than doubled, and Definitive Healthcare is now a leader in this space. The robust coverage developed from both reports and the ongoing data insertion into the media's evolving narrative.
Let's chat
Highwire PR's role in Definitive Healthcare's ongoing success is one of many examples of how monumental the right partnership is. At Highwire, we work closely with our partners to tell the right stories at the right time to the right people.
As a healthcare technology agency, we help our partners attract the attention of impactful audiences to drive meaningful change. Dive deeper into more examples of our work — and if you have questions, we welcome you to send a note.
Set up a time to chat so that we can help you take your brand story to the next level. Get in touch today!
