Intouch Group: 2019
Intouch Group LLC
7045 College Blvd., Suite 300
Overland Park, KS 66211
Telephone
913-317-9700
E-mail
[email protected]
Website
intouchg.com
WINNER
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION CHAMPION
In 2018, a year in which Intouch Solutions experienced explosive growth, management says it became clear that in order to best serve clients, the agency would need to expand its capabilities and further extend its reach. In short, it was time for Intouch to transform itself into a network: Intouch Group was born.
Recent accomplishments
Staying true to its independent roots, Intouch formed parent company Intouch Group, the umbrella organization for its six affiliates that now represent the network’s diverse suite of capabilities. Network leaders say Intouch Group provides a flexible working model for clients and employees, as the six affiliates work autonomously or in partnership with one another respectively. The affiliates include Intouch Solutions, a full-service creative agency; Intouch Proto, a full-service creative agency; Intouch International, a full-service global agency and joint venture with Healthware International; Intouch Media, a full-service media agency; Intouch B2D, a technology and production services hub; and Intouch Analytics, a full-service analytics practice.
“Our clients have been asking for us to align our operations to reflect our vast expertise and depth of service offerings,” says Faruk Capan, CEO, Intouch Group. “We have achieved that goal with these changes, while maintaining our culture of collaboration and teamwork. Ultimately, this structure allows us to compete at a new level, and be seen as the powerhouse organization we are.”
In parallel, the Intouch brand underwent a visual refresh to reflect this evolution. While the Intouch name remains, the brand was refreshed and expanded to reflect the new Intouch Group structure. “Using elements of the original Intouch Solutions logomark, the new visual identity system was designed to reflect the vibrant future of Intouch Group while honoring the successes of Intouch Solutions’ past,” says Wendy Blackburn, Intouch Executive VP, Marketing and Communications.
Intouch’s explosive growth in 2018 resulted in a new milestone of $140 million in revenue, network executives say. Intouch Group led the launch of nine pharma products and transitioned or acquired 12 full-service accounts in a lead agency role, including Intouch Solutions’ origin story: Copaxone. On the new-business front, the network scored eight new clients and 35 major account wins representing a mix of specialties, audiences, and brands – including Genentech and Otsuka. As of January 2019, Intouch served a total of 178 brands across 41 active business clients.
The network added 190 new employees in 2018, extending its base to nearly 850 by year’s end. A new office in Boston and expansions in Kansas City, Chicago and New York helped ensure office space kept pace with the increase in business and employees.
Intouch racked up more than 60 awards for its creativity and innovation in 2018. Accolades went to Shire’s Mydayis, Galderma’s Restylane, and 15 awards for work on Regeneron’s Eylea, among others. Client retention remained strong, with the average tenure of Intouch’s top five clients being 13 years.
STRUCTURE AND SERVICES
Intouch offers the full range of multichannel services that clients expect from a leading network, served with a digital edge. With six offices in New York, Chicago, Boston, Kansas City, London, and Mumbai, the network handles accounts spanning the pharma spectrum. “We have an impressive menu of service offerings to rival any major network, but when our offerings integrate together to solve a complex business challenge – that’s where the magic happens,” Capan says.
Another area of Intouch “magic” included the agency’s work on Regeneron’s DTC campaign for Eylea, Capan says. Together, the two partnered with a world-class animation studio in Milan to create “A Beautiful Pair.” The spot follows a pair of lovable eyes as they traverse the ups and downs of life, even when faced with the adversity of retinal disease. The pair’s charming journey extends across TV, print, high-impact digital media, and more.
Recognizing the growing importance of the role of artificial intelligence in healthcare and marketing, Intouch partnered with the Digital Health Coalition to literally write the book on AI. Titled “Modern Marketing: Pharma’s Data-Powered AI Revolution,” the book explains what AI is, how it works, and why it matters in pharma marketing.
In fact, 2018 brought an influx of projects for which Intouch deployed real AI solutions to help clients better connect with physicians and consumers, as well as create internal efficiencies. Cognitive Core – Intouch’s AI and predictive analytics engine developed specifically for the life sciences – remains the only one of its kind in the industry.
FUTURE PLANS
With a solid and stable leadership team in place, Capan reports he feels confident about the network’s future. Intouch plans to continue to evolve its service offerings as well as add at least one more office location in 2019. Culture, too, is an ongoing area of focus for the network. “Growth is certainly a positive thing for the business, but we are ever-mindful of evolving our culture in healthy ways, as well,” Capan says. Intouch’s Diversity and Inclusion initiative, launched in late 2018 across affiliates, aims to identify, confront, and minimize the negative effects of implicit bias in the workplace.
Additionally, Intouch faces the daunting task of attracting the best and brightest talent to continue to fuel its growth, with 170 open job positions at the time of this writing, according to network executives.
PHILANTHROPY/CITIZENSHIP
When one of Intouch’s own lost her husband to a hate crime, the agency rallied around her, and ultimately, took up her cause: to tell immigrants that they’re welcome in the United States – and at Intouch. During January 2018, Intouch launched Forever Welcome, an initiative designed to encourage empathy for people who immigrate to the United States. As the nation continues to hold heated conversations around immigration, Forever Welcome inspires empathy by sharing immigrants’ stories through social media storytelling. Capan, himself a naturalized citizen, says, “There was such an outpouring of support and outrage that we wanted to do something big.” In 2018, the Forever Welcome message reached more than 3 million people and was featured by BuzzFeed News, NPR, Huffington Post, NBC, Fox, and in several documentaries. Three-dozen Intouch employees volunteered time and talent to keep the message alive throughout the year.
In the fall, Intouch Group participated in Time to Vote, a nonpartisan initiative supported by more than 400 U.S. companies, ensuring employees at participating organizations would have the time to vote during the 2018 primary election. In support of this effort, Capan says, “Voting is a right, a privilege and a responsibility we should never take for granted. I encourage every Intoucher to take advantage of this opportunity to let their voice be heard, no matter who they choose to vote for.”
Throughout the year, Intouch employees logged more than 500 hours to a variety of causes near and dear to their communities. Programs included the Anti-Cruelty Society’s fundraiser, Pints for Pets, Gilda’s Club, The Ronald McDonald House, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Children’s Mercy Hospital and others. “And who can forget Intouch’s collective love of dogs?” management says. “In 2018, Intouch Solutions applied employees’ fur-friend fervor to the task of raising money for local shelters during its annual Bring Your Dog to Work Day.”
After a year of building out its green initiatives, Intouch Solutions’ Kansas City office was officially recognized as a Certified R5 Green Partner in April 2018. The program is a voluntary community program that promotes recycling, energy efficiency, and waste reduction. Strategies Intouch implemented include supplying compostable paper goods and utensils in breakrooms; installing composting and recycling bins; and providing recycling services for batteries, wine bottle corks, jewelry, and holiday lights.
