McCann Health Canada: 2021

McCann Health Canada

200 Wellington West, 14th Floor

Toronto, ON M5V 0N6

Telephone 

416-594-6000

E-mail 

[email protected]

Website 

mccannhealth.com

 

QUICK FACTS

Accounts

Account wins 11

Active business clients 21

 

SERVICES MIX

DTC 50%

HCP 50%

 

CLIENT ROSTER

Alcon

Allergan

Bausch Health

Bayer

Dairy Farmers of Ontario

GSK

Leo Pharma

Novartis

Roche

Servier

 

“McCann Health Canada: the agency that 2020 couldn’t touch,” is how its leaders sum up the agency’s performance last year. McCann Health has existed in Canada for more than 20 years as part of McCann Worldgroup and has grown to offer services across the healthcare spectrum for consumer health and wellness products through to HCP engagement and prescription medicines. “Turns out, the agency that prides itself on never doing the same thing twice was perfectly prepared for a year when nothing could be done as it had before,” management says.

RECENT ACCMPLISHMENTS

After 2019’s reorganization and expansion of integrated capabilities, McCann Health Canada saw significant growth from new business in 2020, agency leaders say. The agency added several new clients including Roche and Allergan Aesthetics (an AbbVie Company) while also expanding existing relationships with clients such as Alcon, Novartis, GSK, and ViiV.

Throughout 2020, team members readied themselves for the shifting tone of communications and determined how to best tailor their work accordingly. “In the face of restricted lifestyles and information overload, there were clear shifts towards the practicality of marketing content, the trustworthiness and credibility of its source, and the respect we show for people’s time,” management says.

“For instance, we helped clients provide consumers with useful ways to maintain proper eye health and hygiene – beyond just selling product [Alcon],” says Executive Creative Director Sean Riley. “And we’ve partnered with accredited influencers to offer guidance on the nutrient density of foods – helping all of us eat smarter [Dairy Farmers of Ontario].” Riley joined McCann Health Canada at the beginning of 2020, and previously held creative leadership roles with McCann Health in Southeast Asia, North Asia, and Australia. Riley’s creative prowess arrived for the agency at the perfect time and he dove right in, leading the creative team to pivot and adapt to all that the year presented. 

“Our agency enjoyed helping brands boil down what it is that they really stand for – and how to live their purpose in a meaningful way,” says President Neill Brown, when reflecting back on 2020. “Opportunities for brands to show greater empathy, positivity, and pragmatism will be evergreen in 2021 and beyond.”

 STRUCTURE AND SERVICES

The agency now has separate offices in Toronto and Montreal, each with marketing capabilities across a wide range of therapeutic areas and healthcare disciplines. 

“Understanding the unique strategic and regulatory nuances to Canada is a core strength of the agency, as is our ability to engage across the healthcare spectrum with physicians, pharmacists, patients and consumers,” management says. “Consistent across our work is ‘Truth Well Told,’ our guiding philosophy and the basis for our strategic process. Once we correctly define the problem, we apply data analytics and journey mapping to identify areas of opportunity to tell the ‘Truth’ around brands in meaningful ways.”

According to agency leaders, it was this truth that compelled Director of Client Services Richelle Colbear to join the McCann Health Canada team in 2020. “McCann Health has always been a prominent agency in this country, however in the past few years, we have taken brands to a new level with stronger and more enriched engagement opportunities with customers and patients,” Colbear says. “The people who work at this agency take their brands to heart and strive to create experiences that have previously been unachievable. I am thrilled to be part of a team with such dedication and creative power as we navigate this new world.” 

McCann Health is one of the world’s most awarded global healthcare communications networks. “Through combining science, creative and strategy we strive to deliver best-in-class services to our clients. Our 1,900+ employees in 60 offices across 20 countries and six continents are united by one vision: to help our clients play a meaningful role for healthier lives,” management says. McCann Health is a part of McCann Worldgroup and the Interpublic Group (IPG).

FUTURE PLANS

During 2021, we know that the empowered consumer is trying to navigate a myriad of new health issues, including delays in care for many chronic conditions,” agency executives say. “Canadians are seeking access to credible information and care via frictionless systems, and rightfully demand personalized solutions that reflect both their individual profiles and their personal values. And McCann Health Canada is ready to help. With new ways to reach physicians and new ways to empower patients, the agency is busy helping clients’ brands and businesses play a meaningful role in people’s lives.”

In terms of channels and tactics, the mainstays of many health-related categories (such as the reliance on sales representative-driven models) have changed for both psychological and functional reasons. “As time becomes the most valuable commodity, the competition for audience attention is tougher than ever,” Brown says. “Everyone is now in health…every company (and every brand) needs to define itself in an increasingly health and hygiene-conscious world. McCann Health Canada is excited to embrace this change with talent and clients that see a future full of possibilities.” 

PHILANTHROPY/CITIZENSHIP

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) remain top priorities at McCann Health Canada, the leadership team says. On International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, staff members participated in a seminar facilitated by Dr. Darren Thomas from the Seneca Nation, to discuss the history and importance of reconciliation and international protections of indigenous peoples’ rights. All employees participated in implicit bias training and workshops, and leaders completed an additional training on inclusive leadership. 

In honor of Black History Month and International Women’s Day, McCann Health Canada helped to organize “Your Work Goes Here,” an event offering Black women working or studying advertising a chance to peel back the curtain on the advertising world, in service of providing better access and increased opportunity for Black students and professionals in the industry. 

The agency continued its tradition of celebrating Pride month, albeit virtually, featuring a client from ViiV Canada as a guest speaker. “McCann Health Canada staff also participated in a mentorship program to provide career opportunities for youth in the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities as a way to expose them to the power of our industry, as well as connect with those who may be the future of our workforce,” management says.