IPG merges FCB Health and McCann Health to form new healthcare unit

Interpublic Group (IPG) has realigned its FCB Health and McCann Health into IPG Health, a new global network with a unified senior management team. According to the company, the distinct agency brands remain active and will continue to go to market independently in this new operating model, but will now benefit from additional specialty services, knowledge-sharing, proactive career management, and coordinated collaboration.

The IPG Health offering will be led by CEO Dana Maiman in partnership with executive chairman John Cahill, and the IPG Health executive leadership team. The team consists of Raj Singhal, who joins the network from IPG’s Huge, Mike Guarino and Lisa DuJat, who join from FCB Health, and Charlie Buckwell, who joins from McCann Health. The agency added that a global senior leadership team and creative council, consisting of leaders from both FCB Health and McCann Health, has been identified and will focus on unlocking the benefits of the two agencies’ complementary assets for both existing and prospective clients.

According to a press release by IPG, the day-to-day teams at the agency brands within both McCann Health and FCB Health will remain in place and will continue to provide their clients with the industry’s experienced individuals, including scientists, strategists, creatives and engagement specialists across the healthcare marketing spectrum. The company added that IPG Health brings together about 5,000 global health communication professionals across six continents, which seeks to enable client teams to draw on “a broader integrated talent pool on a highly customized, as-needed basis”.

IPG also said that the healthcare marketing agencies will continue to partner with IPG’s global creative networks, as well as the broader portfolio of media and marketing services providers, using IPG’s collaborative open architecture model.

IPG Health will tap into the various specialty offerings at FCB Health and McCann Health on behalf of clients. In addition to that, the new unit will also move to centralize technology and create a uniform operating system that “elevates its dynamic content for all clients through an integrated offering”. This technology is enhanced by IPG’s Kinesso and Acxiom units, and includes data and analytics solutions customized for life sciences and its unique group of global stakeholders.

Philippe Krakowsky (pictured), CEO of Interpublic Group said that the company has seen an increased need for healthcare information to be delivered at speed, in ways that are highly personal, culturally relevant and respectful of privacy as health and wellness continue to be a top concern for individuals, governments and companies around the world. “FCB Health and McCann Health have collaborated for many years on specific brands, through IPG-led Open Architecture teams. IPG Health will make this the new normal – an operating model for all healthcare clients that delivers the best talent and expertise for every business challenge, and partners with best-in-class IPG capabilities in dynamic areas like data, technology and media,” added Krakowsky.

Maiman said that this alignment brings together “the unique and complementary capabilities of each network – a unified IPG Health sits at the nexus of creativity, digital channels, technology and data” She also added that IPG’s integrated approach to a broad range of communications capabilities ensures it can help clients improve outcomes and quality of life for healthcare audiences around the world.

Cahill also said that in the aftermath of the pandemic, healthcare marketers need partners who can test and learn in order to deliver real-time communications that help improve the wellbeing of individuals. “Our colleagues will also benefit from enhanced proactive career management, and we can make a positive impact for people in all parts of the world,” added Cahill.

On a related note, IPG’s IPG Mediabrands named a new global CFO, Marlene Pelage and promoted former CFO Guy Beach global president earlier this year in April. The new appointments were made with the goal of adding fresh perspectives to accelerate transformation. 

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