Network of the Year – IPG Health: 2022

IPG Health — 2022 Network of the Year

100 W. 33rd Street, New York, NY 10001
212-672-2300 • [email protected] • ipghealth.com

 

“Halfway through 2021, in the midst of a pandemic, we undertook a monumental and industry-changing endeavor: taking the two most successful, awarded, and respected groups of agencies in the world – FCB Health and McCann Health – and formed IPG Health,” leaders of this new network explain.

“This launch during year two of a pandemic certainly goes against conventional wisdom. However, no matter what the world or the industry has thrown our way, we’ve always followed our own wisdom – zigging when everyone else is zagging.”

IPG Health leadership says, “Making our own reality is what we’ve done because we know our business and our clients best, and we believe wholeheartedly in doing what’s right for our clients, their brands and our people. It’s our collective DNA that has contributed to our tremendous growth, a belief that interoperability and interconnectivity are force multipliers that allow us to innovate, adapt, and lead change in our industry.”

According to network managers, IPG Health “is the biggest disruptor in our industry.”

“When we reflect on what makes us different, at a fundamental level it’s our connected bonds and enduring culture, and an unmatched global footprint,” they say. “It’s our people, brands, offerings, and services. When people start at IPG Health, they realize it’s something different. Individually, each of our McCann Health and FCB Health agencies is highly awarded and respected in the industry with an enviable roster of clients.”

“It’s the fluidity of how people work with each other that demonstrates the strong bond that has been built, and the culture of connectivity across our network,” says Dana Maiman, CEO of IPG Health. “By enabling collaboration and breaking down silos, we’ve collectively realized that we’re much smarter and stronger together. We believe that one person’s success is all of our success–it’s this commitment to a common goal that cannot be faked or emulated.”

Recent Accomplishments

Undoubtedly, the network’s biggest accomplishment of 2021 was launching IPG Health, elevating the already industry-leading McCann Health and FCB Health agencies, and creating a common culture around doing what’s right for its clients, their brands, and its people, according to network executives.

“IPG Health really is the embodiment of the fundamental principles that have contributed to our monumental growth, belief that interoperability and interconnectivity are force multipliers that enable us to innovate, adapt, and lead change in our industry,” says Mike Guarino, chief commercial officer.

“What we do is so much more than the numbers, and the COVID-19 pandemic has proven that,” management says. “But, if we’re going to talk numbers, then let’s start with the most important number, and that’s the number one. The individual–each person, each client, and each brand.”

“It’s about making it personal and authentic, with a keen focus on the humanity of what we do,” Maiman says. “This has always been how we’ve operated, but it has never been more pronounced.”

Network leaders say, “We’ve always known that when you focus on doing the right thing, results and success will follow. This past year was yet another testament to that philosophy. In 2021, we added an unthinkable growth equivalent of almost two tier one agencies. We welcomed a remarkable 1,895 new hires and celebrated 400-plus wins/new opportunities, with 116-plus major new brand assignments alone. We expanded key client engagements with Biogen, Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, and Sanofi, and added global biopharmaceutical companies like Alexion, Apellis, UCB, and Galderma, to an already esteemed and extensive roster.

“IPG Health agencies celebrated another blockbuster year creatively – our work was shortlisted 322 times across all the tentpole award shows, winning a staggering 284 awards total. IPG Health agencies made up 50 percent of the Top 10 agencies in the Cannes Agency Ranking. Notably, according to FirstWord Pharma, of the 12 drugs and drug candidates that will ‘play a big role in shaping 2022 for some of the industry’s biggest names,’ IPG Health works across more than half of them.”

When it comes to awards, “Our unwavering commitment to doing the right thing for our people led to two accomplishments in which we are most proud,” network executives say. “In early 2022, FCB Health New York was named to Ad Age’s ‘Best Places to Work’ list, based on a rigorous process that included an employee engagement and satisfaction survey that was informed by a randomly selected group. McCann Health Canada was also certified a ‘Great Place to Work’ after a thorough, independent analysis conducted by Great Place to Work Institute Canada. “With so much going on in the world including a global pandemic, this recognition is even more meaningful,” said Maiman. “It’s a testament to our talented teams, and our ongoing commitment to doing the right thing for our people, always.”

