Publicis Groupe Acquires In-Sync Healthcare Agency

PARIS, April 6, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Publicis Groupe announced today that it has acquired Toronto-based In-Sync, a recognized thought leader in the customer insight space. In-Sync will become part of Publicis Healthcare Communications Group (PHCG). In-Sync, with 75 employees, is a market research consultancy offering a fully integrated suite of innovative, quantitative and qualitative branded products to top biopharma companies worldwide. The acquisition of In-Sync will strengthen PHCG's edge by providing clients with greater customer insight in the healthcare space.

In-Sync will maintain its current location and name and will continue to be led by founding partner and President Janet Winkler. The agency will report to Sam Welch, COO of PHCG North America.

Winkler formed In-Sync in 1989, later focusing on the health and wellness space, which is the core focus of its business today. The agency brings together the disciplines of market research, brand strategy, and management consulting with the social studies of human groups and individuals, utilizing its proprietary 360 Degree Insight Engine(TM). Their impressive and growing client list includes many of the top pharma companies.

Nick Colucci, President and CEO of PHCG, said: "Our heathcare network is strong and growing in part by finding value-creating acquisitions such as In-Sync, which bring tremendous strategy and innovative solutions to our biopharma clients and their brands." Colucci continued, "The In-Sync team is already an impressive and highly sought after company, but we believe they will grow exponentially once they become part of our global network."

Winkler said, "Joining PHCG enables us to extend our global presence and expand client value through the Group's full scope of talent, resources and service." She continued, "We look forward to delivering continued outstanding work to our current clients. We are also excited by the opportunity to more seamlessly integrate customer insight and branding with the ultimate goal of helping our clients better deliver against the needs of their customers."

Welch said, "For clients looking to establish new brands or accelerate the growth of an existing one, In-Sync not only is a tremendous asset in itself, but also builds on the incredible foundation existing in our current strategic agencies. Leveraged on a global scale, we believe that In-Sync's capabilities not only are transformative to the healthcare industry, they align with the future direction of PHCG."

About Publicis Healthcare Communication Group

Publicis Healthcare Communications Group (PHCG) is one of the largest and most innovative health oriented agency networks in the world. A division of Publicis Groupe S.A., PHCG manages top-tier agencies specializing in advertising, medical education, sales and marketing, and medical and scientific affairs. PHCG is dedicated to delivering ideas of purpose that compel action, change lives, and amplify business outcomes. With nearly 3,000 employees, PHCG manages 14 agency brands through 41 offices located in 10 countries. For more information, visit: http://www.publicishealthcare.com

About In-Sync

In-Sync's extensive commitment to the pharmaceutical and healthcare experience helps its clients crack a strategy, ensuring their success. The company has amassed an intimate knowledge of healthcare professional and payer needs and motivations across a range of specialties. The company also has gained insights into the needs-emotional and rational-of patients, caregivers, and key opinion leaders. Significantly, the In-Sync orientation considers a human-first perspective, regardless of customer target. In-Sync has fine-tuned a number of sector-specific capabilities including:

    - Clinical Endpoint Optimization: Determines the most meaningful and
      differentiating endpoints for clinical trial development, which can be
      used to optimize the construction of clinical trials and, ultimately,
      the market potential of the molecule.

    - Condition Architecture: Provides a blueprint of current and emerging
      needs for a therapeutic area including: defining undermet and unmet
      needs, treatment strategies and options, identifying stakeholders and
      how they interconnect, and pinpointing emotional and rational drivers
      of treatment choice.

    - Day in the Life: Reveals the motivational opportunities that can fuel
      brand growth by uncovering the targets' (Patient, Physician or Payer)
      rational and emotional rules of engagement in a therapeutic area.

    - Emotional Journey: Deconstructs the patient or physician illness
      journey, pinpointing the Moments of Meaning that, when leveraged, can
      strengthen the Brand/target relationship.

    - Segmentation for Growth: Identifies brand growth opportunities by
      segmenting the market, patient and/or physician by going beyond
      attitude and behavior alone and factoring in motivations and language
      to enable activation within the marketing and sales teams.


    For more information, visit: http://www.insyncstrategy.com
    About Publicis Groupe

Publicis Groupe [Euronext Paris: FR0000130577] is the world's third largest communications group. In addition, it is ranked as the world's second largest media agency, and is a global leader in digital and healthcare communications. With activities spanning 104 countries on five continents, the Groupe employs approximately 45,000 professionals. Publicis Groupe offers local and international clients a complete range of advertising services through three global advertising networks, Leo Burnett, Publicis, Saatchi & Saatchi, and two multi-hub networks, Fallon and 49%-owned Bartle Bogle Hegarty. Media consultancy and buying is offered through two worldwide networks, Starcom MediaVest Group and ZenithOptimedia; and interactive and digital marketing led by Digitas and Razorfish. Publicis Groupe launched VivaKi to leverage the combined scale of the autonomous operations of Digitas, Razorfish, Starcom MediaVest Group, Denuo and ZenithOptimedia to develop new services, tools, and next generation digital platforms. Publicis Groupe's Specialized Agencies and Marketing Services offer healthcare communications, corporate and financial communications, sustainability communications, shopper marketing, public relations, CRM and direct marketing, event and sports marketing, and multicultural communications. Web site: http://www.publicisgroupe.com

SOURCE Publicis Groupe Services