TOP 25 Healthcare Consultancies

The healthcare sector remained largely buoyant in the face of significant changes to the industry and shifting client priorities, reports Nikki Wicks

P

lans to overhaul the NHS and ways to embrace the ongoing rise in digital comms were just two of the factors shaping the healthcare agenda in the past 12 months. As the industry explored ways to get to grips with the challenges, the sector remained resilient.

The top of the 2011 healthcare league table remained largely unchanged from the previous year, with the top three agencies holding their positions. The significant change in the top five results from the absence of FD Healthcare, which declined to post figures for this year’s table.

Chandler Chicco Companies once again held on to the top spot. It began an internal restructure in 2010, which EU MD Fiona Hall describes as a ‘shift away from traditional brand support towards broader remits’.

Other agencies in the top ten also identified a shift towards wider remits for healthcare comms

practitioners. Just Health’s MD Jennie Talman says successful agencies will be those ‘that can identify the right collaborations and are skilled at building true partnerships’.

Tonic Life Communications and Edelman held on to second and third spots respectively. Tonic had a positive year with a seven per cent fee income rise, winning new business from clients including Bayer, Novartis and Roche. Tonic group CEO Scott Clark says: ‘The industry has been fairly buoyant and budgets have certainly rebounded from a few

104% Increase in healthcare fee income at Waggener Edstrom

years ago. We expect growth to continue across the sector, but we’ll see more from emerging markets.’

Waggener Edstrom showed the strongest growth year on year with a 104 per cent rise on 2009. GyroHSR / Woolley Pau PR also did well, climbing six places up the table with a 59 per cent rise.

Citigate Dewe Rogerson and Freshwater UK were among the agencies that did not do so well, posting falls in income of more than 50 per cent.

New entries included 90TEN Healthcare, which leapt in at number 14. Other newcomers included Aurora Healthcare.

One of the big developments in 2010 came in December, when Chime Communications joined forces with ex-global head of Huntsworth Health, David Rowley, to form Open Health. All eyes have been on the new player in the healthcare sector as the firm looked to make a number of acquisitions, most recently buying 100 per cent of 12th placed agency, Reynolds-MacKenzie.

Healthcare

Rank	Consultancy name	Healthcare fee income	% change	Total PR	% total	Staff	Location

in Top 150		2010 (£k)	2009 (£k)		income 10 (£k)	PR income

1	18	Chandler Chicco Companies	10,602	10,642	0	10,602	100	93	London
2	22	Tonic Life Communications*	8,691	8,103	7	9,105	95	84	London
3	5	Edelman	7,087	6,815	4	28,777	25	298	London
4	43	Red Door Communications	4,856	4,573	6	4,856	100	41	London
5	45	Virgo Health	4,718	4,100	15	4,718	100	49	Surrey
6	54	Galliard Healthcare Communications	3,622	3,608	14	3,622	100	23	London
7	60	Just Health Public Relations	3,189	2,869	11	3,357	95	25	London
8	75	Axon Communications	2,617	2,684	-2	2,617	100	25	Surrey
9	71	Pegasus Public Relations	2,589	2,235	16	2,751	94	37	Worthing
10	17	The Red Consultancy	2,002	1,723	13	11,930	17	152	London
11	14	College Hill	1,688	1,626	4	16,730	10	178	London
12	108	Reynolds-MacKenzie	1,492	1,438	4	1,492	100	18	London
13	59	Hanover	1,375	1,696	-19	3,388	41	38	London
14	122	90TEN Healthcare	1,240	NE		1,240	100	14	London
15	73	Munro & Forster Communications	1,219	1,273	-4	2,717	46	30	London
16	133	GyroHSR / Woolley Pau PR	949	597	59	1,054	90	12	London
17	61	Waggener Edstrom	939	461	104	3,247	29	40	London
18	148	Aurora Healthcare Communications	831	NE		831	100	10	London
19	13	Citigate Dewe Rogerson	780	1,671	-53	17,207	4	111	London
20	119	Say Communications	762	816	-7	1,276	60	16	London
21	N/A	Tudor Reilly	695	NE		695	100	8	London
22	27	Lexis Public Relations	577	739	-22	7,126	9	84	London
23	N/A	CCD Public Relations	521	528	-1	521	100	10	London
24	42	Freshwater	413	855	-52	4,945	8	71	Cardiff
25	149	Political Lobbying & Media Relations	344	NE		820	42	13	London

Notes

Fee income is defined as PR fees plus any mark up. Figures from 1 Jan–31 Dec 2010 rounded up to nearest £1,000

* including Huntsworth Health

NE = New entry

Image on the left: New client Chandler Chicco Companies won new business with GSK, Image on the right: Right direction Just Health Public Relations saw growth of 11 per cent

Chandler Chicco Companies 1

Health fee income £10,602k Growth 0%

What were the trends in the health PR sector in the past 12 months?
There are two main trends. First, the empowered patient has become a reality. Second, the rise of digital, which has coincided happily with the need to stretch resources further. In our day-to-day work we’ve seen a shift away from traditional brand support towards broader remits like key account management and wider stakeholder engagement.

What is the market like now?
Some budgets are slightly more substantive, but just as many remain slender. We find we’re getting more approaches from clients in devices, services and speciality, where the pipelines are more modest, but more reliable too.

