Media relations supporting pet health - Veterinary Council of New Zealand

Priority Communications provides ongoing communications support to the Veterinary Council of New Zealand (VCNZ), helping it speak to its important base of veterinary professionals, vets in training, and the wider community.

Part of our work with the Vet Council is helping to inform the public about important issues relating to veterinary care and industry standards. Priority Communications prepares and distributes media releases for the Council on a variety of issues, from advocating for the work and welfare of veterinarians, to sharing key information owners need know about. These press releases regularly attract high media engagement.

An example of this work was when veterinarians reported a concerning rise in the highly infectious disease, canine cough, in 2022. Priority Communications quickly worked alongside the Council’s veterinary advisors to prepare a warning to dog owners informing them of the signs, and encouraging them to speak with their veterinarians to ensure vaccinations were up-to-date. As a result, VCNZ’s professional advisor was interviewed by several reporters, and the story appeared in more than 10 major New Zealand publications, including Stuff, RNZ, Today FM, Newstalk ZB, and more. 

Ahead of the interviews, we helped prepare talking points to ensure the advisor could get the message out to his audience in the most effective and engaging manner. Priority Communications arranged all the media bookings to help make the interview coordination and liaison as seamless as possible.