CDM: 2020

CDM

220 E. 42nd Street, 11th Floor

New York, NY 10017

Telephone 

212-907-4300

Website 

cdmny.com

 

Quick Facts

Accounts

Account wins 11

Active business clients 20

Brands by 2019 sales

Brand-product accounts held 42

 

Services Mix

Professional (physicians) 65%

Patient 30%

Professional (nurses) 5%

 

WINNER

Best Consumer Web Campaign

Best Professional Web Campaign

Best Social Media Campaign

FINALIST

Best Launch Campaign

 

“Like great brands, great agencies need to be reimagined from time to time,” says Sharon Callahan, new CEO of CDM, as she reflects on the changes that have occurred at the agency over the past months. “CDM is one of the great agency brands in the history of our business, and we needed to make some gutsy moves in order to lead our clients and our business forward. The fact that we’re doing it during the time of COVID-19 shows how ready and willing we are to invent what’s possible in healthcare communications.”

Callahan, who took over the role in March of this year, was part of a managerial overhaul that saw sweeping changes take place in the agency. Chris Palmer, former CEO of the agency, moved to the role of chief creative officer for CDM. Kristen Gengaro, formerly managing partner of TBWA\WorldHealth, was named president of CDM New York, and Deepa Patel, formerly of TBWA\Chiat, moved into the role of chief strategic officer for CDM New York. Along with Dan Rubin, managing partner, this group forms the new leadership team of CDM and its flagship office in New York. 

“In just a few short weeks, this newly formed team has created a new purpose for the agency, fed it with new energy and ideas, and ignited new momentum. We’re hell-bent on adding rocket fuel to CDM and we can’t wait see where the future takes us,” Callahan says.

RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

2019 was a year that saw CDM become a more integrated, more cohesive global agency, sharing the majority of its clients across the entirety of its network, as well as with other Omnicom and Omnicom Health Group agencies. “2019 was a year in which CDM became better together,” Callahan says, adding that the result was deepening relationships with its biggest and longest-standing client, as well as partnering with new biotech start-ups. 

“In 2019, the agency honed its ability to grow in the ways the industry is growing, by expanding on its rare disease and oncology offerings, and by sharpening and integrating our strategic offerings across data analytics, digital strategy, medical and scientific affairs, and brand planning. That created a solid foundation on which we can build in 2020,” she says.

Individual offices of the network experienced significant growth, with CDM Princeton expanding through the addition of several new clients and establishing a presence in San Francisco, CDM London creating relationships with multiple new clients, and CDM Barcelona continuing a years-long track record of new business wins for both local and global clients. “It’s a strong network with great leaders who are guiding agencies that represent our smarts, our passion, and our values,” Callahan says. 

CDM’s emphasis on creating powerful work on behalf of clients has led to another year of strong recognition for CDM, creatively. “It’s an unbelievable feeling to know that the work we do is being recognized across the industry in shows like the Mannys, MM&M, The Creative Floor, the Global Awards, Tellys, Communication Arts, and D&AD – many of them golds,” Palmer notes. “Of course, winning is great; but it’s not really about the awards. It’s about creating best-in-class, best-in-industry work for brave and bold clients. The awards we win are simply a reflection of the real change we’re creating for real brands.” 

STRUCTURE AND SERVICES

CDM has always been at the forefront of providing cutting-edge strategic insights and creative capabilities to its clients,” Gengaro says. “CDM New York was one of the first agencies to develop and bring the disciplines of account planning, medical and scientific affairs, and digital strategy in-house. In my new role, I want to make sure that we continue that strong track record of innovation and experimentation. That’s where our clients are focused, so that’s where we’re focused, too.”

Patel notes, “we are also putting a big emphasis on expanding our expertise in medical and scientific affairs. We have incredibly strong people who make us smarter and sharper every day, and I want to make sure we continue to build on this strength.” 

In order to expand its capabilities in scientific insights, CDM has recently hired Mohammad Yaghoubi, M.D., formerly of the Knowledge Group, as new chief medical officer for the agency. “Mohammad’s vast experience across oncology, rare disease, and specialty brands is a perfect fit for CDM – both in terms of what the agency offers and where it needs to grow and innovate,” Patel says. “I’m excited to partner with him and see where we can take this department and this agency.”

FUTURE PLANS

2020 has found CDM creating a new purpose for the agency – one leadership believes will provide new energy and strength in the future. “We are a gutsy creative community that exists to invent new possibilities in health,” Callahan says. “We’re going to bring that gutsiness into everything we do. That idea has already put some swagger into the agency and helped us put in place some very strong new business efforts – efforts we believe will pay off soon.” 

Rubin agrees. “I love the idea of rallying around the idea of being gutsy,” she says. “It focuses us on making clear decisions on behalf of our clients and helping them get to brave and bold actions. It also helps us be more agile and nimble in responding to their needs. With the this pandemic in the background, being gutsy is more important than ever.” 

Agency leaders also believe the future will require even greater ability to respond boldly to challenges. 

“We believe in creating categories of one for our clients’ brands,” Gengaro says. “This means elevating above the data scrum many brands find themselves in and finding true purpose and ambition. It’s not easy to do that, but when we do, it can inspire truly brave and powerful work – work that leads to powerful business results.” 

Patel adds, “These times have shown us that the health and wellness industry will demand increasingly greater innovative and creative solutions to reach, connect with, and move customers. We have the strategic, creative, and operational muscle to stand up to these challenges and move brands into this idea of being a category of one.” 

CDM also sees its future including even more collaborations and partnerships within, and beyond, the Omnicom Health Group. 

“As our clients’ needs change and evolve, what they’re looking for from a partner changes and evolves. As a full-service agency, we do a lot of things exquisitely, but we know we can be even stronger for our clients when we collaborate,” Callahan says. This year will see CDM collaborating with CRM experts and creating joint ventures with the Omnicom Precision Marketing group (OPMG). “If we can’t do it on our own, we bring the best partners to the table to make change happen for our clients.”

PHILANTHROPY/CITIZENSHIP

We come into CDM every day committed to the idea of inventing new possibilities in health. And part of that commitment is alive in our charitable partnerships,” Palmer says. As an example of this commitment, CDM continues to support three key organizations: the American Heart Association (AHA), the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM), and the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). 

For the AHA this year, the agency continued the great work it started in 2019 by building upon the awareness campaign, “Good Food, Gone Bad,” which brings to light the ways in which lower-income neighborhoods are “deserts” for heart-healthy foods, and educates residents of these areas on ways to make healthier choices. In addition, the agency continues to support local and regional AHA efforts around the larger Go Red initiative. For NORD, the agency continued to propel its award-winning work, highlighting ways that local communities can help support people living with rare diseases. And for CHAM, the agency continues to support healing through art by having teams visit Montefiore and spend time doing craft projects with pediatric patients, as well as participating in fundraising events throughout the year. 

“I’m incredibly proud of the work CDM does for these important, industry-leading organizations,” Callahan says. “And I’m excited to see what we do together in the future.”