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Hythiam

Situation

Hythiam came to RLM with a series of complex communications challenges. As a “healthcare services management company” focused on treating alcoholism and drug addiction, mainstream media—and most healthcare trade press—simply did not understand them or their product. As a result, Hythiam had received minimal media attention, despite having strong spokespeople and patient testimonials.

Hythiam’s communications were further complicated by stringent regulatory guidelines and the lack of published clinical trial data on their product, PROMETA, a treatment protocol for drug and alcohol addiction. As a treatment protocol—not a specific pharmaceutical—regulations had to be carefully followed, while still getting the message out.

Strategy and Tactics

RLM started by immediately creating a clear and straightforward message matrix for Hythiam, reducing 16 pages to a one-page grid with messages that were each supported by a metric and illustration. With clear messaging in place, RLM created a media kit that was geared to explain Hythiam and illustrate the value of PROMETA for mainstream press, and included case histories created based on interviews RLM conducted with patients. RLM also conducted media training with Hythiam’s spokespeople, including corporate executives and physicians.

Because Hythiam’s audiences were diverse—including health care professionals, government officials, and patients and family members in many different geographic and demographic groups—RLM researched appropriate regional and national consumer and professional media; this research involved in-depth media audits and interviews with key journalists.

RLM then examined this research in the context of Hythiam’s upcoming announcements, which included the addition of new sites where patients could undergo the PROMETA medical treatment protocol, the results of pilot programs with government entities, and the announcement of results of the first open-label clinical study of PROMETA.

Because drug and alcohol addiction is a sensitive and personal topic, RLM worked closely with physicians and patients to develop story angles that were compelling while still cognizant of the delicate nature of the stories. Through a Hythiam licensee physician, RLM identified a patient and her mother who were willing to tell their stories. Following thorough preparation, they shared their story with audiences around the country though a satellite media tour with b-roll.

RLM also positioned Hythiam’s CEO as a thought-leader in addiction treatment and identified opportunities for him to utilize his expertise to comment on the epidemic of methamphetamine addiction and the evolving area of medical treatment for addiction.

In order to deliver our messages to all of Hythiam’s diverse audiences, RLM drafted a matte release that ran in markets across the country. We also took one of Hythiam’s physician spokespeople on a radio media tour that provided a forum to highlight new treatments for addiction in markets where the scourge is particularly severe. In addition, we created opportunities for Hythiam physicians to contribute bylined articles to key professional publications and provided full-service support at conferences and sponsored events.

The GLBT community is an important audience for Hythiam, and RLM implemented a specific plan to raise the visibility and awareness of PROMETA with this group by placing stories in the on- and off-line GLBT press that were built around immediately relevant story angles tied to the prevalence of addiction in this community.

Results

By highlighting a problem in American society—alcoholism and drug addiction—and providing credible spokespeople to speak to a solution—new medical treatments available—Hythiam is now positioned as a go-to expert for reporters covering issues related to alcoholism and addiction.

Hythiam is now a company to watch for thanks to the hard work of RLM’s team. Hythiam coverage included: