Well, to be honest, we sort of are. Not self-involved in the traditional sense, but in the sense that the only ones involved—in our agency and in our clients work—are ourselves. The expectation we want to set is that what customers can come to expect from our agency is us.

We believe in candor—we come correct with each other as well as with our clients. If we show up at your office and promise to dedicate ourselves to your account, we’ll deliver on that promise. Unlike larger agencies that send senior management to the pitch but assign your business to a junior team back at the office, with us, who you see is what you get. And what you get are six people who know better than to sell themselves with marketing buzzwords and stock photography. Six people who will show that same discern for your business and your brand. We promise.

And for years, what worked for GE and General Mills worked for Merck and Pfizer as well. But we’ve entered a new age in pharmaceutical advertising. An age where a product is not just a pill, it’s a promise of a better, healthier future. An age where patient profiles—more than product profiles—drive marketing initiatives and (the hope is, at least) increase sales down the line.

Because, let’s face it, we live in an age where medication is no longer just for the infirmed. An age where Lipitor, Cialis, and Propecia are the brands filling the 6-o’clock news spots. Now don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of products out there (not enough, actually) that really do save lives. Products that, without which, people quite literally would not be able to get out of bed in the morning. I’ve worked on products like these, and I’ve even felt good about it. But the influx of lifestyle drugs can’t be ignored, and they’re setting the bar for all the rest.

Today, pharmaceutical companies want to offer products that come with built-in support systems. Products that promote not just a chemical or biological change, but a lifestyle change. Products that not only make people feel better, but make them live better, live longer, and live stronger. Products that people will not only try, but will keep taking for years to come.

And this shift in focus hasn’t come a moment too soon, with the market flooded with generics and the FDA watching more closely than ever before.  But it means that we’re now tasked with satisfying a different kind of marketing strategy. One that is less about boosting initial sales and more about bolstering compliance down the line. Clients want campaigns that are more patient-centric, messages that are more end-benefit oriented, and support programs designed to enhance the patient experience, if you will. In other words, pharma’s getting personal.

For the early adopters out there—the companies willing to sacrifice out-of-the-gate sales in an effort to increase compliance and solidifying future profits—the potential benefits are huge. And what’s good for the goose is good for…well, the guys the goose pays to do its advertising.

NEW YORK (October 27, 2009) – Vertiyo Creative Group Inc., a full-service branding and marketing agency based in New York City, today announced the launch of Vertiyo Health, a new division focused on pharmaceutical marketing. Vertiyo Health will be headed by John DeFranco, an industry veteran with more than 25 years of pharmaceutical marketing experience. The new unit offers pharma clients a cost-effective alternative to larger ad agencies, while providing marketing services across a wide range of outlets including print, online and social media. For more information on the group’s industry experience and capabilities, visit www.vertiyohealth.com.

DeFranco began his career in pharmaceutical sales as a field representative, hospital rep and hospital field trainer for Beecham Labs. He later became a product manager for the company with responsibility for injectable antibiotics, and oversaw the launch of Timentin, the first injectable beta-lactamase inhibitor.

DeFranco’s medical advertising experience includes work on major U. S. brands including Pipracil, Prozac, Zerit, Invirace and Zyrtec. He has also supervised the launch of many global brands, including Zyprexa, Synercid, Xenical, Xolair and Pristiq. He can be reached at jdefranco@vertiyo.com and through Twitter and LinkedIn.

“Our size makes us nimble enough to react to our clients in a way that larger agencies often can’t,” said DeFranco. “We’re also able to put new ideas and innovative social strategies in front of our clients much more quickly and efficiently.”

Vertiyo Creative Group founder Marc Scibelli (mscibelli@vertiyo.com) will serve as chief creative officer for Vertiyo Health. Scibelli’s background includes more than a decade of experience at agencies including EURO RSCG Life Chelsea and McCann Erickson, with a focus on pharmaceutical marketing. His work with pharma clients includes the relaunch of Plavix, serving as lead creative on several global accounts for Boehringer-Ingelheim and work as lead creative for the launch of Wyeth’s newest antidepressant, Pristiq

Agency offices are located at 17 Battery Place, Suite 906, New York, NY 10004/ (917) 832-1531.

Vertiyo Creative Group is a full-service agency that delivers superior client performance based on creative curiosity. Part ad agency, part digital think tank, Vertiyo Creative Group is pioneering a new agency-client partnership model through innovations such as risk-sharing cooperatives and creation of proprietary digital products. To learn more, visit www.vertiyo.com.

Last week, some of the Vertiyo Health staff made it out to the 3rd Annual Digital Pharma conference to interact with industry peers regarding the state of social and digital in pharma marketing. It was a great three days and for a great synopsis check out  Steve Woodruff’s blog.

We agree with Steve that the highlight of the entire conference was the true unconference Town Hall session at the end of the third day.

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Vertiyo Creative Group Inc., a new full-service branding and marketing agency, has launched in New York City. Headed by Principal/Executive Creative Director Marc Scibelli (mscibelli@vertiyo.com), Vertiyo is focused on providing marketers with a new relationship model that combines traditional agency services with the insight of a digital think tank. For profiles of agency staff, capabilities and client experience, visit www.vertiyo.com.

Scibelli founded Vertiyo following a two-year stint as Corporate Creative Director for ALM, one of the largest business-to-business integrated media companies in the U.S. He has also served as Senior Art Director for Walker Digital, parent company of priceline.com, and Art Director for Cendant Corporation. Scibelli’s agency background includes more than a decade of experience at agencies including EURO RSCG Life Chelsea and McCann Erickson, with a focus on pharmaceutical marketing. His work with pharma clients includes the relaunch of Plavix, serving as lead creative on several global accounts for Boehringer-Ingelheim and work as lead creative for the launch of Wyeth’s newest antidepressant, Pristiq. He served as a member of the Newsday staff reporting team that received the Pulitzer Prize in 1997, providing deadline graphics for an ongoing series of reports on a major airline crash and its aftermath.

Scibelli has leveraged Web 2.0 technologies to launch several new successful online businesses, including VirtualAdAgency.com, ScrappyUpstarts.com and TwitterPromoBuilder.com. He is an active marketing presence on Twitter and can be followed at http://twitter.com/marc421.

“Today, marketing success requires the imagination to come up with exciting new ideas, the resourcefulness to know how to test them with minimal risk and resources, and the courage to overcome the status quo,” said Scibelli. “Vertiyo is pioneering a new agency-as-partner model, providing clients with innovations, such as risk-sharing cooperatives and proprietary digital products, to help their brands move forward.”

Agency offices are located at 17 Battery Place, Suite 906, New York, NY 10004/ (917) 832-1531.

Vertiyo Creative Group is a full-service agency that delivers superior client performance based on creative curiosity. Part ad agency, part digital think tank, Vertiyo Creative Group is pioneering a new agency-client partnership model through innovations such as risk-sharing cooperatives and creation of proprietary digital products. To learn more, visit www.vertiyo.com.

Contacts:
Peters & Feldman for Vertiyo
Lee Feldman, 203-341-8922
leefeld@ix.netcom.com

Permalink: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20091022005168/en