Other wins noted by the network include the fact that IPG Health agencies made up 50 percent of the Top 10 agencies in the Cannes Agency Ranking, with FCB Health Network taking home “Healthcare Network of the Year” at the 2020/2021 Cannes Lions Festival. The network’s AREA 23 unit was crowned “Healthcare Agency of the Year” and took home the rarely awarded Pharma Grand Prix for its “SICK BEATS” innovation on behalf of Woojer.

Management points out how McCann Health was crowned “Network of the Year,” “Agency of the Year,” and “European Health Agency of the Year” at the London International Awards, and that FCB achieved “Healthcare Network of the Year” at the 2020/2021 Clio Health Awards and McCann Health New York notched “Agency of the Year.”

McCann Health won “World’s Most Awarded Network” for the third year in a row at the 2020/2021 Creative Floor Healthcare Awards.

Additionally, FCB Health Network won “Network of the Year” at the Manny Awards and the network’s AREA 23 unit was celebrated as “Most Admired Agency” for the sixth consecutive year and “Most Creative Agency” for the sixth time overall.

“Our McCann Health agencies dominated in Asia Pacific,” network executives say, with McCann Health Japan winning Gold in Campaign’s 2021 “Agency of the Year” in Japan and Korea – the fourth consecutive year the group has earned this recognition. McCann Health China also won Gold in Campaign’s 2021 “Agency of the Year” in Greater China.

Also, Maiman was recognized as Ad Age’s 2021 “Agency Executive of the Year,” marking the first time the publication awarded a leader in healthcare advertising/marketing with the prestigious distinction.

The network’s specialized agencies including SOLVE(D) (Data and Media), YuzuYello (Patient Support), Mosaic Group (Market Access), and McCann Health Managed Markets (Market Access) experienced explosive growth in 2021, network leaders say. SOLVE(D) experienced 45 percent revenue growth and significant expansion in scale, clients, and headcount since its launch in 2018.

“And in early 2022, the agency soared to even greater heights, expanding its equity and footprint globally with the launch of SOLVE(D) Europe, to better support our clients’ needs regionally, and the introduction of SOLVE(D) Labs, a think tank for exploration and discovery,” management says.

YuzuYello – which launched in May 2020 – continues to grow exponentially, with revenue quadrupling during 2021, and more than doubling its headcount in addition to hiring its first compliance director to launch a patient ambassador specialty, according to network leaders.

Network leaders say Mosaic Group and McCann Health Managed Markets also experienced incredible growth. Mosaic Group achieved 70 percent growth and McCann Health Managed Markets boasted an “enviable” 87 percent retention rate and doubled the size of its creative department.

“In 2021, our Medical Communications discipline across IPG Health made excellent progress, with 11 percent revenue growth and our Med Comms team reaching more than 760 people,” says Charlie Buckwell, chief medical communications officer, IPG Health. “In addition, we were very proud to win awards at MM&M and Communiqué acknowledging innovative work for our clients, commitment to DE&I, and overall performance.”

Specifically, McCann Health Medical Communications took home the inaugural “Leadership Award for Action on Workforce Diversity and Inclusion” at the 2021 Communiqué Awards. “Our Trio and AREA 23 ON HUDSON units also took home Gold and Silver respectively for the inaugural ‘Medical Communications Agency of the Year’ accolade at the MM+M Awards,” network leaders say. “Trio also achieved International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 27001 certification for marketing services – an internationally recognized standard of excellence, and a certification that’s extremely rare in the advertising sector.”

Network leaders say ProHealth experienced “phenomenal” 24 percent growth, with 87 percent of this growth coming from new business.

An “astounding” 1,895 new hires joined IPG Health in 2021, including more than 80 boomerangs, network leaders say.

