Seizing a hot media issue for a new company
Hometown Meds

Goal:
To jumpstart a new company by using media placements to generate new business inquiries.

Approach:
Founded in July 2002, Hometown Meds was created by two Canadian pharmacists to supply prescription drugs to U.S. residents for personal use. Response was minimal to an initial advertising campaign undertaken by the company. Hometown Meds turned to Stephenson Group for a media relations initiative focused on generating inquiries via their call center and website. An initial objective was to create early recognizable success as a means to build internal support for public relations tactics.

Stephenson Group's initiative targeted the full spectrum of critical media sectors, including general business publications, national and regional dailies, online venues and the dominant broadcast programs and networks.

Results:
Hometown Meds' thorough tracking system enables them to see almost immediate results after a media placement occurs (and sometimes during a broadcast). Within six weeks of launching the SG media initiative, Hometown Meds had experienced a five-fold increase in call center and website inquiries, quickly impacting revenue which doubled after the first month. Within four months the program had generated 49 articles in 38 publications (with more pending publication), including: