WPP launches UK healthcare digital division
pharmafile | April 21, 2011 | News story | Medical Communications | Ogilvy, Ogilvy Healthworld UK, OgilvyHealthPR, WPP, medical communications, ogilvy healthworld advertising
Communications giant WPP has merged the digital activities of two media brands to launch a new entity in the UK, Ogilvy Digital Health.
The new operation – which takes most of the digital elements from Ogilvy Healthworld UK (which specialises in health comms) and OgilvyAction (brand marketing) – will be based at Ogilvy’s Paddington HQ.
Specialising in digital comms solutions for the healthcare sector, it is led by managing partners Caroline Howe and Simon Stebbing.
The other two existing businesses will continue to run as before, and will support the new venture with PR, advertising, medical education and consulting work.
Clients across the businesses currently include Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Lundbeck, Roche, Boehringer Ingelheim and Bayer.
The company denied that Ogilvy Digital Health merely represents a repackaging of the agency’s existing capabilities, saying it is now a “formalised digital division”.
“I see it as a beautiful Venn diagram where there is a meeting of the two,” said Stebbing. “It is in no way disconnected from the rest of the business. We are bringing our digital expertise more to the table and bringing our experience, knowledge and individuals to the forefront.”
“Some clients specifically want a digital team as the core for a particular piece of business,” explained Howe. “We have taken the digital entity of Ogilvy Healthworld and partnered that with the digital aspect of OgilvyAction.”
The pair previously ran the digital offerings of both businesses, Howe at Ogilvy Healthworld and Stebbing at OgilvyAction.
The company’s hope is that Ogilvy Digital Health, with the backup from Ogilvy’s established comms and marketing arms, will be seen as offering a seamless approach for pharma clients.
“A lot of clients in pharma have an ongoing challenge,” said Howe. “Do they approach more traditional healthcare agencies or go to digital agencies? We have a joint offer now with the right balance of people from the off.”
Adam Hill
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