McKinney’s New Health and Wellness Practice Seeks to Branch Out Beyond Traditional Pharma Agency Model

McKinney’s New Health and Wellness Practice Seeks to Branch Out Beyond Traditional Pharma Agency Model

Managing Director Michael McNamara, former president of Havas Life NY, touts McKinney Health as a truly integrated agency that leverages health expertise with innovative consumer brand experience.

By Maria Fontanazza • [email protected]

Earlier this month creative and media agency McKinney announced the launch of McKinney Health as a firm that unites “world class creative, data-driven strategy and long-standing health expertise”. McKinney is an agency of roughly 200 professionals in a largely consumer-focused area (Little Caesars, Pampers, Crocs, Samsung). The agency’s recent establishment of a dedicated health and wellness practice is indicative of increasing competition in a realm where typical consumer brands are shifting focus and converging with the traditional health, life sciences and pharma space.

Med Ad News sat down with McKinney Health’s new lead, Managing Director Michael McNamara (notably former president of Havas Life NY). While at Havas Life New York, McNamara most recently helped oversee launches of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine Comirnaty and the COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid—two of the biggest launches in the past decade. So after more than two decades at Havas, what was the lure to a completely new and less-established endeavor in the health space? “After being in the health and wellness space for so long, I’ve seen that there can be a disconnect on the marketing side that makes health & wellness options less approachable and accessible for some consumers,” said McNamara in the agency announcement. “McKinney has a stellar reputation strategically and creatively and lives their values of Smarts and Hearts. It is an ideal company to launch this new practice. McKinney has a nimble, entrepreneurial spirit that is needed for this type of integrated practice to succeed.”

Med Ad News: What is the significance of McKinney’s move to establishing a dedicated health and wellness practice (McKinney Health)? What does it mean for the competitive pharma and life sciences marketing space in general?

Michael McNamara: It shows that pharma or healthcare is no longer on an island. We’ve seen that over the last couple of years. Health and wellness brands are now integrated into our health. It used to be that you talk about health at the doctor’s office or at the gym. Now it’s everywhere. It shows a broader commitment outside of the traditional healthcare agency.

A lot of the healthcare folks I know don’t know McKinney, but it’s a very well-established non-healthcare agency. You’d be astounded by the work that is done here. An agency doing work for [brands like] Pampers, Blue Diamond, or Little Caesars [Pizza] has such an interest in health and wellness because they see that’s where the future is—especially post-pandemic. It gives us in a unique strength. Holding companies that control most of the companies in the industry—there are a lot of benefits, and they do a lot of great work. I was at Havas for a long time. There are a lot of clients who want something different. To work someone side by side with someone who knows healthcare, data, with someone who might have done the Little Ceasars Superbowl commercial last year–it’s exciting. It’s someone who’s delivering a different angle. Our strategists are a little more culturally relevant. I think for the holding companies, it’s to let them know that their traditional competition might not be their future competition.

Med Ad News: With the launch of McKinney Health, what health and pharma expertise do you have on board?

Michael McNamara, Managing Director, McKinney Health

Michael McNamara: We have about 10 hires coming in right now that are all specific to health and wellness—they all have healthcare backgrounds—across strategy, creative and project management to help launch McKinney Health. There are also quite a few people at McKinney who have healthcare backgrounds that are in non-health roles.

The clients we’re talking to want people who know data and health, but they also want [the outside perspective that McKinney brings]. Our first big hire was Darcy McCarthy, our group client director; she has over 10 years of experience in the business, an industry vet who saw the opportunity to do something different outside of the traditional pharma agency.

Med Ad News: Are there specific brands that McKinney Health is targeting to start? Can you talk about any recent wins?

Michael McNamara: Zhou Nutrition is one of our first clients at McKinney Health. Darcy has a strong health background teamed up with folks who are not in health because they don’t need the expertise to work in vitamins. She is bringing different ideas from the medical standpoint and combining that with people who are working on innovative consumer brands.

The other clients we are prioritizing right now are around mental health and addiction. Those are two of the biggest areas right now. McKinney has really strong values, and we’re going to vet our opportunities. It’s a new experience for me. I think in the past, [many] agencies will take whatever they can get; and we’re going to focus on brands that have an incremental impact for their patients. But we are not limited to those [in mental health and addiction].

Med Ad News: What’s the long-term strategy for McKinney Health?

Michael McNamara: The long-term strategy is to stand out based on how we use [data]. We have a department of people doing data analytics and building a model for health and wellness. Then also how we identify the business opportunities.

We are also taking a social-first approach. I think that will be a big differentiator. Having an agency that people don’t feel are three to five years behind the times. The idea is that long term we’re growing something that is culturally relevant, using data the way it should be and social media the way it should be used versus playing catch up. People have asked me why I moved from running a $70 million agency as president to a smaller shop where you’re kind of starting your own thing. I’ve said, ‘I don’t want to be behind anymore. I want to be at the forefront of innovation and how we’re working in advertising.’ Hopefully we’ll get ahead of them and our clients will see that.

Our success will be McKinney’s success and vice versa. We’ll do it as one McKinney, fully integrated.