“Last year we welcomed more new hires than ever – a true reflection of our unprecedented growth,” says Lisa DuJat, chief talent officer of IPG Health.

Stephanie Berman was promoted to chief creative officer of McCann Health New York. Shaheed Peera arrived at FCB Health Europe as global creative partner. At FCB Health New York, Jenna Brownstein joined as group management director and Bryan Gaffin returned as executive creative director. George Musi joined SOLVE(D) as managing director while Anna Loyeva joined Mosaic Group as management director and FCBCURE welcomed Debra Polkes as creative partner and co-managing director. At AREA 23, Franklin Williams joined as director of experience design.

“Recognizing that things are no longer one size fits all, we continued to lean into flexibility, accountability, and trust with our ‘work appropriately’ philosophy, empowering our people and teams to decide what works best for them and their unique client needs,” network executives say.

Structure and Services

IPG Health brings together the award-winning FCB Health and McCann Health agencies under one unified network, providing clients with endless capabilities, network leadership says. “With over 45 diverse agency brands – including more than 20 full-service agencies, 18-plus specialized units, and 6,000-plus talented individuals who sit across six continents – our coordinated collaboration and knowledge-sharing allows us to continue to deliver the best talent and expertise for every business challenge.”

According to network managers, “The promise of IPG Health has always been rooted in the principles of interconnectivity and interoperability, and with our unparalleled scale across global regions, unlocking these principles is paramount. In early 2022, we also announced a new and proven regional and country leadership team in Europe to support our booming growth across the region with Joerg Hempelmann appointed president of IPG Health Europe. “

In Canada, building on years of collaboration around shared clients, FCB Health Toronto, McCann Health Montreal and McCann Health Toronto joined forces under the proven leadership of Renée Mellas and Tim Hawkey. Jim Joseph was promoted to chief customer solutions officer to lead the network’s specialized agencies, which are growth accelerators for IPG Health’s clients and business.

“To enhance our offering in Latin America and oversee the development and alignment of our specialty services and affiliate partners across global regions, we appointed Saturnino Izquierdo president of global client solutions for International Markets.”

Management says, “As pharma consolidates, the world is getting smaller, our global footprint is getting bigger, and these exceptional new leadership teams are poised to take us and our clients to even greater heights around the world.”

Network executives note that IPG Health became a Veeva Global Content Partner, integrating all IPG Health agencies globally into the industry’s largest Content Partner Program community, offering clients a single-solution sales enablement tool for their field teams.

“As part of the partner program, Studio Rx – our digital-first global production company built for the unique needs of healthcare brands – will be the network’s Center of Excellence (COE) and Digital Factory,” management says. “The team’s industry expertise supports effective content creation and distribution for our clients and their HCP audiences.”

“As we look toward the future of our industry, the pandemic has shone a light on the importance of being able to easily interact with HCP audiences and the need for integrating digital content creation and management services, without compromising quality or regulatory compliance,” says Graham Johnson, chief production officer of IPG Health.

Studio Rx also supports a “follow-the-sun” model, with offices and production hubs in the United States, South Africa and Brazil, “elevating the level of service we provide for our clients,” executives say.

The network also launched Production Intelligence, a group dedicated to optimizing its production systems and processes. “We ask teams to perform tasks every day, but how easy is it for them to accomplish those tasks? It depends on the quality of onboarding, training, process, systems, automation, optimization, and reporting,” management says. “Production, Production Intelligence, and Information Technology continually refine how work is scoped, planned, and executed to improve the felt experience of working at IPG Health.”

IPG Health continued The Residency, a six-week program for new hires who are new to healthcare. In early 2022, the network extended its proactive career management (PCM) philosophy, “empowering our people to proactively explore their potential and take control of their career journey within our vast network,” the leadership team says. “Our people are the heart of our business, and we take our responsibility seriously when it comes to ensuring they have endless opportunities to grow and develop new skills, apply their strengths and interests to new experiences, and be challenged in a variety of ways.”

