CommsConsultants.com

Looking toward healthcare in 2025, let’s talk about data—specifically, zero-party data—and its increasingly critical role in comms strategy and implementation. Unlike third-party or even first-party data, zero-party data is what patients willingly provide. It’s deliberate, direct, and personal: preferences, intentions, and needs shared with the understanding that it will shape their care or experience. Companies like ōURA, WHOOP, and Noom show that this is no fleeting trend. I Instead, it reflects a fundamental shift in how patients want to manage and control their health. As communicators, customer data is one of the most valuable tools we have—but we need to rethink how we use it. People are rarely able to accurately measure or report their own behaviors. This isn’t new—market research and focus groups have long helped us uncover the truth—but today’s solutions bring something different to the table: ? Personalized care: Using patient-shared data to deliver experiences that truly align with their needs and accurately shows them gaps ? What are patients and HCPs telling you they need through their own actions? ? Nimble changes and adjustments: Leveraging real-time insights for better outcomes. ? How are you partnering with stakeholders to adapt quickly when changes arise? ? Value creation: Ensuring patients understand the benefit of the data exchange. ? When your brand is the promise, how are you showing patients and HCPs the value of their trust in you? The opportunity is clear: move beyond blanket assumptions and create systems that ask, listen, and adapt. Zero-party data is an invitation to reimagine relationships, anchored in trust and consent. In healthcare, where trust is the currency of success, this feels like a step toward a healthier connection. Are you leveraging zero-party data personally or professionally? Let’s talk about how it’s reshaping the way we connect.

? Another big win! ? A frontline comms leader at a massive Fortune 50 retailer needs freelance support in Q1. We're meeting early next week to figure out how CommsConsultants.com can help connect her with the perfect fit. When it rains, it pours!

In the last month, three separate individuals have quoted the thinking in this carousel and attributed to someone else (who has quickly corrected it), so I thought I would put it back up here. I wrote the original article about ten years ago. Enjoy.

The “take a hint” gut check for media pitching: 1?? Pitch a reporter something you think is closely aligned to their beat, interests, writing cadence. 2?? Wait at least 18 - 24 hours for a response. 3?? If no response, re-ping with a gentle follow up. 4?? If no response after the initial follow-up, you’ve now received feedback that they’re just not that into your pitch and/or too busy. 5?? Move onto the next target whether it’s another reporter, owned/borrowed channel, etc. The “Hi Rick, I’m just circling back one final time” is not your friend for future pitches. Less is more, people are busy, news cycles are short and chaotic, so don’t take it personally. Happy pitching next week, the last real one before the beginning of the Holiday season.

When does it make sense to bring in a communications consultant? What are the moments you need to be prepared for? Here are just a few: ? When you're considering opening up a new FTE role on your comms/marketing team, and want to test the waters with a contractor first ? When you're searching for a FTE and need some interim support to fill gaps and keep the team afloat ? When a valued team member goes on parental leave, family leave or sabbatical ? When you need someone who "gets it" to manage and oversee the day-to-day work from your agency ? When you've got a new leader in place who wants to evaluate things and consider best practices from other leading orgs ? When your team is overstretched but you don't have the budget to add full-time headcount or bring in a pricey agency ? When you want to expand your brand's awareness and reach, but you only have $5K or $10K as a starting budget ? Before, during or after a major transformation ? Before, during or after a crisis or significant issue ? When you're seeing a downward trend in key metrics (audience engagement, retention, etc) ? When you're growing fast and want to capitalize on it / manage growth with your key audiences ? When you're noticing that your CEO / exec team needs to be better prepared to effectively speak, present and communicate ? When your people managers are struggling to effectively communicate and connect with the teams they lead ? When your frontline employees feel disconnected from your mission, vision and leadership ? When your social media engagement doesn’t match up with your competitors ? When you're receiving critical feedback from customers, employees or other stakeholders ? When it’s been more than 1-2 years since you audited your comms / marketing channels, content and measurement processes ? When you want to run focus groups with employees or customers and want to ensure participants feel comfortable opening up / being candid Fellow #consultants - what did I miss? What are the other key moments you see clients bringing you in? * ?? I’m Ashley Dennison. I connect leaders to pre-vetted, independent comms & marketing talent. When you share and support CommsConsultants.com, you’re supporting a woman-owned startup dedicated to global accessibility for all. You’re also creating future opportunities for 200+ solopreneurs in 20+ countries.?

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The difference between personal brand and reputation - does it matter? It does to me, and here's why: ? Personal brand is what you say about yourself; reputation is what you say about yourself AND what others say about you ? Personal brands don't affect share prices; reputations do ? Personal brand is aspirational; reputation is inspirational ? You can pay for a personal brand, but you have to earn a reputation ? Personal brand is words + brand identity; reputation is words + behaviour + context I'd love to hear your thoughts. ** I help executives build reputations for great leadership in challenging times. DM me if you're interested.

A very dear work colleague told me early in my career that I was a completer finisher. I wore that badge with honour for years. Telling myself "I always see it through", "People can rely on me to get the job done" Nowadays, I'm letting that badge slip a bit and not making it such a defining quality because with that comes unnecessary pressure, perfectionism, taking too much on, and a sense of drowning. Instead, I'm dialling up other skills like prioritisation, saying no, setting realistic boundaries and deadlines, and letting things go. We live in a fast paced, always on world with never-ending to-do lists. Sometimes, it's ok to embrace 'strategic underachievement' and to not finish things! If being a completer finisher is taking its toll and leaving you feeling overwhelmed, why not cut yourself some slack, work out what really matters and chuck some of that other stuff in the f&ck it bucket. #mentalwellbeing #burnout #prioritisation ________ ? I'm Jo. I help organisations improve their culture, communications and employee experience through employee listening. I also love connecting people and spreading joy and positivity ?

Yes, PR stands for "public relations", but you don't have to have a relationship with a journalist to get your story covered. I have this conversation regularly with folks who ask about my media contacts and what relationships I have with specific reporters. I tell them that yes, while relationships can help, they're not the end all be all. If you want your story covered in the press, you have to have an actual story - one that's timely, relevant, interesting, etc. I don't care if my brother is the editor, he's not going to cover it if it doesn't meet those criteria. Focus on crafting a compelling story and the coverage will follow.