DDB Health New York: 2019
DDB Health New York LLC
200 Varick Street, Third Floor
New York, NY 10014
Telephone
212-896-1300
E-mail
[email protected]
Website
ddbhealth.com
Quick Facts
Accounts
Account wins 7
Active business clients 13
Brands by 2018 sales
Brand-product accounts held 26
Services mix
HCP-directed promotion 66%
DTP 21%
Training/innovation 13%
Client roster
Amgen
AstraZeneca
Bioverativ
Boehringer Ingelheim
Celgene
CVS Pharmacy
Ferring
Gelesis
Incyte
Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America
Novartis
Rhodes Pharmaceuticals
Roche
WINNER
BEST LAUNCH campaign
FINALIST
Best Professional Campaign – Print
More than 300 people called DDB Health home in 2019. The agency and network have become more than an industry force – they have become a family, DDB Health management says.
No matter where in the world one finds a DDB Health employee, the DNA is consistent, according to agency leaders. That’s because the agency network is committed to people who are “Talented and Nice.” It’s more than an agency mantra. This has been passed down from DDB’s very founder, creative advertising legend, Bill Bernbach.
“DDB Health is an extension of our employees,” says DDB Health President Jennie Fischette. “If you have the talent and you are a good person, this is the place to make your home.”
The executive management team describes DDB Health as a thriving, bustling, and evolving agency. Never resting on the agency’s laurels, DDB Health undertook a few home improvement projects in 2018. This year, DDB Health introduced a new model with a fully integrated Agile methodology.
Recent accomplishments
It was a year of expansion for DDB Health, bringing in two new clients and six new brands. DDB Health diversified the agency’s client portfolio, expanding in both oncology and rare disease categories, and entered into the health and wellness category by winning business for CVS Pharmacy.
As a network, DDB Health also helped DDB consumer grow its book of healthcare business as the two agency partners worked even more closely together to propel brands forward through insight collaboration and synergy of consumer and HCP strategies. “The consumer integration has been exciting,” says Executive Creative Director Michael Schreiber. “We are able to reward our diverse talent with new opportunities.”
One of the year’s biggest launches for DDB Health was for the Amgen/Novartis migraine brand Aimovig, in what has been lauded as one of the most successful launches to date. The brand was highlighted in Time magazine’s 100 greatest innovations in 2018.
STRUCTURE AND SERVICES
DDB Health is now working in a fully integrated Agile model, agency executives say. By partnering with leadership in the industry and learning from tech and consumer agency application of this model, DDB Health is now at the forefront of embracing an innovative way of serving clients.
“Standard agency staffing plans are antiquated,” says Executive VP, Director of Strategy Eileen Yaralian. “We need to be able to tap in to the experts when we need them based on the unique business challenge. Successful brands are nimble, adaptive, and constantly improving. The sprints are exciting and, more importantly, much more efficient and productive.”
“Working in an Agile model also allows creative people to apply their strengths more consistently. We put talent to task, and it’s been rewarding to see our talent continue to grow their skills when they apply it in diverse areas,” according to Schreiber.
The agency also integrated media and medical education offerings into its New York City hub, offering end-to-end solutions. “When you live and work with partners who bring different expertise to the table, you are able to deliver exponential benefits to clients,” Fischette says.
DDB Health also built out its engagement strategy offering, expanding in key areas, including business intelligence and content strategy. “Gone are the days of using data simply to measure campaign results,” says Executive VP, Director of Channels and Innovation Megan Fabry. “We’ve focused on leveraging customer data to inform every step of the brand experience we are creating.”
FUTURE PLANS
DDB Health plans to continue to invest in the training and education of its employees in 2019. “We invest in people because we know that’s where growth comes from,” Fischette says. “We want to build an agency of Agile leaders.”
DDB Health is a full-service agency. “We are always looking to upgrade our digital, medical, and creative capabilities,” Schreiber explains. “That too comes from an investment of time and effort into the growth of employees.”
The agency has taken great steps to integrate its global offering for clients and has now added DDB Health Barcelona to its growing network.
PHILANTHROPY/CITIZENSHIP
The mantra of “talented and nice” isn’t just evident within the agency’s walls, DDB Health executives say. The agency is incredibly generous and has embarked on a number of charitable missions.
DDB Health partnered with the Children’s Brain Tumor Project and launched a pro bono campaign that raised close to $400,000 on the very first day it launched. A television commercial, viral videos, and events created by the agency have helped raise awareness and funds to support a laboratory at Weill Cornell Medical Center on behalf of the Children’s Brain Tumor Project.
The agency continued its tradition of “6 Weeks of Giving.” Six charities were supported through fundraising initiatives and hands-on volunteer efforts. “Generosity is core to what we do,” Fischette says. “We apply our talent and values to our clients every day, and it’s great to apply that to meaningful causes that have a special place in employees’ hearts as well.”