The Bloc (Network): 2024

The Bloc (Network)

32 Old Slip, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10005

212-524-6200 • [email protected] • thebloc.com

 

The Bloc had an expansive year and plans to keep evolving to achieve its ultimate goal for clients: to be the best agency partner possible across countries, competencies, and capabilities, leadership states.

Recent accomplishments

To strengthen and unify its global footprint and value proposition, The Bloc made strategic acquisitions and partnerships throughout 2023 in both the United States and Europe. In order to establish itself in Germany, The Bloc formed a joint venture with Serviceplan Group, Europe’s largest independent, owner-managed agency group. The acquisition of thenewway brought The Bloc the largest health communications agency serving the Italian market. Based in Milan, the agency has grown rapidly by expanding its capabilities across medical communications, promotional brand communications, and market access. Another European deal was the addition of X-Ray, the largest full-service health creative agency in Switzerland. The Bloc also brought on London-based creatively driven healthcare agency Page & Page and Partners. Within the United States The Bloc announced a formal partnership with Impact Communication Partners, and its sister agency, BioMedCom Partners, to expand its medical communications footprint in the country. Impact has a presence of more than 40 years in the U.S. medical communications market.

The Bloc won and expanded several global accounts in the last year. Last year kicked off with the win of a global consumer product launch for an Italian multinational company, and that business has grown throughout the year to include three additional product launches, according to leadership. “Another significant win was to prepare for the global launch of a new treatment for eosinophilic esophagitis. In a collaboration between its U.S., Philippines, and UK teams, The Bloc also brought home an exciting global launch win for fatty liver disease,” leaders state. 

“Significant investment has also been made in talent within the last 12 months. Matt Silver joined as executive VP, managing director, with responsibility for account management and operations, focusing on optimizing and growing our relationships and delivery capabilities,” the network states. “He has a more than  20-year track record of successfully leading multidisciplinary teams in the agency space to drive growth with his clients.”

The Bloc also hired Tara Rice, senior VP, director of applied behavior science. “She has spent more than 15 years in the healthcare field, working with agencies and industry partners to understand the beliefs and barriers that shape health behavior,” the network says. Most recently, she led the social science strategy team at McCann Health New York.

Stephanie Berman returned to a newly created role as global chief creative officer. “A seasoned creative leader, Stephanie fosters innovative ideas and industry firsts to deliver boundary-breaking, change-making creativity across both consumer and HCP audiences,” leadership states. Prior to her return, Berman held chief creative officer roles at Hill Holliday Health and McCann Health New York, where she led her team to Agency of the Year wins at Clio Health, The Creative Floor, London International Awards, and The One Show.

In February 2024, The Bloc announced the appointment of industry veteran Adam Hessel as head of creative and experience, based in the New York office. Hessel joins The Bloc’s executive leadership team, taking charge of creative initiatives in North America and serving on The Bloc’s Global Creative Council. Before joining The Bloc, he held creative leadership positions at Ogilvy Health, Harrison & Star, and GSW.

The Bloc leadership team was also active in different formats, events, and juries throughout the year. Global President and CEO Jennifer Matthews and Chief Innovation and Growth Officer Jay Appel led an industry podcast where they delved into the network’s global growth strategy and upcoming innovative offerings. Xavier Sánchez, who hails from The Bloc’s office in Spain, was a juror at the NYF Health’s grand jury for Health & Wellness, a coach for the LIA’s CreativeLIAson Program, and on the executive jury for the ASPID Awards. Praful Akali, from the team in India, served as a panelist at the Veeva India Commercial Summit where, alongside clients, he provided insights into best practices for content localization.

The Value Builders – a Bloc agency, was nominated for the second consecutive year as MM+M’s Market Access Agency of the Year.

Structure and services

The Bloc provides full-service offerings across marketing communications, medical communications, and market access. Leaders say its proprietary BE-COMMS (behaviorally enriched communications) platform underpins its three global service-offerings: marketing communications, medical communications, and market access. “We infuse our local roots into everything we do, and we effectively engage and motivate targets and ultimately shift behaviors so that together with our clients, we drive better health outcomes in the world at large,” leadership states.

The network’s local footprint spans across the globe in the Americas in Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and the United States; the EMEA in Belgium, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, and the UK; the DACH in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland; and Asia and Oceania in Australia, India, Japan, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

“In the last year The Bloc has evolved into a more centralized leadership structure to pursue sustainable growth and retention of its talent and business, with leadership as follows:  Jennifer Matthews, global president and CEO; Stephanie Berman, global chief creative officer; Nina Gabrielsen, VP, global business director; Markus Lüthi, head of the Basel office; Alessandro Seveso, head of the Milan office; Florian Bernsdorf, head of the Munich office; and Katz Rayos del Sol, head of the Manila office,” leaders say.

Future plans

The Bloc plans to strengthen its presence in emerging markets, with more announcements expected this year. “Our strive for getting to GREAT never ends at The Bloc. We will continue to invest in our people and technology to fuel growth,” leadership states. “We will embrace change because it is the only way forward, and we will continue to expand our knowledge and capabilities to be the strongest global health communications agency in the world.”

Philanthropy/citizenship

The Bloc matches 100 percent of any individual or Bloc team charitable contribution. Its charitable giving continued in 2023, supporting organizations that include UNICEF, The Jed Foundation, Movember, Bike MS, Homeless To Home Animal Rescue, Tea Arts & Culture, Special Children’s Charities/Special Olympics Chicago, NYC Public Schools, Best Friends, Doctors Without Borders, American Heart Association, Brooklyn Public Library, GlobalGiving, The Humane Society of the United States, Working for Women, International OCD Foundation, International Rescue Committee, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Pat Tillman Foundation, Razom for Ukraine, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, World Central Kitchen, and the Wounded Warrior Project.

Additionally, in the wake of the devastating 2023 earthquake in Turkey and Syria, The Bloc also matched employee contributions to organizations helping those affected. It has also maintained its long-term partnership with Working for Women, an organization focused on supporting economic independence for women and plans on expanding the partnership.