Trio.pdf

Trio president Renée Wills presides over an organization founded on respect and integrity. She leads by example with her resolve to focus and recalls that 2014 started with a bang, when the agency quickly secured three new business pitches. Solid growth continued throughout the year, including organic growth with long-time client Boehringer Ingelheim and projects with AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.

Fast-forward to March 2015, when the agency proudly celebrated its 10-year anniversary. The milestone coincided with IPG’s move to consolidate the ICC Lowe health brands, including Trio and Pace, into FCB Health.

FCB Health CEO Dana Maiman explains that the move was nothing more than a realignment. “Trio was welcomed into the fold with open arms,” she says. In the process, the midsize agency gained tremendous access to a vast array of FCB resources, including social, analytics and branding tools.

“FCB Health represents an expansion on changing our processes, specifically strategic planning and engagement,” Wills says. “No longer do you kick off strategy and then go to tactics. We all need to up our game so our messages resonate with and affect the customer.”

The agency closed out 2014 with two significant wins, including new client Vertical Pharmaceuticals, a small pharma company that according to Wills “has acquired a few compounds and could realize profit with our partnership.” Trio is working on Vertical’s pain franchise and prenatal vitamin portfolio. “They have a small budget and we can meet their needs in terms of money and creative,” Wills explains. “We know how to work within those parameters.”

Wills reports that the agency has been making big efforts in its digital, medical education, and promotion work to stay on pace with the industry’s changing approach. “We’re an agency that is keeping up with the times,” she says.

Rich Levy, chief creative officer at FCB Health, points to employee mantra “Brave Together” as an important guiding tenet for the agency’s accomplishments. “The only way we’re going to do meaningful work that changes minds and behaviors is for all of us to be brave together,” he states. “That principle leads to all of the things we want to do as an organization.”

The shop’s head count remains steady at 75 employees but growth is predicted in the near future as the agency scouts talent across a handful of departments. A core component of the agency’s hiring strategy hinges on a premise borrowed from the client side: proactive career management.

Under the FCB Health umbrella, the agency has more resources for employee growth opportunities. “Dana is open to people moving within the agency and network to better use their skills and learn new ones,” Wills notes.

“The approach can be a win–win for the agency and our clients,” Maiman adds. “The clients get to hear new approaches to their brands and we’re able to keep the talented employees we already have.” In that spirit, the agency recently promoted Brian Raineri to SVP of medical affairs and education.

“If you build a great place to work, then you’ll attract great people and do great work. The rest will follow,” Wills says. “The way we’re pacing right now, 2015 promises to be our best year yet.”