Biolumina Group LLC: 2016

Biolumina Group LLC

75 Varick Street

New York, NY 10013

Phone: 646-364-1500

Facsimile: 646-364-1600

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: biolumina.com

 

Services Mix

Professional advertising    55%

Digital                                    35%

Relationship marketing      10%

 

Accounts

Account wins                        2

Active business clients       6

 

Brands by 2015 sales

Brand product accounts held 20

$25 million or less   1

$25 million to $50 million   0

$50 million to $100 million 2

$100 million to $500 million          5

$500 million to $1 billion    1

$1 billion or more                4

Products not yet approved/launched     7

 

Client Roster

AbbVie

Array BioPharma

Clovis Oncology

Genentech

Novartis Pharmaceuticals

Novo Nordisk

 

 

2015 was a big year for Biolumina, according to agency leaders. “Evolution is essential for any agency seeking to stay relevant, and Biolumina stays one step ahead with the skill and agility that only a small agency can offer,” executives say.

Biolumina is a specialty agency with expertise in high-science therapeutic areas, including a focus in oncology. “But science isn’t just a target for Biolumina: it also influences everything the agency does,” executives say, adding that Biolumina takes a scientific approach to its brands, using everything from market insights to psychological principles at the crossroads of storytelling and multichannel communication to create meaningful customer experiences. “Just as science may be the hook for many of its clients, it is also the means by which Biolumina builds compelling brand narratives,” executives say.

Agency leaders point out that none of this would happen without the people who work there every day. “They proudly declare themselves to be ‘science geeks’ who ‘love this crazy business we’re in,’” executives say. “The passion they bring makes an exciting and intimate work environment with like-minded colleagues and daily discoveries.”

Executives say the highlights of the past year include new leadership, new clients, and an expanded focus on the customer experience.

 

The year’s accomplishments

2015 was Kirsten Kantak’s inaugural year as president of Biolumina after 12 years at sister agency Harrison and Star. During her tenure at Harrison and Star, Kantak ran the oncology brands for Genentech and Roche, including a number of major launches and the BioOncology platform. Most recently she spent three years heading up the Harrison and Star global office in London. Kantak says she is excited to bring her vast specialty and global experience to Biolumina.

“Working with Genentech and Roche really entrenched me deep in the specialty arena,” she says. “And then working in London added a unique perspective on what a ‘global’ brand truly means – working closely with local affiliates. I’m excited to bring this experience to Biolumina.” Kantak has set the bar high for the agency and for herself, with a focus on attracting and cultivating talent and clients. “I’m looking forward to continuing to build the organization.”

Kantak has already followed through on her promise to attract talent by bringing on two new senior VPs. Laura MacSwan is the new senior VP/director of client services and integrated marketing.

“It’s essential to have a deep understanding of the entire customer journey, including the rational and emotional drivers at each step,” MacSwan says. “That’s the only way to truly know how to convert customers.”

Brenda Aske, R.Ph., has taken on the role of senior VP/creative strategist. “We like to consider ourselves translational scientists, except that instead of bench to bedside, we turn our medical knowledge into motivating communications,” she says.

New business wins in 2015 include launch agents from Array BioPharma and Clovis Oncology. These are both relatively young companies with robust pipelines that are just beginning to come to fruition.

“We love to work with companies like these because we share a lot in common,” Kantak says. “Small companies, focused missions, dedicated teams, and a lot of promise and passion. When that describes both the agency and its client partners, you’ve got something pretty special.”

In 2015, Biolumina also expanded its existing relationship with Novartis Oncology to include more agents, both inline and launch. Highlights of this relationship included the U.S. launch of Signifor LAR for acromegaly and new branded and disease education campaigns for Afinitor for breast cancer. Executives say these campaigns highlight Biolumina’s ability to leverage emotional insights and to ask tough questions by translating intimate customer understanding into unique brand experiences that resonate, inspire, and invoke action.

Another major focus for 2015 was ongoing work for a new jointly promoted product from AbbVie Inc. and Genentech Inc. Executives say this game-changing agent represents a new partnership and the first oncology launch for AbbVie, and Biolumina is proud to be part of the U.S. and global launch efforts.

“This is a first-in-class molecule with the potential to make a real difference in the lives of patients,” says Doug Tischler, senior VP/senior creative director at Biolumina. “You read stories about patients who had a death sentence until this drug came along. That’s the kind of stuff that inspires us every day and makes what we do fulfilling on so many levels.”

2015 also saw the rollout of the NovoEight launch into major markets, a new global campaign for NovoSeven, and some groundbreaking interactive convention work for the Novo Nordisk global hemophilia franchise. To better serve these EU-based clients, Biolumina moved its base of operations from its office in New York City to its office in London.

 

Structure and services

Established in 2008, Biolumina comprises a team with extensive experience in launching and growing specialty brands, agency leaders say.

According to executives, Biolumina is a full-service agency that believes what sets it apart isn’t what it offers, but the scientific way in which the agency approaches everything it does. Agency leaders believe that a true customer relationship is formed through a foundation of intimate understanding, deep emotion, and thoughtful interaction. Biolumina uses unique and proprietary methods to uncover emotional hooks that build customer relationships across all relevant channels.

Biolumina is inspired by science and powered by passion, a vision that speaks to its dedication to clients and employees, executives say. Besides Kantak, Tischler, MacSwan, and Aske on the leadership team, Mark Friedman is executive VP/chief creative officer; Jim Newton is senior VP/associate creative director, art; Jad Daccurso is senior VP/group  account supervisor; Judy Kides is senior VP/director of finance; and Jenna Rastiello Goscienski is VP/director of operational excellence.

 

Future plans

Biolumina plans to continue bringing its unique value to current and new specialty therapeutic areas, executives say. Biolumina also continues to explore ways to integrate new technology such as wearables and next-generation diagnostics into clients’ channel strategies. Above all, agency leaders say, Biolumina is constantly seeking new talent – like-minded individuals who aren’t afraid to “geek out” and inject creativity into everything they do.

 

Philanthropy/citizenship

Through its Caring Hands initiative, Biolumina donated toys to NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, coats to help the New York Cares Coat Drive, and employees made a financial contribution to the American Heart Association. Executives say the agency also proudly supports the United Way. Biolumina partnered with Genentech to support a number of important causes, including the Family Reach Foundation. According to agency leaders, Biolumina is also seeking to partner with a new charitable organization in 2016 to provide pro bono advertising and marketing support that aligns with its own focus.