StrikeForce Goes Global

NEW YORK, June 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Demonstrating that bigger is not better, StrikeForce Communications has signed on three new accounts, two of them for Alcon (NYSE: ACL) business franchises previously handled by long-established agencies.  

The third assignment is for the potential launch of a new drug from Orexigen Therapeutics (Nasdaq: OREX), a San Diego-based biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the treatment of obesity. The drug is now undergoing FDA review.  

For Alcon, StrikeForce will be heading up all global strategic and creative responsibilities for I-CAPS, a line of ocular nutrition products designed to promote healthy eyes—and delay the progress of age-related macular degeneration (AMD)—and Systane, the world's leading OTC dry eye therapy.   The accounts were previously in the hands of HC&B and Corbett, respectively.  

"Accounts like these demand a lot of specialization—and an unconventional approach—to stand out from the competition," said Mike Rutstein, president of StrikeForce. The agency, founded less than a year ago, has adopted an open source business model, allowing for the "precision pairing" of top-level talent with clients whose products represent increasingly complex needs.

I-CAP and Systane are classes of products designed for the treatment of conditions that were once rare, but are now increasingly prevalent. AMD, which is the leading cause of blindness among older adults, is on the rise because people worldwide are living longer.  Dry eye is a byproduct of the changing environment; it is both age-related and acutely sensitive to pollutants in the air.    

According to Rutstein, the switch from traditional agencies to unconventional models is a reflection of both a changing economy and an industry weakened by mergers.  "Clients are not interested in standardized formulas or one-size-fits-all solutions," he said. "They want more for less—more creativity, with less bureaucracy and expense."  

Elyse Stoltz Dickerson, Global Director, Dry Eye & Ocular Nutrition at Alcon in Fort Worth, agrees completely.  "We retained StrikeForce because they can literally choose the best talent for a job—regardless of whether it's big or small—instead of using the in-house staff that's available.  That kind of freedom means better work and a more cost-effective solution."

Other assignments that StrikeForce has handled have come from Pfizer (formerly Wyeth), Abbott Laboratories, Sepracor and Pozen Pharmaceuticals.

Launched in the summer of 2009, StrikeForce Communications is located at 366 West 11th Street, Suite 4F, New York, NY 10014. Telephone: 917-475-1876.  E-mail: [email protected]. Website: www.strikeforcenyc.com. The company specializes in consumer advertising for prescription products as well as OTC and medical devices.  

SOURCE StrikeForce Communications