CrowdPharm: 2024

CrowdPharm

4600 Madison Avenue, Suite 1500, Kansas City, MO 64112

518-573-9239 • [email protected] • crowdpharm.com

 

Quick facts

Accounts

• Account wins: 16
• Active business clients: 24
  

Brands by 2023 sales

• Brand-product accounts held: 28

Services mix

• Full service: 100%

Finalist

• Agency of the Year, Category III
• Best Professional Digital Campaign
• Best Professional Print Campaign

Leaders state 2023 began just like every new year does at CrowdPharm –moving. As Steve Bernstein, CrowdPharm’s “chief enthusiast” and executive VP, senior leadership advisor shared in a recent LinkedIn post, “Part of CrowdPharm’s secret formula is our core value to ‘Moove!’ In a world where the only constant is change, the ability to act – or move – cannot be overlooked and has never been more important.”   

According to managers, CrowdPharm, which they say is different by design, has shown healthcare marketers a transformational new way to work that “refreshingly delivers value.”

In 2023, the agency launched new brands, rebranded others, and onboarded 16 new clients. It expanded into Asia Pacific and grew its global talent network by 52 percent. Executives also point out how CrowdPharm launched a task force that set standards for the ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare advertising.

Among its other accomplishments, CrowdPharm was recognized twice in 2023 as a Great Place to Work. “CrowdPharm’s team never stops moving,” managers say.

“With solid leadership from the agency’s full-time team and a global talent network of 9,200-plus members across 128+ countries, CrowdPharm was in the industry spotlight throughout 2023. So much so that Spectrum Science offered to acquire CrowdPharm and its sister company, Hot Iron Health, and CrowdPharm accepted the offer.”

Recent accomplishments

In announcing the acquisition, Spectrum CEO Jonathan Wilson stated, “Today’s health and lifescience clients can’t afford to stick with the status quo. They need strategic and creative solutions that are fast, effective, and resourceful. With Spectrum’s newly established advertising and consulting pillar now fueled by CrowdPharm and Hot Iron Health’s pioneering approach, we bring the transformational solutions our clients need to break through in today’s market.”

Mike Myers, now president of the advertising and consulting pillar, reinforced Wilson’s directive to bring transformational solutions to clients. “Since day one, we’ve focused on offering healthcare marketing an evolved approach that enables clients and their brands real-time access to the abundance of strategic and creative talent around the world. Critical to our success has been a commitment to innovation and evolution in service of our people and our clients.”

Last April, while members of CrowdPharm’s team were in New York City accepting the 2023 Med Ad News Manny Award for Agency of the Year, some 9,526 miles across the Atlantic and Indian oceans, Bernstein, Myers, and Managing Director of Client Operations Kaley Wagner were in Singapore launching CrowdPharm Asia Pacific.

Managers say this global expansion resulted from CrowdPharm fielding new business requests from clients planning future work in Asia-Pacific countries and agency leaders recognizing the importance of ensuring access to this market’s creative and strategy expertise. “Opening an office in Singapore and formalizing the strategic partnership with WeTheBrand, a creative and marketing agency in Vietnam led by Founder Sang Truong and with whom CrowdPharm had been working with for more than a year, has allowed CrowdPharm to deliver in big ways in this region.” Industry veteran Heng Aw, brought on board as regional director, oversees operations and manages the agency’s work through WeTheBrand. Aw also drives business development and talent recruitment to continue to grow the team. According to Wagner, CrowdPharm clients are gearing up to launch products in various global markets, including Japan, China, and Asia Pacific. “CrowdPharm Asia Pacific established our ability to serve them effectively, and Heng ensures local regional connectivity and support.”

Leaders say clients continued to be “delighted” by CrowdPharm’s “bold ideas and game-changing strategy that create the custom solutions driving their market value.”

In 2023, the agency  launched a product for the treatment of candidemia and invasive candidiasis in adults with a branded website along with product and market access communication tools; developed initial strategy and creative ideas to rebrand a product that protects dogs against heartworm disease, ticks and fleas, and roundworms and hookworms; and developed brand positioning and website redesign for a strategic consulting firm.

Additionally, CrowdPharm developed production positioning and creative strategy for a product launch campaign for a traumatic brain injury diagnosis tool; and debuted a new HCP campaign for a nasal spray rescue medication used for the short-term treatment of seizure clusters, including a website, tradeshow booth, and banner ads.

According to Ingrid Dahlin, managing director, client services, the power of CrowdPharm’s transformative model was fully displayed, delivering timesaving and cost efficiencies its clients value. In just three months, the agency delivered 277-plus HCP and caregiver materials for patients being treated for rare forms of epilepsy. “We tapped into our global network to bring talent in when needed and moved work across global time zones while our clients slept,” Dahlin says.

CrowdPharm’s team continues to share their insights in healthcare and business publications, podcasts, and across social media on industry trends and just what it’s like to work at a company that is transforming how healthcare marketers work with agencies. Clover Clients magazine featured Myers as a CEO to Watch in 2023, PM360 recognized Wagner as an ELITE Transformational Leader, and Myers did a Fierce Pharma podcast with Viz.ai.

