Listening to Gwee discuss the intersection of marketing and technology is like listening to a super-thoughtful, hyper-articulate preacher. While he doesn’t gesticulate or raise his voice, Gwee has the passion part down pat. “Disruption—not just falling back on accepted models—is hard, especially in this business,” he explains. “It’s not just about making a case. You have to live it.”
Over the course of his career, Gwee has walked the proverbial walk. In 2010, he organized an event at SxSW that ultimately led to the addition of a formal/health medical programming track. Now back on the agency side of the biz, Gwee is pushing clients—some reluctant, some not—to open their minds. “Pharma went through this big app phase—’we need an app for every medicine!’ What we’re seeing now is the importance of platforms, whether Google or Apple or whoever. There’s never been a time where we have so many opportunities to connect with patients.”