The network also made “sizable” investments in various DE&I initiatives its already had in place, IPG Health executives say. These include:

• “Inclusive Manager’s Toolkit”: A customized, intensive 10-week training program, in partnership with DeEtta Jones & Associates, which provides EVERY manager with the resources needed to lead inclusive teams.
• The reintroduction of the Disrupting Everyday Bias program as a regular offering, and the launch of Allyship, Microaggression, and Disrupting Thought Patterns workshops.
• Support of the Employee Relations Group, which is dedicated to ensuring an equitable and healthy working environment by providing inclusive and consistent support to employees.
• Continued ongoing partnerships with diverse recruiting institutions including 4A’s Multicultural Advertising Intern Program (MAIP), Jopwell and Braven.
• Support of Culture & Inclusion Communities, which are employee-led groups continued their ongoing commitment to creating interconnectivity while promoting diversity as a part of the network’s fabric and offering peer-to-peer learning opportunities and activities throughout the year around critical diversity issues that matter to the network’s employees.

Future Plans

When you’re the most successful, you define goals differently,” network managers proclaim. “It’s not about the competition, the numbers or percent growth. It’s about the personal side of goals – the human side. We have always believed that business imperatives, like growth and innovation, cannot live with any one individual, or even with a small team. We feel the same about diversity, equity, and inclusion. In order to truly live these principles, we need to make them everyone’s responsibility and priority, and embed them into every step of our journey. We are building a framework that focuses on how we integrate DE&I into four core pillars of our business – our work, our workplace, our workforce, and our worth (or market reputation).”

According to Maiman, “What we do, and our responsibility to this industry and the world, is so much more than the numbers. It’s about doing what’s right for our people, our clients, and their brands, no matter what. Zigging when everyone else is zagging. The human impact of the pandemic and other global events over the last year further underscore the need for authenticity and compassion – now more than ever.”

Philanthropy/Citizenship

On World Cancer Day 2021, FCB Health New York launched its award-winning “The Trial for #ClinicalEquality,” an initiative dedicated to achieving racial equity in clinical trials. “This is an initiative we’re extremely passionate about and there’s so much more to come,” management says. The agency also partnered with the Dorney-Koppel Foundation, the COPD Foundation and the American Respiratory Care Foundation to create “COPD SOS,” a PSA dedicated to finding the millions of Americans living with undiagnosed COPD, and getting them vaccinated against COVID-19. FCB Health New York also continued its award-winning “Blood Equality” initiative – a partnership with GMHC to achieve blood equality, including the most recent “Blood Vessels” initiative, which was accepted into the Victoria & Albert Museum’s permanent collection last year, cementing it as a part of history and culture.

Understanding the significant impact of industry and public sector collaborations on public health, the agency also partnered with GMHC for its latest campaign, “Ms. Information,” to help get LGBTQ+ individuals vaccinated against COVID-19 and to shut down the misinformation brewing on social media. This campaign also inspired “VaxxFacts @ IPG Health,” a virtual live panel discussion and Q&A, featuring Dan Carucci, M.D., Ph.D., global chief medical officer at McCann Health and Sommer Bazuro, Ph.D., chief medical officer at FCB Health, answering pre-submitted COVID-19 vaccine-related questions from across the IPG network.

McCann Health and British Islamic Medical Association launched, “The Bread Exam” to help tackle cultural taboos, which can prevent early breast cancer detection in women living in traditional communities in the Middle East.

McCann Health NY also created the highly lauded “Unfinished Votes” (Change the Ref), encouraging people to register to vote and help end gun violence.

The network and its agencies supported humanitarian crises such as the Kentucky tornado relief efforts, winter storm Uri in Texas, the Haiti earthquake, and Ukraine relief. The network also contributed to organizations such as Action Against Hunger, Feeding Texas, National Asian Pacific Center on Aging, Hope for Haiti, Every Mother Counts, and UNICEF.