Turning Recognition into Visibility: A strategic communications case in occupational health

Karoline Ravanelli
Jan 14
3 min read

Some of the most meaningful work happens quietly.

Researchers, specialists, and practitioners spend years advancing their field, improving lives, and pushing difficult issues forward, often with little recognition outside their immediate professional world.

When recognition finally arrives, it can feel like a turning point. An award. A public acknowledgment. A rare moment in the spotlight.

But without a clear plan, that moment can pass just as quietly as it arrived.

So what happens when recognition finally comes, and how do you make it count?

The moment

That was the situation when a senior occupational health specialist received an international award recognizing 35 years of contribution to occupational health, including long-standing work related to silica exposure and occupational lung disease.

The recognition came from a respected professional body, the Society of Occupational Medicine. It was a meaningful milestone — but without a structured approach, the announcement risked remaining limited to professional and academic circles.

The opportunity wasn’t just to announce the award. It was to use the recognition as a platform.

The challenge

Awards, on their own, don’t guarantee visibility.

The challenge was to ensure this professional recognition:

reached audiences beyond the specialist community
resonated with health and safety professionals, not just peers
created space for broader discussion about occupational health and prevention
launched in a coordinated, credible, and intentional way

This required more than a single announcement. It required a strategic communications plan.

The strategy

TreeHouse Communications designed a clear, time-bound communications approach to maximize the impact of the recognition.

The strategy included:

developing a structured communications plan combining media engagement, stakeholder engagement, and social media amplification
drafting a press release positioned for both general and specialized audiences
pitching the story selectively to relevant health, safety, and professional media
coordinating closely with the awarding organization to align timing, messaging, and launch moments
preparing the expert for media engagement beyond the award itself, creating room to speak about occupational health, prevention, and long-term impact

The focus was not visibility for its own sake, but visibility with context and credibility.

The results

The coordinated launch entered the news cycle immediately.

Based on the distribution report:

The press release was made accessible across major newswires and search engines, reaching platforms with 150M+ monthly unique visitors
The story appeared across dozens of health, medical, and professional publications, extending well beyond the awarding body’s network
Coverage reached Canadian and international audiences, reinforcing the global relevance of the work

Most importantly, the strategy created secondary impact.

Media interest led to a feature interview in Canadian Occupational Safety, where the award served as a natural entry point for a deeper conversation about silica exposure, occupational lung disease, and worker health.

What began as recognition of a career milestone evolved into a broader, public-facing discussion on an underreported occupational health issue.

Where the story lands

This case didn’t start with a press release. It started with a moment of recognition.

What made the difference was treating that moment as a strategic opportunity, aligning narrative, timing, media, and stakeholders so the recognition became a platform rather than a footnote.

At TreeHouse, this reflects a core belief:important achievements deserve more than a single announcement. When approached thoughtfully, they can open space for wider conversations, extend impact, and give expertise the visibility it needs to be understood beyond its field.

That’s where the story ends — not with coverage, but with intentional visibility.