Thinking of taking your company public? Get our essential guide to a successful IPO. Download Now

Westicke Partners

Close

ICR Westwicke Blog

The ICR Westwicke Blog is designed to deliver information and insights into the ever-changing world of healthcare communications.

Learning From Disney: Five Questions to Consider Before Speaking Out

Posted on May 10th, 2022. Posted by

Disney World entrance sign

The Walt Disney Company and its CEO Bob Chapek are paying a high price for staying outside of politics, and then jumping into it. Disney’s entanglements with its employees on one side and Florida’s governor and lawmakers have spilled over with very real implications. Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed into law a bill that strips Disney of its special tax status in the state, a move which will effectively change how the company operates.

Continue Reading

How the Media Can Help Your Business

Posted on April 14th, 2022. Posted by

reporters holding microphones to businessman at press conference

For CEOs and company leaders, interacting with the media isn’t an option — it’s a necessity. The media plays a significant role in telling your company story and shaping your public image. To ensure they tell an accurate story, however, it’s essential to learn how to work with the media and strive to understand how the industry is shifting. 

Continue Reading

What the COVID-19 Pandemic Taught Us About the Power of Words

Posted on November 18th, 2021. Posted by

doctor giving patient vaccine

As public health officials discuss whether to call subsequent COVID-19 vaccinations “boosters,” fearing it gives the impression that previous inoculations weren’t effective—some preferred “third dose” or “final dose”—chalk it up to yet another debate about words and nomenclature related to the worst global pandemic in a century.

Continue Reading

Get Quoted: 5 Tips for Engaging with the Media

Posted on October 10th, 2021. Posted by

man making a statement to the media

Securing media coverage can be a fantastic opportunity to tell your company’s story, boost your reputation, and exhibit credible thought leadership in your industry. However, delivering articulate quotes can be challenging.

Continue Reading

7 Tips for a Successful Crisis Simulation

Posted on August 24th, 2021. Posted by

7 tips for a successful crisis simulation

Just as schools and businesses run occasional fire drills, your company should periodically pressure test your crisis communications plan. To truly understand if and how the plan will work, your management team and employees need to see how your strategy will play out in a realistic scenario. 

Continue Reading

Developing Your Company’s Crisis Communications Plan: 5 Critical Steps

Posted on July 22nd, 2021. Posted by

Developing Your Company's Crisis Communications Plan 5 Critical Steps

No matter how careful you are as a company, you can quickly find yourself in the center of a crisis you didn’t expect. When that crisis disrupts operations or threatens the reputation of the company, you must act swiftly but carefully.

Continue Reading

Form 8-K or Press Release: Know the Difference When You Disclose News

Posted on March 4th, 2021. Posted by

Form 8-k or Press Release

One of our clients, a recently public diagnostics company, settled an ongoing royalty dispute with a major pharmaceutical company. The settlement amount was significantly lower than what our client had accrued, resulting in nearly $750 thousand upside to their P&L in the upcoming quarter.

Continue Reading

Healthcare Communications: The Impact of the Pandemic

Posted on November 16th, 2020. Posted by

Healthcare Communications: The Impact of the Pandemic

After nearly 20 years of working in healthcare communications, the excitement never gets old for me. What’s not to love about an industry that’s critical to life itself, rife with issues and controversy, and delivers a solid dose of the unexpected on a daily basis?
In my mind, a highlight is the problem solving our job requires every day. Whether pursuing an opportunity, managing an issue or leveraging an insight, it’s our responsibility to chart the path forward on behalf of our clients.

Continue Reading

Form 8-K vs. Press Release: What’s the Difference?

Posted on August 19th, 2020. Posted by

Form 8-K vs. Press Release

There are many things public companies must consider when disseminating news. What is the most appropriate vehicle to disclose news to investors? In some instances, you will need to file a Form 8-K, the disclosure from the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC). Sometimes, the news will necessitate issuing a press release. And sometimes, you will file both.

Continue Reading

The Importance of Patient Advocacy in Drug Development

Posted on February 6th, 2020. Posted by

Patient advocacy

Patient advocacy is a part of public relations that has always held a special place in my heart. It’s easy for us in the healthcare industry to get so caught up in our day-to-day to-do lists that we forget the reason (namely who) we are actually working for. Patient advocacy is the piece that brings it back home. I’ve been in the industry long enough to have seen a lot of change in how healthcare companies include patients in what they’re doing, and I’m proud to say that we’ve made huge strides and are continuing to advance toward the place where patients are full partners.

Continue Reading

Have News to Release?

Find out whether you should file a Form 8-K, issue a press release, or do both by using our easy-to-reference chart, “Form 8K vs. Press Release: What’s the Difference?

Our Locations