Good relationships between advocacy groups and businesses can provide mutually beneficial outcomes. Positive relationships between pharmaceutical companies and patient advocacy groups, in particular, have often produced great results for both.

“Pharma companies need credible ways of reaching consumers,” says Christina Nicols, VP and director of research at Ketchum. “Advocacy-group programs haven't decreased, despite the economy.”

Nicols recently conducted one-on-one interviews with 12 healthcare nonprofits about working with pharma companies. The groups cited disclosure and transparency as top ...