Investment fuels global growth for US-based diabetes solutions company

Situation

Quest Health Solutions (Quest), a leading supplier in diabetes care management, received a multi-million dollar investment from Sumitomo Corporation of Americas (SCOA), a subsidiary of Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation. This marked SCOA’s entry into the U.S. healthcare market. With diabetes rates rising in Japan, SCOA saw significant potential in Quest’s expertise in supplying continuous glucose monitoring (CGMs) with remote patient monitoring (RPM) services using CGM data to enhance patient education and improve health outcomes.

Complication

Quest aimed to effectively announce this partnership to boost brand awareness. The company’s leadership focused on the strategic decision between the path of raising capital or securing a strategic partner. The investment provided capital and offered real-time synergies by blending healthcare knowledge with operational infrastructure refinement and global expansion expertise. 

The value of the investment was effectively conveyed to tier-one earned media business and healthcare publications by demonstrating how the partnership aligns with Quest’s expansion plans beyond the U.S. and into Asian markets. This approach ensured that the impact was understood and appreciated across different cultural and business contexts.

Solution

Ballast, with SCOA’s internal communications, business development and leadership teams, implemented a strategy to:

  • Announce the investment via PRNewswire with nationwide distribution 
  • Prepare spokespersons with interview FAQs 
  • Target relevant reporters
  • Manage the embargo strategy between Asia’s most well-read business media outlet and its U.S. counterpart
  • Amplify the announcement on social media for additional influencer engagement 

Results

The importance of this partnership sets a strong foundation for SCOA and Quest’s partnership for diabetes care management in the U.S. and globally.