Pharmaceutical Market Europe • September 2022 • 45
HEALTHCARE COMMS
Havas Health & You and Republica create Republica Havas Health
Havas Health & You (HH&Y) and Republica Havas will join to create a new agency, Republica Havas Health that will be led by co-founder, chief executive officer and chairman, Jorge Plasencia.
The new agency will work to achieve health equity for multicultural patients and consumers and will focus on diversity in clinical research, culturally aware health and wellness marketing, and multicultural healthcare competence.
Republica Havas has over a decade of health and wellness experience, having worked with Pfizer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Merck, Amgen and more. The group has seen significant growth since it was established in 2006, after building a background of promoting cultural relevancy across a variety of categories.
Almost half of the US population identifies as multicultural and the global population of more than seven billion is becoming increasingly more diverse. Systemic inequities in global approaches of how communities address, treat and prioritise the health and wellness of diverse audiences remain a considerable issue. Republica Havas Health will work on bridging equity gaps in health and wellness communications for Hispanic, African American, Asian American and LGBTQIA+ patients and consumers.
Speaking about the new agency change, Donna Murphy, global chief executive officer of HH&Y, said: “Our belief is that effective marketing and communications takes an inclusive approach from the onset, and that cultural relevancy is central to audience engagement, particularly in health. Republica Havas has a strong legacy of deep connection to the communities they serve, and has long acted as a liaison between brands and consumers to build trust and create solutions that promote innovation and equity.”
“Formalising a health-focused division of this booming business marks an incredible step, and marks an important moment in our shared mission of Human Purpose as we act in the service of elevating health and wellness outcomes for all.”
Republica Havas is minority-certified, holding an exclusive Corporate Plus designation awarded by the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), and it hopes that the new division will unite creative, media, PR and social impact branches altogether under one roof, and foster relationships and plan multifaceted, culture-first initiatives for clients.
“Since Republica’s start in 2006, we have been passionate about connecting brands with consumers through cultural understanding and relevance,” said Jorge Plasencia, co-founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Republica Havas.
He added: “Partnering with Havas Health & You to broaden the scope of our work through Republica Havas Health marks an exciting next chapter for us and harnesses the critical importance of in-culture health and wellness communications.”
Donna Murphy
Jorge Plasencia
Ashfield Excellence Academy marks its 20th birthday
Ashfield Excellence Academy, a specialist training company for the healthcare sector, celebrates its 20th birthday on 17 September 2022.
Focusing on training and skills assessments, the Academy has provided blended learning solutions and consultancy expertise to the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries for two decades.
The Academy offers training support to the healthcare sector across the full product lifespan, ranging from pre-launch sales and medical training, to launch and beyond.
Over the past 20 years, the organisation has worked in a number of countries with a number of companies, providing live training events and developing digital learning assets, including iPDFs, eLearns, videos, animations, apps, simulations, interactive games and learning tools.
In more recent years, Ashfield Excellence Academy has grown and expanded its capabilities across three specialist divisions, including the Pharma Knowledge Academy. Formats can range from traditional classroom training to more contemporary learning methods such as gamification, animations, quizzes and healthcare professional interaction scenarios.
The second division is the Pharma Skills Academy, which develops and delivers skills training, events and tools to assess medical and commercial capabilities and competencies.
The third division, the Pharma Marketing Academy, offers a combination of healthcare industry experience and training expertise to evaluate marketing capability, develop bespoke training and improve performance.
The three branches combine expertise to support the Academy’s clients across the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors, in order to enhance scientific, marketing and healthcare engagement strategies and performance.
Reflecting on changes at Ashfield Excellence Academy, Lynn Hopkins, managing director, said: “Technology and the environment have brought so much change to how we develop and deliver high impact training for our clients. What hasn’t changed is the creativity and inspiration we’re constantly surrounded by, from the truly amazing people within our company to our wonderful clients.”