The BlocPartners: 2020
The BlocPartners
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“We are living at a time where all industries are rethinking their business models,” say leaders at The BlocPartners. “Be it because of a global pandemic, artificial intelligence, climate change, or shifting global politics, business as usual is no longer an option. Yet, business as usual was never an option for The BlocPartners. Current global dynamics reinforce that we can only guess what will come tomorrow, but true to our entrepreneurial spirit, The BlocPartners has always thrived in never getting comfortable.”
Group picture from the BlocPartners’ network meeting in May 2019 in Basel, Switzerland.
According to its leaders, The BlocPartners flexes and seamlessly collaborates across international boundaries to overcome every kind of barrier and deliver evidence-based, locally sourced, and globally effective solutions, all through a multilocal model that turned the concept of a multinational network on its head 16 years ago. “We are a network of shared values and common purpose: to be greater together in our mission to do good.”
“We are constantly rethinking and optimizing how best to service our clients,” says Managing Director Bárbara Büchel. “What remains unchanged is our belief that together, we can go further and have a greater impact for good.”
RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS
In 2019, the business driven to agencies through the network more than doubled, making it our best year yet!” the network’s leaders say. “A significant part of our growth was driven by the launch of BlocSource – an innovative business model that insources talent and thinking from world-class professionals across the globe to deliver health creative solutions at a great value. This has been our key differentiator when servicing several of our key clients who need agile, high-quality content delivered within tight timelines and limited budgets.”
According to network management, “At a global level, the notable new assignments in 2019/2020 includes the expansion of our work for Merck/MSD, where a number of our geographically distributed teams have been collaborating on projects in the European region. Another multilocal team from New York, London, and Paris brought home a big win as the agency of record for a Guerbet product.”
The network has expanded through strategic partners in the European region to service client needs in Portugal, Greece, and Benelux. “Towards the end of 2019, we established an EU Management Team whose main purpose is to explore and maximize the business opportunities in Europe,” network executives say. “They will be supported by recently created EU Sales and Marketing Directors. Their proximity to our EU clients will further improve our regional cohesion and agility when collaborating across markets.”
To celebrate its 15th anniversary in 2019, The BlocPartners held its biggest network meeting to date in Switzerland. During the gathering, the network hosted a client forum where leaders from 10 healthcare companies united to share their insights around “Partnerships paving the future of healthcare.” The findings from the event were published in the format of an e-book, available to download from the network’s website.
According to the leadership team, at Cannes Lions Health, The BlocPartners stood out by being the only independent network with three presenters on stage. Chief Creative Officer Xavier Sánchez from The BlocPartners Spain (Umbilical) shared his personal experience as a juror in the Pharma Jury during the session, “Inside the Jury Room.” He sat on that jury together with colleague Praful Akali, founder of Medulla, the network’s Indian partners. Meanwhile, The Bloc and Greenwich Biosciences captivated the audience with a presentation on a campaign that broke down stigmas around cannabidiol (CBD) through the principle of “full transparency.” Through a virtual tour of the cannabis greenhouses, physicians were invited to familiarize themselves with the CBD manufacturing process. Additionally, Medulla showed how the agency shifted public perceptions around government policymaking for pharmaceuticals in his country.
“In addition to our presence at Cannes, we also served as jurors at this year’s Global Awards (Executive Jury, Grand Jury, and live judging sessions in Australia and India), Aspid Awards, Lisbon Health, Lisbon Effectiveness International Advertising Festival, and the Effie’s,” network executives say.
“Serving on an international award jury means a deep commitment to creativity, the quality of ideas, the challenges of our profession, and the inexhaustible power of innovation,” Sánchez says. “It’s an incredible mix of great responsibility and enormous privilege. It demands a broad and multicultural vision, honesty, and the ability to forego politics. Each prize you grant is not just a recognition; it’s a springboard to build better ideas for next year.”
The BlocPartners member agencies were honored as finalists in 35 industry awards and won 19 prizes, including Creative Floor, PM360 Greatest Creators, PM360 Elite, PM360 Trail Blazers, DTC Vanguard, DTC National Awards, New York Film Awards, Best Shorts Competition, Digital Impact Awards 2019, PM Society Awards, and New Zealand Marketing Awards.
The BlocPartners 2019 Most Valuable Player (MVP) award was granted to Katz Rayos del Sol, who is based in the Philippines, “for her relentless work in supporting network clients and for going above and beyond her key role in quality assurance processes within our BlocSky and BlocSource solution models,” management says.
“Having the opportunity to work with The BlocPartners agencies has been such an amazing learning experience for me,” Katz says. “Meeting and working with people from so many different time zones just really solidified what ‘global’ meant to me. I am really proud to be part of this network and I’m committed to do my part in helping us grow greater together.”
STRUCTURE AND SERVICES
The BlocPartners is incorporated as an LLC, with 21 top-ranking health creative and medical communication agencies covering 33 key major and emerging markets. Key capabilities include brand communication (creative services, public relations, insights, and strategic planning); medical communication (scientific services, medical affairs consultancy, and meetings and events); and value, insight, and evidence (scientific and analytical services; patient-centered outcome research, and study management).
The BlocPartners utilizes a board of directors model of governance that is responsible for the continuous excellence and growth of the network’s capabilities. The elected board members are: Global Chairman Rico Viray; VP, Extended Markets Susan Miller Viray; Sánchez; Global Chief Scientific Officer Şermin Kartal; Global Chief Innovation Officer André Darmon; and Secretary Paolo Zanaria.
The Global Management Team includes Büchel and Global Business Manager Nina Gabrielsen. The EU Management Team consists of Kartal, Zanaria, and Hans Lindh as the EU commercial directors; EU Sales Director Theis Husfeldt; and EU Marketing Director Gian Marco Guarini Matteucci.
The BlocPartners are in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UAE, UK, Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
FUTURE PLANS
In 2020, our aim will be to form new partnerships, exploring companies from areas that provide continuous insights and data-driven creativity,” network leaders say. “The current pandemic has accelerated digital adaptation across industries and countries. We have started to proactively work with our clients to develop strategies that help them pivot to digital engagement in the short and the long term.”
PHILANTHROPY/CITIZENSHIP
The agencies in the network have a long-standing tradition of supporting charities through financial donations, creative work, consultative services, and fund-raising events. Last year’s beneficiaries included Doctors Without Borders, Assistance Médicale Toit du Monde, El Bebek Gül Bebek, Young Carers Program, British Heart Foundation London, Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice Service, Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center, and the NY Common Pantry.
