Greater Than One: 2017
Greater Than One
395 Hudson Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10014
Telephone: 212-252-1999
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: greaterthanone.com
Accounts
Account wins 8
Active business clients 16
Brands by 2016 sales
Brand-product accounts held 29
$25 million to $50 million 3
$50 million to $100 million 5
$100 million to $500 million 12
$500 million to $1 billion 6
Products yet to be approved/launched 3
Services Mix
AOR 60%
Media/Search 20%
Strategy/Consulting 20%
Client Roster
AcelRx Pharmaceuticals
Actelion Pharmaceuticals
Culinary Institute of America
Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories
Grifols
Hess Corporation
Jazz Pharmaceuticals
Merck & Co.
Neurocrine Biosciences
New York University
Novartis
Promius Pharma
UNESCO
For more than a decade, Greater Than One (GTO) has made a name for itself as one of the few agencies that truly understands health care as well as it understands digital channels that have, for so long, served as an agency dividing line, management says. Agency executives say it may come as a bit of a surprise that this pioneer in media and digital today derives more than three quarters of its revenue from higher-level work that includes AOR assignments, launches, strategy consulting, and conference experiences.
Agency executives note there are three key factors that have driven this shift in GTO’s business: customer-centricity, creative excellence, and uncommon confidence in an increasingly connected world. CEO Elizabeth Apelles says, “Today’s complexities are causing traditional and digital silos to disappear. Higher customer expectations, data, and convergence are driving the need for agencies with nimble, niche capabilities as well as connected, creative ideas to achieve greater integration.”
The Year’s Accomplishments
In 2016, GTO’s AOR business expanded significantly. According to management, two noteworthy assignments – awarded from competitive pitches – included a new treatment for patients experiencing moderate-to-severe acute pain in a medically supervised setting, and an anticoagulant drug that acts as a direct factor Xa inhibitor.
Significant growth came in the form of new assignments from existing clients as well. The launch of Zembrace for acute migraines and the strength of its disease awareness program “No Time 4 Migraines” showcased the agency’s creativity and skill – ultimately leading Promius to award consumer, digital, and media AOR responsibilities across all brands to GTO. GTO also added Merck as a new client in 2016.
No stranger to digital, GTO continued to push boundaries in 2016, from social media to digital transformation, according to agency leaders. Last year, GTO kicked off the first-ever live Facebook chat in health care. Executives say this program reimagined HCP-to-patient engagement live from the floor of a major European Congress – and, coincidentally, achieved medical, legal, and regulatory approvals in, on average, 240 seconds.
While digital prowess has always been a GTO hallmark, creative accomplishments may best exemplify agency evolution, executives say. GTO won a coveted Davey Award for its Tykerb MOA video and the agency “blew the doors off the 2016 NHF conference” with its booth experience, Build Your Future with Alphanate. “We’re growing. We have more brand clients doing a greater range of work than ever before,” says Greg Gross, partner and executive creative director. “This group of extraordinary creative talents are developing content and experiences that drive our brand clients’ success and ultimately our own growth.”
Structure & Services
Across the Greater Than One Group, business units focused on media, marketing, technology, and product and service design continue to remove silos and deliver smart, integrated services, executives say.
GTO Advisory, helping clients adapt to transformation in health care, has grown exponentially, working with undisclosed clients in the United States, Switzerland, Italy, and Spain. According to Jim Mackie, strategy and advisory partner, “The perfect storm of technology and patient empowerment, and the changing care landscape is reshaping modern health care marketing. Our work with clients today primarily focuses on building digital confidence, capabilities, and ecosystems necessary for brands to compete and win today, tomorrow, and beyond.”
Future Plans
While GTO’s U.S. business has evolved significantly in recent years, transformational forces are also driving greater demand for GTO services in Europe. In response, GTO expects to officially open an office in Milan in Spring 2017. This office will increase GTO’s footprint of talent in San Francisco, New York, Raleigh-Durham, and Madrid.
In a significant move, Partner and award-winning Executive Creative Director Pilar Belhumeur will take creative reigns for GTO Europe, moving to Madrid. “We will continue to develop on our global capability and creative infrastructure so that we can properly and efficiently scale on behalf of our global clients,” according to Belhumeur. “We will keep our focus on our people so, while we grow, we’re thinking about talent, creativity, and culture.”
Philanthropy/Citizenship
The agency expects its efforts with GTO Greater Good, now a 501c(3), will expand. GTO Greater Good is looking to create a consistent effort with a local elementary school near its NYC headquarters – PS 188, where more than half of the students are homeless. “We find GTO Greater Good efforts make us better citizens, and, as importantly, gives us the space to think – so that we can add greater value for our clients,” Apelles says.
