The Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) is one of the oldest and most respected osteopathic medical schools in the nation. Today, PCOM has three campuses across Philadelphia and Georgia, with advanced degree programs in numerous health professions — and an unwavering commitment to the “whole person” philosophy that has informed its mission since the medical school was founded in 1899.

To expand its thought leadership and enhance the institution’s reputation — both regionally and nationally — PCOM turned to Brian Communications as a trusted partner.

As a first step, Brian Communications undertook a comprehensive research and discovery process, which included nearly 60 interviews with internal and external stakeholders as well as competitive landscape analysis. The agency also supported PCOM through a first-of-its-kind brand health study, partnering with a proven third-party survey research firm to establish a baseline quantitative understanding of brand awareness and reputation among regional, national, and custom-tailored ‘opinion shaper’ audiences.

Drawing from qualitative and quantitative insights, Brian Communications developed a multi-pronged communications strategy focused on message consistency, content and story mix, and audience prioritization and cross-channel cascading.

In less than one year since beginning our engagement — and six months since implementing our strategy — the agency has helped to produce an impressive and ongoing string of wins:

• Over 70 media placements, including prominent feature stories, contributed thought leadership, and original expert commentary   
• Prestigious, on-message, and first-time recognitions from Modern Healthcare (Top Diversity Leaders) and the Philadelphia Business Journal (Most Admired CEOs; Diversity in Business)  
• New sponsor partnerships and proprietary speaking engagements