Calcium 2015
Calcium
601 Walnut Street, Suite 250-S
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Telephone: 215-238-8500
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: calciumusa.com
QUICK FACTS
Accounts
Account wins 5
Active business clients 20
Brands by 2014 sales
Brand-product accounts held 20
$25 million or less 10
$25 million – $50 million 3
$50 million – $100 million 3
$100 million – $500 million 2
Products yet to be approved/launched 2
SERVICES MIX
Interactive 50%
Brand strategy/advertising 30%
Broadcast 5%
KOL development 5%
Public health/advocacy 5%
Public relations 5%
CLIENT ROSTER
Acro Pharmaceuticals
Aegerion
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals
BTG International
CarePartners Plus
CardioNet
Core Risks
Eggland’s Best
Genentech
Horizon Pharmaceuticals
Hyperion
Knipper
Lundbeck
Mental Health America
Merz North America
Novartis
Renfrew Center
Saint Clare’s Health System
Siemens
Spectrum Pharmaceuticals
Susan G. Komen Philadelphia
Teva CNS
Teva Respiratory
Theracoustic
University of the Sciences
Vigilant
Xhale
Brands matter – now more than ever. Calcium executives say even in today’s rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, brands matter because, among others things, brands are powerful vehicles for engagement. Brands are the way products and people connect. “So, when you strengthen brands, you strengthen those connections – and that has all sorts of positive implications for businesses as well as people,” executives say.
According to agency leaders, Calcium works with leading life sciences companies to strengthen their brands, their connections to all stakeholders, and, thereby, their businesses. “We deliver the essential ‘brand nourishment’ necessary for brands and businesses to thrive in this challenging healthcare environment,” managers say.
Although a relatively new name on the agency scene, Calcium is built on some very strong agency foundations, and, over the past year, has leveraged its vast experience and superior skills to help a growing number of clients achieve significant impact in the marketplace.
The year’s accomplishments
According to agency leaders, Calcium experienced a breakthrough year in 2014. Formed in January 2014, when Star Group merged together Vox Medica, Calcium NYC, and its own Star Life Sciences, Calcium has been busy expanding its capabilities, talent pool, and client roster. In 2014, Calcium scored a number of significant AOR and project new business wins, including Novartis, Siemens, Vigilant Biosciences, and Boston Biomedical. Calcium also experienced substantial organic growth with cornerstone clients in the pain management, neurology, and respiratory categories.
On the capabilities front, Calcium continued to expand and strengthen its digital services, offering complete development capabilities as well as comprehensive solutions in social media monitoring and measurement. Executives claim that Calcium also has been a pioneer in leveraging key industry partnerships – both with Google and comScore – to further strengthen its expertise in the critical areas of digital media and analytics, providing clients with unique, measurable opportunities to drive brand and business growth. “Another important synergistic strategic partnership is with Boston Healthcare, which enables our clients to gain a better understanding of market access, payer communications, and reimbursement issues,” executives say.
With offices in Philadelphia and New York City, Calcium further expanded its geographical reach in 2014 by establishing an office in the San Francisco area, headed by Managing Partner Garth McCallum. This office is already making an impact with many of the biotech and life sciences companies located in the Bay Area.
Structure and services offered
Executives say Calcium offers an agile and responsive organizational structure, one that is based on a seamless integration of all major agency services, whether online or offline. The Calcium structure makes it simple and efficient for clients to access the critical services that they need. This structure also fosters more direct and extensive contact between clients and the senior agency personnel who are most critical to driving their businesses.
Calcium’s core mission is to provide brand nourishment, according to agency leaders. Calcium uses a proprietary system called The Growth Process to strategically guide and unify various work streams. “Through our deep industry networks, we’re able to track and identify the healthcare landscape changes that affect strategy, enabling Calcium to deliver more effective solutions,” execs say. “At Calcium, our strong strategic thinking illuminates all the critical work we do for clients.”
Calcium’s capabilities include core personal and non-personal communications initiatives for patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and payers. These include: customer insight research and competitive intelligence; strategic engagement and planning; brand positioning; comprehensive digital solutions; social media strategy; video strategy and production; media buying services, and thought leader development.
The Calcium executive leadership team consists of Lorna Weir, Steve Hamburg, and Judy Capano, and is headed up by Steven Michaelson and Tim R. Garde.
Future plans
Moving forward, Calcium plans to expand its strategic practice in the life sciences sector, with a focus on areas such as specialty pharmaceuticals and biosmiliars. The agency also plans to increase its footprint in the payer space, providing market access data, messaging, and communications strategy. Executives say overall, Calcium will continue to provide leading-edged, integrated communications solutions that will help clients meet their diverse marketing challenges and objectives.
Calcium also plans to increase the scope and strength of its digital service offerings. The agency recognizes that the patient journey through the healthcare continuum is increasingly complex and multi-faceted – involving a wide array of media interactions, both with healthcare professionals and a variety of other stakeholders.
Philanthropy/citizenship
For the 2014 holiday season, Calcium, on behalf of clients and friends, donated to ‘The Great American Milk Drive.” It was the first-ever nationwide program to deliver gallons of milk to hungry families who need it most.
Through the Star Group’s volunteer platform, VIVA, the agency supports organizations that serve the city of Philadelphia and health-focused organizations. Star Group’s achievements on behalf of philanthropic organizations and community causes are inspired by CEO Linda Rosanio’s longstanding belief in the idea of sharing success by giving back. Star has helped groups such as American Red Cross, Eagles Fly for Leukemia, The Greater Philadelphia Food Bank, United Way, The American Heart Association, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Pennsylvania Ballet, Wish Upon A Hero, Garden State Discovery Museum, and World Monuments Fund.