Ruder Finn has honed its healthcare communications and marketing chops over the course of more than three-quarters of a century. But in recent years, as homogeneity of approach has limited the effectiveness of work in online and offline channels, Ruder Finn has started to zig where others have zagged.
“Nobody wants to be caught in an echo chamber of like-mindedness,” says global lead, healthcare Christie Anbar.
Ruder Finn did plenty to distinguish itself during 2023. The firm added work from Galderma, Pfizer (in the R&D realm), OraPharma (on gum disease treatment Arestin) and Sanofi (for the launch of The1Pledge campaign) to a roster that includes engagements with Biogen, AstraZeneca, Kite Pharma and the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. On the back of the client growth, MM+M estimates that healthcare revenue jumped to $50.5 million, up nearly 8% from an estimated $46.9 million in 2022.
The company also increased healthcare head count by 10 full-timers, to an estimated 141 at year’s end. Key additions included EVP of healthcare growth and integrated marketing Jennifer O’Neill, formerly of Lippe Taylor and MMC, and SVP of consumer earned media Alex Taylor, formerly of Hill & Knowlton.
The year wasn’t without its heartbreaks — Ruder Finn’s work on a Sage Therapeutics treatment ended after the company received a complete response letter from the Food and Drug Administration — but Anbar says the positives outweighed the negatives, especially on the technology front.
“Tech allows us to precisely target the stakeholders we need to reach, gain greater insights to shape our recommendations and make sure what we deliver is measurable,” she explains. To that point, the company embedded Copilot, a Microsoft chatbot, in order to streamline administrative tasks and enhance its ability to use AI externally.
To further build up its content capabilities, Ruder Finn established Studio 53. Among its first productions: The Quest for Sleep, a documentary produced for Idorsia Pharmaceuticals and narrated by Octavia Spencer. The company also established the RF Comunicad Collective, a group designed to engage Hispanic communities, and Rf.engage, a global center for internal communications, engagement and consulting.
As for other client collaborations, Anbar is especially proud of The 1 Pledge, a Sanofi effort designed to drive awareness of screening for type 1 diabetes. Working alongside Usher (whose child has the disease), Ruder Finn staged a huge event in New York City’s Times Square to kick off the campaign in November, which happens to be American Diabetes Month.
Asked about the road ahead, Anbar points to the agency’s use of AI to build connections. “If you train AI technologies on various patient needs, you can provide personalized, real-time support for caregivers — and do it 24/7.”
However, she stresses it’s important to be certain that AI tools are finding accurate information about a product or disease.
“Once you learn what they’re spitting back at people who are searching, you can create more sources of truth to better train those tools,” Anbar adds.
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Work we wish we did
Southwest Airlines’ Worst Bar Ever. It created a bar and brought in real people — then up-charged them for everything. Check your coat? OK, hangers are two for $5. Ice in your drink? That’ll be 50 cents per cube. I’m sorry, you’re just VIP; this is the VIP-Plus area. Hidden cameras captured the reactions, then it was revealed that Southwest was behind the gag. It was so authentic to who the brand is, and a great way to overcome misinformation. — Anbar
