What’s in a name?

I spend a lot of time spelling. Yes, spelling. In many of my first time phone conversations, I find myself spelling not only my last name (that’s P-A-R-A-G-A-M-I-A-N), but also the name of our agency, Euro RSCG Life LM&P.  Lots of letters; lots of spelling. And that’s OK. There is a lot of history and heritage in all our family and company names, and it’s worth slowing down and making sure it is heard and understood.

What I also have to do many times is explain WHAT we are. 

We are a uniquely unified health and wellness communications agency. 

In our space, there are many firms that are “medical ad agencies.”  They partner with pharmaceutical company clients to create brand communications, expressed in those images we see in the New England Journal of Medicine or across the cover of a sales person’s selling tool.  Of course, we have great depth of experience in pharma and in creating selling tools…but it is NOT how I describe what we do.

In our space, there are a number of relatively new firms that are “digital agencies” that partner with that same client base to create branded and unbranded Web content, tablet PC selling tools, and the like.  Of course, we have great depth of experience in doing this for our clients…but, this too is NOT how I describe what we do.

In our space, there are a growing number of boutique providers of “strategic consulting” that is intended to help parachute in on a PRN basis and work with pharma company brand teams to address specific issues. Again, although I can share significant and robust experience and capability in this arena, it is NOT how I describe what we do.

What it means to be a unified agency…in one agency we have all the disciplines: strategy, medical, digital strategy and execution; managed markets/payor expertise; unbranded medical education expertise; and advertising and promotion marketing creativity.  Moreover, because our client base includes not only Big Pharma, but also over-the-counter (OTC) manufacturers, devices and diagnostics, and a major, leading US teaching hospital, we apply these unified disciplines on a day-to-day basis across a broad array of clients.  I believe this makes us unique in our space. We apply strategic insights about the brand, the category, and the target audience to drive our clients’ brands across channels.

So, if it means I sometimes have to slow down, spell, maybe even help define what we mean when we say uniquely unified, that’s OK. It’s worth it.