Pharmaceutical Market Europe • July/August 2021 • 45
HEALTHCARE COMMS
L-R: David Ormesher, chief executive officer; Jon Sawyer, president and chief operating officer; Allison Davis, chief client officer; Ryan Mason, chief strategy officer; Dave Reidy, chief creative officer and Steve Tulk, chief technology officer, all at closerlook.
Fishawack Health has acquired digital marketing agency closerlook, a digital marketing healthcare agency based in Chicago, US.
closerlook leverages artificial and intelligence (AI) and data analytics to develop omnichannel strategies, creative and digital media solutions for life sciences brands across the product life cycle.
The agency’s healthcare marketing spans four ‘interlocking’ capabilities – omnichannel strategy, conceptual creative and content, digital tactics, and media management and advanced analytics.
These capabilities are informed by closerlook’s data and intelligence market hub, known as Backstage Intelligence, which uses AI and data science to inform and tailor healthcare professional and patient experiences.
“Traditionally, the healthcare sector has fallen behind when it comes to leveraging the power of innovative technologies to enhance commercial and medical communications strategies,” said Oliver Dennis, co-founder and chief executive officer of Fishawack Health.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the necessity of digital communication and the opportunities an omnichannel approach brings.
“Life science brands need a new breed of partner that offers bespoke teams who bring with them digital and analytics prowess, a rigorous understanding of the science, and the ability to develop impactful strategies and creative solutions,” he added.
“We are energised by the prospect of joining a global team with the breadth and depth of Fishawack Health. I believe that the combination of our AI/advanced analytics-enabled omnichannel strategy, creative and digital media with Fishawack Health’s global consulting, commercial and medical communications capabilities will create a unique commercialisation offering for life science brands and healthcare companies looking for growth,” said David Ormesher, chief executive officer of closerlook.
“We have spent over six months getting to know the Fishawack Health leadership, and we are excited about the alignment of vision, purpose and culture between our two organisations,” he added.
Jo Spadaccino and Stuart Hehir, co-founders of Stirred
Stirred – a new health agency – has launched with a ‘healthy hybrid philosophy’ which aims to blend perspectives, experiences and skills.
The agency is led by Jo Spadaccino and Stuart Hehir (pictured), who between them have over 40 years’ experience in the marketing and communications sector.
Previously, Spadaccino and Hehir were part of the shareholding team that helped grow healthcare comms agency Pegasus – now Mind + Matter.
While Spadaccino founded the agency’s pharmaceuticals and life sciences team, Hehir founded the creative and then the digital services teams.
“As the world repairs and responds to the needs of today, health has now truly become everyone’s business. Jo and I have always felt a huge weight of responsibility working in health comms and believe that our profession can make a significant difference to health outcomes,” said Hehir.
“There has never been a more opportune moment for fresh thinking and switching things up a bit, and what better way to do that than creating something purpose-built from the ground up,” he added.
Stirred will offer communications, marketing and creative consultancy to businesses and organisations operating in the health space.
The agency has launched with three undisclosed clients in the pharmaceutical and scientific research areas.
“Everyone is using the word hybrid in relation to virtual/office-based working at the moment, but for us the benefits of a hybrid concept goes way further,” said Spadaccino.
“Whether it’s bringing fresh perspectives from other verticals to challenge the health sector’s tendency to groupthink, blending strategic communications theory with the reality of integrated programme execution, or placing as much importance on bringing people together as the initial spark of an idea, there can be no one-size approach, but it still takes skill and experience to navigate it all. That’s where we come in,” she added.