Euro RSCG Life LM&PEuro RSCG Life LM&P got new leadership this year as Christine D’Appolonia and Cris Morton assumed the roles of managing director.
D’Appolonia came over to the Havas shop from Omnicom’s CDM New York, where she spent 14 months managing the shop’s key Pfizer cardio franchise business. Morton joined from Draftfcb, where he was managing director. Prior to those roles, they worked together at LLNS for many years. “We were client services directors together there,” says D’Appolonia, “and we have a long history of collaborating and comparing strategic visions.” Former LM&P president David Paragamian transitioned to a Havas role, serving as global brand director and CEO of Havas’s Latin American and Canadian operations.
Morton and D’Appolonia won’t talk revenue numbers but say the shop ended 2010 “up” and is “on target for similar performance” midway through 2011. Staff held steady at around 150, say D’Appolonia and Morton, although the shop racked up a substantial list of account wins, with a 75% win rate for 2010.
Wins included Eisai’s experimental sepsis drug eritoran, which disappointed in late-stage clinical trials, as well as lorcaserin, an experimental obesity drug; Pfizer’s Geodon antipsychotic, Toviaz overactive bladder drug and the company’s Southeast sales force regional business unit; and the global business for Takeda/Lundbeck’s joint venture on a novel antidepressant that the companies hope to launch in the next 18-20 months.
Top clients include: Pfizer, for Chantix, Lyrica, Geodon, Toviaz, Somavert, Xalatan, Genotropin, Revatio and the Southeast regional business unit; Merck, for Miralax and Zegerid; Takeda/Lundbeck, for their antidepressant JV; Meridian, for Cyanokit and DuoDote, and Ameritox.
The 30-year-old-shop is in the midst of a rethink in terms of positioning, but Morton says “One of the things we’re known for is our outstanding client service. Ron Pantello, one of our founders, used to say: ‘We strive to be the best part of our clients’ day every day.’ That’s something we as an organization really strive to live up to.”
LM&P, he adds, aims to go beyond creative and strategy to deliver best in class planning, medical, digital and innovation. He’s proud of the shop’s recent digital work, much of that for Pfizer’s closed-loop marketing platform, dubbed Cue. Other highlights include new campaigns for Lyrica and Toviaz and lifecycle management planning on those brands.
“We did some beautiful creative work for an unbranded initiative for fibromyalgia, about how it affects the body and how they think it works,” says D’Appolonia. “We’re also doing a lot of great work for the Takeda/Lundbeck client developing their brand positioning and architecture.”
Below Morton and D’Appolonia, the firm has put in place a leadership team including: Karen Lopienski, SVP, account services, Chantix; Jennifer Zar, SVP, account services, Lyrica; Suketu Patel, SVP, medical director; Robert Wainwright, SVP, digital strategy; and Claire Fruscello, VP, strategic planning.
“It’s all about taking this amazing agency and moving it forward at a time when the market is changing so rapidly and is so dynamic,” says Morton. “Those core principles are still there, but it has to be refashioned to reflect what’s going on in healthcare right now.”
From the July 01, 2011 Issue of MM+M - Medical Marketing and Media
