The 2020 Virtual Manny Awards
By Andrew Humphreys
Med Ad News celebrated the leading agencies/networks and creative excellence in the healthcare communications industry on June 18 with the magazine’s first-ever virtual Manny Awards. For the 31st anniversary of the black-tie gala event, Manny Awards were presented throughout the evening to healthcare agencies and networks achieving excellence across 29 categories. The 2020 Virtual Manny Awards can be viewed on demand for free at https://portal.xyvid.com/mannyawards2020
The Med Ad News 2020 Industry Person of the Year award was presented to John Cahill, Global CEO, McCann Health. Under Cahill’s leadership, McCann Health has emerged as one of the world’s leading professional and consumer health communications networks and continues to take major strides worldwide in its three core pillars of creativity, science, and strategy. Cahill has been pivotal in driving McCann Worldgroup’s overall growth in healthcare since the launch of a global diversified communications expansion during the mid-1990s.
AREA 23 was selected as the recipient for the 2020 Category I Agency of the Year, representing agencies that generate annual revenue of more than $50 million. “We look at 2019 as the year AREA 23 defied the laws of advertising,” says agency President Renée Mellas. AREA 23 additionally captured the 2020 Manny Award statues for Most Admired Agency (fifth consecutive win in this category), Most Creative Agency, Best Consumer TV/Radio Campaign, Best Medical Device Campaign, Best Patient Engagement Campaign, and Best Professional Print Campaign.
The Bloc received the Manny statue for 2020 Category II Agency of the Year, recognizing healthcare advertising agencies that report annual revenue between $25 million and $50 million. 2019 was the best year The Bloc has ever had, according to the agency’s leadership team. The Bloc’s mission is to “be great to do good.”
For healthcare communications firms that produce under $25 million in annual revenue, the 2020 Category III Agency of the Year winner was McCann Health Managed Markets. In 2019, McCann Health Managed Markets grew the agency’s business by 26 percent, hitting growth and revenue records. The Mountain Lakes, N.J.-based agency also won the Best Managed Markets Campaign category for the third straight year.
The Med Ad News staff annually presents the Heart Award, which is designed to recognize agencies’ social responsibility and agency cultures that embody a high commitment to philanthropic and social causes. The winner of this award receives a check for $3,000 to donate to a charity, and the other two finalists receive a check for $1,000 to donate to a charity. The 2020 Heart Award winner was Dudnyk, and the finalists in the category were AbelsonTaylor and CMI/Compas.
The Network of the Year Manny Award was presented to Omnicom Health Group, which during 2019 delivered OHG’s largest growth since forming five years ago. “ … And despite the pandemic, we are carrying some very positive momentum in 2020, as we continue to show growth across our group,” says OHG CEO Ed Wise.
The 2020 Agency on the Rise Manny Award recipient was Centron. “When we relaunched the agency, it wasn’t just about positioning and branding in market. Our goal was to create a total agency experience that delivered on our core promise: Simply Thrive,” says Centron President Celine Vita.
Mamta Chhabra, Patient Experience Marketing Lead – Immunology Marketing at UCB, was presented with Med Ad News’ second annual Marketer on the Rise award. Nominated by Intouch Group, Chhabra has a proven record of success in driving brand growth through launching new products and award-winning direct-to-consumer campaigns.
Heartbeat was recognized by Med Ad News as the 2020 Diversity & Inclusion Champion. According to the agency’s management team, Heartbeat leaders have worked tirelessly on a years-long internal campaign to revolutionize the company culture and upend old-fashioned notions of how to promote diversity and inclusion within their community.
The 2020 Vision Award recipient was Fingerpaint. Ed Mitzen founded Fingerpaint on a simple idea: Put people first. By prioritizing empathy over profit, Mitzen set in motion a radical new vision for healthcare agency culture, and 12 years later this humanistic approach continues to pay off.
To view the full list of winners and finalists, visit pharmalive.com/winners-revealed-at-med-ad-news-2020-virtual-manny-awards.
Med Ad News thanks Platinum Sponsors The Bloc, Calcium, Dudnyk, Fingerpaint, and TBWA\WorldHealth; and Gold Sponsors Biolumina Group, Concentric Health Experience, GSW, Intouch Group, and JUICE Pharma Worldwide.
