Verndari first approached McDougall Communications in early 2020 as the COVID pandemic had begun tightening its grip on the world. The Napa, Calif.-based startup suddenly found itself among dozens of companies racing to address the crisis. Verndari was focused on vaccine candidates and advancing delivery through its proprietary microneedle skin patch. It was also ready to announce the start of its first clinical trial of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate at the University of California Davis using the patch. The early-stage company needed to quickly increase its scientific and brand recognition. 

While Verndari had a highly relevant story, it could easily have been swept into the maelstrom of COVID coverage, experiencing a one-and-done news cycle. Verndari’s specific desire was to grow in a measured way that would accommodate its organizational footprint—and management had no previous experience working with media.

Working with UC Davis scientists as endorsers for the clinical trial, the team zeroed in on the research-dense Sacramento community, rich with potential investors and federally supported programs. Every content element—from the press release and imagery to investor collateral—had to be scientifically-accurate yet easy to understand, visually satisfying, and usable by many stakeholders. Likewise, the ability to voice those same messages in interviews was critical, which was aided through disciplined media training sessions.

The results exceeded all objectives. The clinical trial initiation was covered in >50 global pharma trade, academic press, and regional business outlets. Those propelled Verndari to be discussed alongside major pharma companies by the New York Times, PBS News Hour and the San Francisco Chronicle, among others. With its new national profile, Verndari became one of four companies selected by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to develop alternative vaccine technologies.