On this episode of The Press Playbook, I sat down with Briana Trulear, Senior Account Director at BAM, to break down how she helped Doctronic land a Wall Street Journal funding exclusive.
This one is a really good example of how a story can evolve. Rather than starting as funding announcement, it started as a simple intro and turned into an exclusive.
Below are the key moments and takeaways from the episode, or listen where you please:
Episode Overview
Guest: Briana Trulear, Senior Account Director at BAM
Client Featured: Doctronic
Key Placement: The Wall Street Journal
Episode Focus: Turning an intro into a full story + exclusive
Key Moments & Takeaways
⏱️ 00:00–01:30 — Meet Briana + Doctronic
We kick things off with Briana walking through her role at BAM and what Doctronic is building.
At a high level, Doctronic is essentially an AI doctor that helps people access health information and care more easily.
⏱️ 01:30–02:45 — The News Moment
The team had a strong hook: a partnership with the state of Utah.
This allowed AI to help approve prescription renewals for certain medications, which is a big shift in how healthcare can actually work.
⏱️ 02:45–04:15 — Starting With an Intro, Not a Pitch
Instead of leading with a hard pitch, the team reached out to a Wall Street Journal reporter with a simple intro.
They introduced the CEO, shared the Utah news, and positioned him as a source on AI in clinical care.
The goal was “this is someone you should know.”
⏱️ 04:15–05:30 — How It Turned Into an Exclusive
During that initial conversation, the CEO mentioned potential funding.
A couple weeks later, the reporter came back and asked to run an exclusive on it.
That’s the moment everything shifted from intro to full story.
⏱️ 05:30–06:30 — Why the Pitch Worked
The pitch was simple, easy to scan, and focused on:
- who the CEO is
- why the news matters
- what bigger conversations are happening in the industry
Nothing overly complicated. Just clear and relevant.
⏱️ 06:30–07:45 — Advice for Founders
Briana’s biggest advice: think beyond your company.
Reporters don’t just care about what you’re building. They care about how it impacts the broader industry, patients, and real-world use cases.
Final Takeaway
This placement didn’t come from forcing a story.
It came from starting a conversation, being relevant to what the reporter covers, and letting the opportunity build from there.
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