When Two Industries Collide

Teri Loxam giving her presentation

On Tuesday April 9, I had the opportunity to attend another speaker at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. It took place in the Joyce Hergenhan auditorium at 6 p.m. Teri Loxam, senior vice president of investor relations and global communications of Merck & Co. came as part of the visiting executive lecture series, presented by the W2O Group Center for Social Commerce. Merck is a global pharmaceutical company inventing new medicines and vaccines for both people and animals. Loxam loves her job as it “keeps her on her toes and is constantly seeing changes in work attitudes, clients, and the audience.” Loxam began the conversation by explaining her career path through the Pharmaceutical company Merck. There is a misinterpretation that communication should only focus on external stakeholders. Loxam stressed that these two worlds and words should be used interchangeably. A company’s employees and other internal stakeholders are just as important and influenceable as the clients and public you are marketing to. She stressed diversity in the work place especially with age and background. When asked about age gap in the workplace, Loxam stated, "We have baby boomers and millennials sitting side by side.” She stressed that companies need to be purpose driven to find a common place of what motivates employees to believe in the mission of the company. This way employees can truly become ambassadors who can advocate on behalf of where they work.

Healthcare is controversial and create enough issues of their own, politically. To stay ahead of these issues Loxam stresses adaptation. Merck has been able to withstand challenges and still able to dominate their industry by not only thinking ahead, but also predicting their competitors next move to stay ahead of the curb. Similar to what we learn in our PR classes in Newhouse, Merck uses the PAID model and realizes that in a digit world, you need to stand out. As a company, you need to set yourself apart from the rest of the crowd. As communicators, we are now an integral part of every company. Reputation is everything to a company and their success.

Courtesy of the Merck website

I am very interested in the biopharmaceutical and scientific research industry and the role PR can play into their mission. As someone who loved biology, I think it’s amazing that someone with a communication background could work in the biology industry. I love that Merck has dedicated themselves to globalizing and distributing products, such as vaccines and medicines. Growing up there is a connotation that only doctors can help people and make a difference. However, as I have seen tonight working for a company that has such an amazing mission, being a part of something greater, even just in communications, can make a big impact. I found this speaking event not only very informative, but also very motivational to a public relations student seeking to make a difference.

Loxam ended her talk by talking about her path that lead her here. She was studying to become a marine biologist and had no idea what business even was. It was through getting her hands dirty and working hard that she got to where she is today. She encouraged us to be curious and walk through every door that will open.

For more on the event follow me on Twitter @OliviaLy46 to see my live tweets.