“CrowdPharm recognizes that clients have choices when entrusting their brands to an agency,” executives say. “So, it has been thrilling for the agency to witness its vision to deliver a new era in healthcare advertising realized beyond its virtual walls.” In 2023, CIO Bulletin featured CrowdPharm as one of the 30 Fastest Growing Companies to Watch, the agency was an MM+M finalist for Independent Agency of the Year, Business Chief’s Insights featured CrowdPharm as one of the Top 10 Admired Companies to Watch, CrowdPharm was a PM360 Trailblazer Awards Advertising Agency of the Year finalist, Pharma Tech Outlook choose the agency as a Top 10 Veeva Solutions Providers, and, for the third year in a row, CrowdPharm earned a spot on Inc. 5000’s list of fastest-
growing private companies in America.

“Culture has always been a priority at CrowdPharm, and the agency’s team showed just how important by voting CrowdPharm an Inc. Best Workplaces for the second year in a row and MM+M’s Best Places to Work for a third year in a row.”

“I am approaching my third year and am baffled by the unbelievably consistent practice of values here,” one CrowdPharm teammate commented in the survey. “Every single individual here, from account to creative to editorial to finance, is in it together. A true first in my professional career. Kindness and respect reign supreme. Work ethic is second to none. There is a shared gratitude for this experience and each other that is on full display every day.”

Structure and Services

CrowdPharm’s team jumped into exploring how using AI tools streamlined workflows and delivered exceptional results to clients. “From project managers to creative directors, the agency’s team incorporated AI into their daily work,” managers say.

For example, AI was added to the proprietary application that runs the agency’s global talent network to identify and align talent to task. “By uploading a creative brief and job details, the AI tools search 9,200-plus members and identify those who are an excellent fit for the project at hand,” executives say.

The agency developed an AI-powered natural language search for members. “Using a simple text box, staff type in what they are looking for – for example, ‘I’m looking for a copywriter who speaks French and has expertise in rare disease’ – and AI returns a list matching candidates.”

AI code generation was used to develop a program that automates PDF document creation from animated banner ads of multiple sizes, assembling all animated frames into a single-page document. “The result is one PDF in a matter of minutes versus hours of screen grabbing and layout, saving operations time and at least 40 hours of costly development work,” managers say.

Understanding that today’s generative AI systems leverage complex mathematical models and algorithms yet still need humans to unleash their full potential in enhancing productivity and fostering creativity, CrowdPharm’s AI Task Force developed a presentation for clients and prospects explaining how they responsibly accelerate creative with AI and published AI guidelines for contractors in the global talent network.

“By providing training and learning opportunities, our teams are pioneering the responsible and effective use of AI technologies seamlessly into our daily work processes, enabling us to unleash new levels of creativity, productivity, and quality,” says Alex Silverstein, managing director, chief technology and innovation officer. For all this work, CrowdPharm was recognized by PM360 as an innovator.

Future plans

CrowdPharm will always deliver game-changing, strategic advertising and consulting solutions, and now as part of Spectrum Science, they will do so on an even larger scale and to more clients around the world,” agency leaders say. “CrowdPharm and Spectrum are pursuing their shared vision of success by expanding their talent, expertise, and capabilities to transform the custom solutions they offer clients.”

Philanthropy/citizenship

According to agency leaders, Patty Byrnes’ act of heroism saved a man’s life and inspired CrowdPharm to launch the Hero Award to celebrate genuinely good and caring people who bring about a profound change in a life or community. “The agency believes that heroes come in all shapes and sizes and from all corners of the world,” executives say. “They are brave and courageous, demonstrate the moral integrity to stand up for others, and have the inner strength and determination to move mountains and people. Heroes give us hope.”

The second recipient of the Hero Award, Tanya Petroff, “works tirelessly to raise collective awareness and financial support for people 4,781 miles across the Atlantic Ocean in Ukraine,” managers say, adding that CrowdPharm donates to the charity of the hero’s choice and in their name. Patty and Tanya’s stories can be found on crowdpharm.com.

The agency launched Kindness is Contagious, an initiative that executives say taps into the team’s collective DNA that drives them to always jump in to help.

“CrowdPharm knows that every act of kindness inspires and influences others to pay it forward in new and exciting ways,” executives say. “This time next year, the agency is looking forward to sharing just how they’ve transformed the world.”

Through this initiative, the agency has helped these organizations across the United States, including donating goods and food to Franklin Community Center in New York, Harvesters – The Community Food Network in Missouri, Gospel Rescue Mission in Arizona, and the San Diego Food Bank in California on National Food Bank Day.

During National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week, Saratoga County Animal Shelter in New York, Pima Paws for Life in Arizona, KC Pet Project in Missouri, and Frosted Faces Foundation in California received shipments of wish list items.