Ketchum PR

So late, in fact, that when I call Alexander Watson at Ketchum, our next port of call, I'm amazed that he doesn't just tell us to forget it. After all, PR people have lives too.

It's 6.30 by the time we've made our way right to the other side of town, to Liverpool Street. After a short walk through Spitalfields market, we're greeted by Alex and his team in the street outside Ketchum's offices and politely frogmarched into one of the company's glass walled boardrooms. Taking an opposite approach to Frank, Ketchum's meeting spaces are positioned squarely in the centre of the office, and are completely transparent. They're also insulated well against noise, but it's interesting to note that Ketchum seems to actively promote distraction during meetings. Both approaches seem to have their merits, and it certainly works for Ketchum, one of the greatest PR success stories of all time.

Global in reach, but with local offices all over the world, Ketchum offers both international and country-based PR counsel. We're here specifically to learn about the UK company's healthcare PR work for some of the world's biggest (but least recognised brands), the pharmaceutical companies.

In the UK, it's illegal to advertise prescription medicines like Viagra, Tamoxifen and Seroxat direct to consumers. The only way the UK public gets to hear them mentioned tends to be via news coverage of company activities or campaigns designed to raise the profile of specific medicines, helping consumers make choices about treatment for health problems.

Healthcare PR is huge business and one of Ketchum UK's most significant growth areas. Alex tells us how, over the years the healthcare department has gone from strength to strength each year and now has a great fun team of 50 plus people and is one of Ketchum UK's biggest specialist area.

We learn about the basics of healthcare PR, and specifically about two of the company's most successful campaigns. One global (an amazing campaign called Breast Friends involving a photo album o pictures taken by snapper-to-the-stars, Rankin) and one UK-based. We also hear from one of Ketchum's latest hires, a recent graduate called Chris who is already making a reputation for himself among Alex's team as an excellent strategic thinker and general PR all-rounder. He also appears to be something of a performer, given his presence in the company's Christmas party photos.

Read more about the Breast Friends campaign here: http://www.ketchumcomms.co.uk/node/1074