What kind of work do clients want?
Clients are coming to us with asking for integrated campaigns, which is exactly what CCC was designed to deliver. They see the value in having the whole comms spectrum in one place, with the associated benefits and synergies delivering efficiency in professional and financial terms.

What will happen in health PR in the next 12 months?
With so many infrastructures up in the air, in the UK and globally, it’s almost impossible to tell.

2010 AT A GLANCE

High points Our digital work. We produced two apps, six augmented reality pieces and a Twitter campaign leading to one million patient tests for the client.
Low points Dwindling budget pots were a real challenge. ‘More with less’ is easier to say than do, although most clients recognise that.
Key client wins New business wins with GSK, Pfizer, Novartis and Merck Serono.
Best hires Bringing in Anne-Marie Rodriguez de Killeen as MD of CCA has helped the team evolve into a more flexible force.
Strategy for 2011 To present a single, integrated offering that gives clients the broad services they need from a single, cohesive team.
Predicted fee income for 2011 £11.5m

Just Health Public Relations 7

Health fee income £3,189k Growth 11%

What were the trends in the health PR sector in the past 12 months?
Clients are increasingly developing comms strategies for a portfolio of brands rather than individual brand campaigns. Agencies need to develop longer-term strategic comms platforms that often include disease education as well as brand-specific work such as scientific data communication.

What is the market like now?
Client budgets remain healthy but commitments on spend are more likely to be made on a quarterly rather than annual basis. Agencies have to be very good at anticipating the right resource levels so that we can deliver high quality work at short notice.

What kind of work do clients want?
Our UK work includes a lot of regional campaigning involving a mixture of stakeholders, including media, MPs, NHS bodies and patient groups.

What will happen in health PR in the next 12 months?
I think collaboration will be a key theme in health PR. The industry will increasingly look to work in true partnership with stakeholders such as healthcare professionals, policy makers and patient advocacy groups.

2010 AT A GLANCE

High points We worked in collaboration with the NHS on a community initiative and brought together medical experts, patient representatives and health economists through a European initiative.
Low points Half of the office was flooded due to a blockage in the offices above us. The finance team had to be relocated.
Key client wins Sanofi Aventis – oncology, UCB – epilepsy franchise.
Best hires Alex Biggs, HR director; Corinne Bawn, client financial manager; Gemma Taylor, consultant; Ashley Lewis, consultant; Melanie Fuller, junior consultant.
Strategy for 2011 Diversification. We are expanding our consumer health and public affairs capabilities.
Predicted fee income for 2011 £3.4m

Waggener Edstrom 17

Health fee income £939k Growth 104%

What were the trends in the health PR sector in the past 12 months?
Integrated influence: convergence of traditional healthcare PR and medical education approaches, using digital platforms. Comms strategies are increasingly based on disease management now, rather than treatment.

What is the market like now?
There's laser focus on ROI. Engagement with procurement teams happens much earlier. Some clients are adopting a campaign-based approach to road-test new comms approaches and measure efficacy and ROI of digital campaigns.

What kind of work do clients want?
The desire to listen to consumers discussing diseases online is driving demand for bespoke analysis tools. New styles and platforms for internal comms are high on the buying agenda, along with bespoke training programmes.

What will happen in health PR in the next 12 months?
Communicators and agencies will need to be more open to collaboration as more companies work together on research and development and jointly funded disease awareness programmes. With fewer blockbuster drugs expected from the pharma industry, audience-specific campaigns that demonstrate tangible changes in behaviour will be key to success.

2010 AT A GLANCE

High points The ability to work with patient groups as direct clients.
Low points Uncertainty around changes in the NHS has made clients
reluctant to commit to long-term programmes.
Key client wins Strong organic growth from existing clients.
Best hires Vice-president, healthcare Dali Clough and associate director Deborah Corcoran.
Strategy for 2011 Grow our client base and service offering under the direction of Jane Brearley to deliver truly integrated programmes with ROI at the heart.
Predicted fee income for 2011 £1.2m.

Aurora Healthcare Communications 18

Health fee income £831k Growth New entry

What were the trends in the health PR sector in the past 12 months?
Responding to our changed society, online comms are now increasingly taking the lead over offline activity. Traditional media relations continues to be important in generating conversations about health online.

What is the market like now?
The market feels incredibly buoyant at the moment with budgets bouncing back and plenty of opportunity. Of
course, we have all learned to spend
our money more wisely: clients expect,
and agencies need to deliver, value for
money.

What kind of work do clients want?
The demand for social media counsel continues to grow from pharmaceutical companies and healthcare providers. We are also being called on for expertise around market access, to help
communicate the value that a medicine or service can bring to patients, the
healthcare system and the company so that they all realise the full potential of a
brand.

What will happen in health PR in the next 12 months?
There are a lot of innovative niche medicines and services coming through that
are really interesting. We also expect to continue to communicate these via new
and emerging channels.

2010 AT A GLANCE

High points Retaining all our clients from 2009 and moving offices to a great new space in Farringdon.
Low points The first member of staff to leave in five years.
Key client wins Roche and GlaxoSmithKline.
Best hires Account managers Gill Dunn, Emma Ellwood and Katie Armson: great all-round communicators with amazing flair for digital and media relations.
Strategy for 2011 Vigorously growing the business and unwaveringly
delivering on our winning happy team, happy clients philosophy. Expanding our market access and digital practices to help our clients in these critical areas.
Predicted fee income for 2011 An increase of £1m to £1.8m.

Haymarket 1957 - 2011
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