Plume, the leading telehealth provider for transgender healthcare, is a company built by trans people for trans people. As the company looked to expand its presence in the U.S., SourceCode was tasked with developing and executing an earned media strategy to increase Plume’s brand awareness, specifically amongst the transgender community.

WHAT WE DID

We created a comprehensive, multi-prong media relations strategy to ensure a consistent cadence of media coverage. This approach consisted of developing a 12-month proactive pitch calendar to insert the brand into key cultural moments such as Mental Health Awareness Month and International Day of Trans Visibility, and crafting varied pitch angles to hit all relevant media verticals: health trades, LGBTQ+ media, local, business. We also spotlighted patient stories to humanize Plume and showcase the personal stories behind their impact, and amplified momentum moments and milestones for the brand around its expansion and roll out of services in new markets. We complemented proactive outreach with reactive newsjacking around key moments such as the anti-Trans bills and also highlighted Plume’s co-founders and founding story to break into business press.

RESULTS

Over 6 months, we secured 107 placements (including syndications) in key publications such as Fierce Healthcare, Livestrong, Houston Chronicle, NPR, PopSugar, CNBC: The News with Shepard Smith. We also secured a brand feature story in Business Insider that highlighted the company’s co-founders and mission. This cadence of media coverage increased Plume’s SOV by 42.5% between Q3 2021 to Q2 2022. 

In addition to earned media, we landed co-founder, Dr. Jerrica Kirkley, a spot on 2022 Inc. Female Founders 100 list, and CEO, Matthew Wetschler, a speaking opportunity at HLTH 2022, in addition to the company on LinkedIn’s Top Startups list for 2022.

Metrics to call out:

  • 107 pieces of coverage
  • 42.5% increase in SOV