People recognized Sara Baker’s potential early. Upon graduating from college, she was hired to build a PR team for a financial tech firm in New York City. She remembers asking the chief executive: “You know I’m 22, right?” To which he responded, “Yes. And I know you can do the job.”
Baker entered the world of healthcare marketing in 2014, when she joined Chamberlain Healthcare Communications. As director of media relations, she spearheaded the PR agency’s media relations. A major win at the company: securing a spot on Today, in which Cyndi Lauper discussed how Novartis was helping her treat her psoriasis. Another win: After a producer told her, “We don’t cover clinical trial data,” Baker made results for Amgen’s cholesterol drug Repatha relevant enough to secure airtime on Good Morning America.
Her instincts on marketing trends are just as impressive. Three years ago, at a time when few PR professionals were focusing on paid placements, Baker sold in excess of $1 million in integrations on top-rated shows including Jimmy Kimmel Live, Good Morning America and The View. In the past couple years, she’s honed in on the importance of influencers to promote clients’ messages and increase their clout.
“I’ve never met anyone who can own a room as effortlessly — and effectively — as Sara Baker,” said James Ferber, MMC’s creative director. “From the smallest internal meeting to the biggest pitches, there’s no one I’d rather have standing by my side.”
From the May 01, 2020 Issue of MM+M - Medical Marketing and Media
