Publicis Hearts Health, Strikes Deal To Beef Up Saatchi's Wellness Beat

Publicis Groupe this morning said it is merging Heartbeat Ideas, a 15-year-old, privately-held New York City-based healthcare marketing agency, with its Saatchi & Saatchi Health division. Terms were not disclosed, but Heartbeat, which was founded in 1998, has an organization of 90 people with offices in New York and California.

According to Heartbeat’s website, it was previously a wholly-owned subsidiary of Drumbeat Digital LLC.

Publicis noted that both shops are “full-service agencies that share a common commitment to unconfined ideas and innovation in the healthcare space.”

As part of the merger, Publicis is reorganizing Saatchi Health, combining its two New York-based divisions -- Saatchi & Saatchi Health Communications and Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness -- under the the latter’s name.

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Heartbeat Ideas and sister unit Heartbeat West, meanwhile, will continue with their names, adding that they are “a member of Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness.”

All of the agencies will be part of Publicis Healthcare Communications Group, which Publicis claims to be the largest health communications agency network in the world.

Heartbeat Founder-CEO Bill Drummy will remain in his current role and will join the leadership team at Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness with Co-Managing Directors Kathy Delaney and JD Cassidy, reporting to Sam Welch, PHCG Global Group President. Kathy Delaney will retain her role as a Global Chief Creative Officer at PHCG.

Publicis singled out Heartbeat’s expertise in mobile, social and online branding as part of the rationale for the deal, and said its roster includes brands such as Galderma, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi, Teva and XenoPort.
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