WHITECOAT Strategies, LLC, Opens for Business, Challenges Clients to "Put More Life in Your Science"

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - February 4, 2008) - With over 100 years of collective staff experience, WHITECOAT Strategies, LLC, opens today to serve science and technology driven clients, including biotechnology and nanotechnology-related businesses and organizations. In addition to offering traditional public relations services, WHITECOAT Strategies is structured to meet a surging demand for highly visual and streaming digital PR campaigns delivered directly to desktop.

The WHITECOAT Strategies team has delivered effective communication campaigns and tools for businesses and organizations including the American Chemical Society, Amgen, Aqua Bounty, Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), Biota Holdings, Ceres, Chemical Abstract Services (CAS), DuPont, Marshall Edwards, North Carolina BioNetwork, Monsanto, Novogen, Penn State University's Center for Nanotechnology Education and Utilization, Procacci Brothers Sales Corporation and West Virginia University Hospitals.

The new firm is the result of a merger between SciWords, LLC, a boutique life science and technology PR firm, and Strategic Media Group (SMG), a multi-media production firm with a 20-year history of producing award winning videos and films. As a result of the merger, all SciWords and SMG clients in the science and technology sectors are now served by WHITECOAT Strategies.

"Clients know that showing a story trumps telling a story when it comes to changing behavior of target audiences," said David Sheon, Managing Partner, WHITECOAT Strategies. "But when we reviewed the in-house capabilities of nearly 50 independent PR firms serving these industries, not one had in-house high-definition video editing or 3D animation capabilities. Integrating these services means our clients will have their own digital news room, and that gives them an advantage."

WHITECOAT Strategies' services include corporate image/brand management, product launches, advocacy campaigns and issues management. In-house technologies include two non-linear high-definition editing, audio recording and video engineering suites; HD, MiniDV, Betacam SP and DVC Pro camera equipment; DVD creation and duplication systems; 3-D modeling, animation, and human overlays for Web sites; extensive video, animation and music libraries; and complete Web site design and development capabilities.

"Too many boutique life science PR firms avoid recommending videos to clients because it means the firm will lose out on revenue it could capture if the work stayed in house," said Philip Palazzo, Jr., Managing Director, AdMedia Partners, Inc., a New York-based investment bank and financial advisory firm serving owners of privately held companies in health care marketing services, media and publishing, and related interactive businesses. "The service offering of the combined entity will be compelling for both clients and prospects."

"When biotech CEOs see how people respond to their videos at conferences or online, it's always a real 'WOW factor' moment," said David Welch, Senior Partner, WHITECOAT Strategies. "We help our clients to demonstrate a complex process in a short period of time, and in an engaging way. When backed with effective public relations, our plans work. Stakeholders come on board, and our clients are well served."

News releases issued by the firm carry embedded video interviews whenever possible. WHITECOAT clients are learning that static Web pages are quickly becoming the dinosaur of the Internet, as streaming video and 3-D human video overlays allow sites to talk directly to patients, doctors or other target audiences.

"WHITECOAT Strategies recognizes the growing need for our clients to have a digital and increasingly interactive way to communicate key messages to the public," said Christopher "Chip" Kuhn, Partner and Creative Director, WHITECOAT Strategies. "Studies going back to the 1960s show that behavior is far more likely to be changed based on seeing and interacting than by reading alone."

M. Darrell Williams serves as Partner, Chief Operations Officer; key staff includes Dustin Keefer, Director, Digital Media; R. Andrew Penney, APR, Director, Science Communications; and Jonathan Thompson, Project Manager.

WHITECOAT Strategies, LLC, is a Washington, DC-based public relations firm serving clients in life and environmental sciences, and in advanced technologies. By bringing high-definition video and 3-D animation production in house, along with a complete host of Web services, WHITECOAT Strategies is one of the first firms in the country to integrate PR and a complete palette of multi-media services. For more information, visit www.WHITECOATstrategies.com, or write to info@WHITECOATstrategies.com.

Contact Information: Contact: David Sheon 202 518-6321