Wayland

Task:

• Creating awareness for and clearing up the image of medical cannabis as well as positioning Wayland in German press and media

Realisation:

In early 2017, Wayland was almost unknown in Germany and medical cannabis was reduced to the aspect of prescription rates. The agency's press and media work was therefore aimed at expanding the thematic focus of its reporting and positioning Wayland as a reliable manufacturer and supplier of high-quality medical cannabis. The agency worked out individual aspects of the topic that could be combined with the qualities of the company. These included "quality and purity", "patient stories" and the local reference "production in Germany". For each aspect we developed an independent storytelling, which we published via internal and external media.

An important event took place in late summer 2018 when Wayland’s had their first harvest in Ebersbach near Dresden. We staged "Germany's first cannabis centre" and invited people from all over Germany to a 52 hectare (72 football pitches) large field. The main attractions of this day were the five-metre-high cannabis plants and the specially developed machines for harvesting and drying. We concentrated our activities in the trade press around a Wayland sponsored scientific symposium at the addiction congress in Munich and further presence at relevant trade congresses. A series of press releases, special publications and author contributions orchestrated the press work in the direction of specialist target groups. As a result, the number of inquiries from physicians and pharmacists, but also from producers and distributors of cannabis-based drugs and products at Wayland increased drastically.

Task:

• Building up a Stakeholder Network and Enhancing the Reporting on Wayland’s Activities

Realisation:

The agency conceived a PR trip to Wayland's headquarter in the Canadian metropolis of Toronto. In preparation, the agency analyzed the landscape of key opinion leaders in Germany in connection with medical cannabis and segmented it according to topic and significance. Thus, we succeeded in winning some very renowned key opinion leaders for the common journey. Representatives from media such as Handelsblatt, Focus Money, Sächsische Zeitung, Deutsches Ärzteblatt and Deutsche Apotheker Zeitung completed the delegation. The programme of the trip included a visit to the innovative production plant in Langton, Ontario, a visit to a cannabis trade fair and an expert panel of Canadian scientists, doctors and pharmacists. The trip resulted in extensive coverage of medical cannabis and Wayland and a stable network of key opinion leaders in the scientific and political sectors.

Task:

• Addressing doctors and pharmacists at trade fairs and congresses to inform them about the therapeutic potential of medical cannabis and cannabis-based products

Realisation:

DIE PR-BERATER first identified relevant trade fairs and congresses. Pain and palliative medicine, oncology and neurology, but also general and internal medicine appeared to be fruitful targets due to the broad spectrum of cannabis’ applications. In addition, pharmacists play a key role in the provision of cannabis-based drugs to patients. For this reason, Europe's largest pharmaceutical trade fair, Expopharm, was also on the agenda. In order to deepen the network in this particular target group, the agency developed a workshop concept and implemented it at Expopharm.

DIE PR-BERATER were responsible for the complete life cycle of all appearances, such as event preparation and management, visitor acquisition and retention, trade fair stand concept, stand support and follow-up. In total, we achieved around 1,000 direct contacts with our customer's key target groups. As a result, the number of enquiries from pharmacies and potential trade partners to customers increased drastically.

Task:

• Conceiving and producing a corporate movie addressing potential investors

Realisation:

DIE PR-BERATER conceived and produced a corporate movie for the company. The focus was on the client's extensive experience in the field of medical cannabis, its activities in Germany and the market potential for cannabis. Wayland today uses the film at investor‘s conferences worldwide.

Task:

• Understanding the doctor’s and pharmacists’ way of thinking, developing key topics for the media work

Realisation:

Based on qualitative background discussions with individual representatives of the target groups, the agency developed a digital survey concept to shed light on the attitudes towards and experiences of doctors and pharmacists with medical cannabis. Around 300 medical specialists and 300 pharmacists took part. Based on the results, DIE PR-BERATER wrote press releases, developed infographics and achieved nationwide placements.

Task:

• Explaining the potential of medical cannabis through a patient’s eyes

Realisation:

DIE PR-BERATER identified patients who are seriously ill and treated with cannabis. Based on detailed and very personal interviews, the agency developed "success stories" which show that medical cannabis can improve the life quality of patients. The stories are used for press and media work and integrated into the closed area for medical professionals on Wayland's website.

"It's been a long way, but it was worth it!", 

says Roland Plank, Cannabispatient.