Month: January 2023

OWC Secured a Quote for Abiomed in Parade

Posted on January 20, 2023 by - Client News

Lisa Marie Presley’s recent fatal cardiac arrest felt shocking and sudden—she was only 54. But Presley isn’t the only celeb to call attention to heart issues in women in recent years. Back in 2012, Rosie O’Donnell had a heart attack shortly after her 50th birthday, and in a TikTok video this week, she shared the top symptoms she experienced, which might not be obvious heart attack signs. “Hot, exhausted, pain, pale, puke,” she said, noting that those are the words she uses to remember them.

Why Heart Disease Is a “Silent” Issue in Women

Though awareness of heart disease in women has increased, it’s still sometimes referred to as a “silent” condition. And frustratingly, there’s been a lack of gender-specific studies on risk factors for heart disease in women, researchers pointed out in 2017.

Jaw or back pain

Dr. Bobbi Chapman, MD, a cardiologist and the medical director of heart failure at Abiomed says pain in these areas is easy to overlook but may be the only symptom of a heart attack in women. Unexplained pain on the left side is particularly troubling. The American Heart Association also lists this symptom as one that women should keep in mind.

Read the full article: 7 Surprising Signs of Heart Issues In Women That You Should Never Ignore

New Year Communications Planning | eNews from OWC

Posted on January 10, 2023 by - eNewsletter

January is the time for a fast review of 2023 strategic planning. Ready, set, go!

  • Is the current plan updated for current market conditions and news cycles?
  • Are there imminent threats that need to be addressed internally or externally?
  • What’s new that employees need to know?
  • External communications channels—are they active? Who’s in charge?
  • Every company’s story changes. How has yours?

The answers should come quick. If they didn’t:

Prepare to Address Today’s Market. CEOs and company representatives who can nail an interview leave a clear picture of who they and their company are. That takes training and practice because all business leaders must be able to take on hard-hitting questions from reporters. Message and media training prepares CEOs to successfully engage with reporters and become go-to sources ready to answer the tough questions.

Develop/Refresh The Crisis Communications Plan. Most strategic plans are inadequate for what to do in a crisis. We’ve all seen how quickly a reputation can change — victim of a few tweets or a single unguarded remark. Fair or not, every boss’ job is to protect and manage reputation. A crisis communications plan can be as simple as the steps a business takes to assess and react to a situation, or as sophisticated as drafting potential holding statements and conducting simulations. Giving potential risks a number is important to the bottom line. Have your entire team take OWC’s risk assessment to gain visibility around issues you may not know exist and to engage in deeper discussions to improve operations and morale and avoid pitfalls.

Proactively Plan to Stand Out with Media. In 2022, reporters and editors faced threats of newspaper closures, workplace burnout, layoffs, revolving beats and new pressure for click-bait headlines. In today’s state of the media, these challenges make finding a spot in news stories twice as hard. Businesses must take a stance, stay on social media and provide visual content to get reporters’ attention. The smartest way to keep up is a plan with calendars and visuals prepared a least a month ahead.

Empower Employees. With buzzwords like “quiet quitting” and “the great resignation,” smart business leaders are leaning into their internal communications plans to keep employees happy and lines of communication open and transparent. Employees are a company’s most valuable asset and improving employee retention has become more important than ever. Investing in company culture is good for your reputation and is proof of commitment to core values.

Protect your Cyber Reputation. Most companies have experienced some form of a cyber-attack, which is why businesses need to prepare for online reputational threats that strike without warning. It’s critical to build a team prepared for rapid response with a deep arsenal of capabilities that identify the source of the attacks, remove damaging items from the first page of online searches and provide a solution to repair and protect reputation.

Strategic communications planning makes for a happy New Year. Contact us today for help with planning.

So, Happy New Year!

IN THE NEWS

Abiomed featured on TODAY.com

OWC secured coverage on TODAY.com for Abiomed patient Jamie Waddell and her story of heart failure due to COVID-19. Waddell was treated with the Impella, a tiny heart pump that allowed her heart to rest and recover. See the full story here.

The Nilson Report spotlights new CompoSecure cards

OWC secured coverage for its client CompoSecure, a leader in metal payment card manufacturing, in The Nilson Report. The article featured the company’s newest metal card offerings for 2023, such as the Lux Glass Card and Dynamic CVV Card. Read the full story here.

Going beyond traditional media coverage

It is important to go beyond just traditional media sources to alternative sources for news, such as blogs, social channels and podcasts. OWC secured a blog post on Porch.com for its client Alen, a 16-year leader in High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) purification solutions, featuring expert advice to create a healthy home environment (see here.) The Arculus cryptocurrency cold storage solution was part of an unboxing video on YouTube with Cointelegraph reporter Rachel Wolfson (watch here.)

OWC Secured a Feature in Nilson Report for CompoSecure

Posted on January 6, 2023 by - Client News

Best known for manufacturing metal cards that issuers offer to affluent individuals, including the American Express Centurion and Platinum cards and the Delta SkyMiles Amex co-branded card made of recycled airplane aluminum, CompoSecure will launch two new products in 2023.

The Lux Glass card is expected to be available to issuers globally in the first half of 2023. CompoSecure says it has a weight and tactile nature that makes it distinctive. The relationship with Corning is not exclusive. However, the glass manufacturer has never worked with a card manufacturer and CompoSecure has patents pending on the glass card design.

Read the full article: CompoSecure Offers New Card Products

OWC Secured Coverage for Abiomed Patient on TODAY.com

Posted on January 3, 2023 by - Client News

A month after having COVID-19, Jamie Waddell felt weak after walking a short distance. She thought she hadn’t recovered. She had no idea her heart was failing.

“Based on the fact that I kept feeling worse and worse, I’m guessing my heart function had probably been declining over that whole week, and by the time I got to the ER, I was septic,” Waddell, 36, a nurse from Springfield, Illinois, tells TODAY.com. “They did an echocardiogram. My heart function was really low. I was in heart failure.”

By the time Waddell reached her local hospital, doctors needed to act fast to support her. They implanted an Impella, a temporary device to help her heart pump blood. Patients in heart failure normally need help with the left side of the heart, where Waddell’s device was placed. But her doctors noticed the right side of her heart also struggling, so they implanted another Impella made especially for that side.

“The right side of the heart is very often forgotten. It’s actually the more difficult side to deal with, too,” Dr. Christopher Lawrence, a cardiovascular surgeon at SIU Medicine, part of Southern Illinois University, tells TODAY.com. “When we put the right side Impella in, … literally within minutes she just started dumping urine, which is a good sign that her organs are actually getting good blood flow, and that was just a cool thing.”

Read the full story: Woman, 36, almost passed out while walking. She was in heart failure due to COVID-19