Aerin Medical Local Market Media Coverage

Breathe In, Breathe Out – Securing Consumer Coverage in a COVID-crazed Media Environment

During the pandemic, securing earned media stories was a challenge unless they were directly tied to COVID-19 or a timely news story. Aerin Medical wanted media coverage to educate potential patients in Denver about its VivAer device for treating nasal airway obstruction (chronic stuffy nose) and to drive inquiries to its website. Merryman Communications knew from experience that a patient/physician testimonial in local media is a powerful tool for driving interest. To overcome the challenges securing earned stories, we recommended that we feature a local patient/physician testimonial using a paid TV integration, amplified with organic and paid social media.

Approach

After researching offerings from television stations in Denver, we selected a station that provided the best ROI within our target audience, control over the filming location and final segment, amplification opportunities and ability to purchase the segment for Aerin’s use. The station’s segment was also considerably longer than other stations’ offerings, allowing ample time to convey key messages.

We shaped the story leveraging a local ENT physician and VivAer patient to bring the condition and treatment to life through interviews highlighting their experiences as well as on-camera demonstrations.

The segment aired multiple times and was featured on the station’s website and included in two of the station’s Facebook posts. Aerin also posted it on their website and social channels and further amplified the segment with a paid social media campaign.

Results by the Numbers