Account Manager at Anthem, Jack Panton, talks genomics, diversity, sustainability, and why he chose a career in healthcare comms

“The types of materials we were creating before the pandemic were completely different to what we are creating now.”

What was your journey into PR?

I did a biochemistry degree at Cardiff University and discovered I enjoyed talking about the practical benefits of science. My parents work in pharmaceuticals, so I had a decent idea of how the business side of pharma works. I then did an internship in a policy and communications agency and particularly enjoyed the comms/PR side so that encouraged me to look for PR-specific roles. If you’d asked me when I was at school, or even at university, whether I would work in PR, I would have told you it’s not something that would suit my skill set but experiencing healthcare PR changed my opinion. I’ve always enjoyed explaining science and I think that’s at the root of health PR.

What drew you to Anthem PR?

Resonant Group acquired the PR business from OpenHealth and rebranded it Anthem. So it felt like an exciting opportunity because it was a new company – only a month old at that point. Anthem came with all the energy and opportunities of a start-up, where I could learn how to create and grow a business, but also the stability and credibility that came with an impressive, existing client base.

What challenges did you face on your journey into PR?

I think the biggest challenge I’ve faced is remote working during the pandemic. It became more difficult to get the team together. We couldn’t bounce ideas off each other and have those more informal discussions. I was less than a year in when we first went into lockdown so, although I had a good grounding, I still had so much to learn and not having  the direct contact with people impacted me and was something I had to adapt to. I think I overcame it. It was something everyone had to overcome..

How do you think the pandemic has changed healthcare PR?

It has probably accelerated the move to digital communications. In my first year in PR at my previous agency it was a lot of press releases, congresses, and in-person events. Although there were social campaigns, they were seen as backing everything else up. During the pandemic, face-to-face wasn’t possible – everything had to be pretty much done on a digital platform. Social media exploded as a way of reaching an audience when you can’t sit in a room with them.

Have pharma companies had to elevate the quality of their digital content?

The types of materials we were creating before the pandemic were completely different to what we are creating now. There is a lot more thought and creativity going into assets and how to post them effectively – making sure they resonate with audiences and are seen by those audiences.

What fresh perspectives do millennials bring to comms?

At 26, I’m technically a millennial but on the cusp of Gen Z. I think millennials are very curious. They’re not going to sit back and accept this is the way things have always been done. They will be asking ‘how should it be done’? They don’t just accept the status quo. I think that is only going to improve what we’re doing.  It’s hard to group people into one bucket but I do think generally diversity is much more front of mind for millennials. It’s become a big factor in everything we do. It’s no longer something you can just talk about: you need to show action. Unless you’re taking those actions, it’s empty words.

Is sustainability a big part of health PR now?

Big companies are under the magnifying glass. Five to ten years ago companies made their green pledges, planted trees, put recycling bins in their offices, and then said: “We can do a post about this!” But they were token gestures often done for PR reasons. It’s now the other way round. Companies are taking meaningful actions to be sustainable, and the communications follow. You can’t just do it for publicity now – it will get called out. The WHO says climate change is the biggest health issue we are going to face. For instance, malaria was seen as a disease that generally stays along the equator but, if global warming continues, malaria will extend to countries which don’t necessarily have the infrastructure to cope with it. Big companies have the resources to really make a difference in tackling the climate crisis.

What is happening on the frontier of medical research that most excites you?

Genomics, cell and gene therapy, and personalised medicine will have a massive role to play in the future of healthcare. Every person’s disease is unique. AI will also be huge. It enables us to learn and gather insights in a different way. It will be applied across research and treatment and will only proliferate as we move forward. I think the third biggest thing for healthcare is diversity. A lot of medicine is based on a small population of people – typically European white males.  Creating a more diverse and inclusive base for research and development will be crucial because it will deliver more accurate and insightful findings and drive better drug development and discovery.

What do you enjoy outside work?

Cooking! I love cooking – especially Italian and French food. I also play football and golf and can watch any kind of sport.