When Red Nucleus purchased Invivo Communications in September 2020, it likely had more than a little idea of what it was getting: one of the few agencies with a true legacy of technological innovation.
“It was the digital tools, mobile apps, animation and all of the work that we’re doing with mixed reality, including virtual reality and augmented reality,” says former Invivo head Andrea Bielecki, now Red Nucleus’ president of medical communications.
Nearly two years after the deal went through, Red Nucleus’ work in VR — such as its much-celebrated migraine simulator — remains the industry gold standard. “One patient thanked us for letting others know what she suffers from and for building that empathy,” says CEO Ian Kelly. “It was something that really made a difference, and that’s what we’re here for.”
Red Nucleus also brought AR to the mobile realm, thus expanding the possibilities for hybrid events. “A QR code pops up and users can hold their phone on it to see a beating heart or brain or any kind of visual,” Bielecki explains. “It keeps everyone participating in virtual events engaged.”
Owing in large part to its digital dexterity, Red Nucleus thrived amid the pandemic chaos. Revenue surged 25% in 2021, to $100 million from the $80 million generated in 2020. The firm added work from AbbVie, Janssen, CSL Behring, Agios Pharmaceuticals and Horizon Therapeutics, among others.
Red Nucleus also saw staff size spike, from 400 people at the end of 2020 to 537 a year later. That number has increased in the first few months of 2022, according to Kelly: “Twenty years ago, this company started with two people. Now we’re up to 600-plus employees.”
Key recent additions include VP of products Bob Norton and chief human resources officer Tristen Herrstrom. The agency also staffed up via acquisition, with Red Nucleus snapping up event management specialist Medical Marketing and Solutions Group in February, scientific comms firm PPM Advisory Group and Ortley Bio in April 2021 and clinical research firm iTake Control in March 2021.
Bielecki expects the newcomers to have a similar experience to her own. “Now that we’re part of the Red Nucleus family, we are truly able to offer client services based locally in the right time zones. We are seeing that global expansion. Being able to service our clients where they are has been really exciting,” she says.
Red Nucleus is now broken up into three different business units: scientific services and advisory, medical communications, and learning and development. They share a common goal, according to Bielecki: “to advance knowledge in order to improve lives.”
As for surmounting common agency challenges around recruitment and retention, Red Nucleus has attempted to preach the employee-engagement gospel, whether in the form of lunch-and-learns or musical performances or ice cream socials. In many instances, families are invited to participate.
“It’s important to realize in this day in age that loved ones are just as important as our employees,” Bielecki says. “We try to incorporate them in all of our activities as much as we possibly can.”
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Work from outside pharma you admire…
The Dove Courage is Beautiful campaign, because I don’t think we can celebrate the heroic women and men on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic enough. — Bielecki
From the June 01, 2022 Issue of MM+M - Medical Marketing and Media
