SOLVE(D): 2023

SOLVE(D), an IPG Health company

100 West 33rd Street, New York, NY 10001

212-885-3176 • solved@solved.health • solved.health

Quick Facts

Accounts

• Active business clients 100

Brands by 2022 sales

• Brand-product accounts held: 200+

Services mix

• HCP media: 35%
• Analytics and reporting: 30%
• DTC/DTP media: 15%
• Data science and advanced analytics: 10%
• Data strategy: 5%
• MarTech/AdTech strategy: 5%

“We are SOLVE(D) – A global growth accelerator agency dedicated to the health and wellness category, providing unparalleled DTC and HCP data, analytics, and media expertise,” proclaim the leaders of this agency. “We combine a startup entrepreneurial spirit and culture with the capabilities and resources of a global, full-service, integrated healthcare communication network – IPG Health. For those not familiar with us, we may appear as an integrated data analytics and media agency, which itself is pretty exciting, but the value we bring to a wide range of clients is so much more.”

“SOLVE(D) helps architect and deliver relevant omnichannel experiences across moments, mindsets, markets, channels, and journey stages that drive meaningful connections and engagement to influence perceptions and inspire behaviors that fuel growth.” 

Recent accomplishments

Leaders say in 2022, they invested in people, process, and products to deliver strategic leadership, functional expertise, and operational efficiency. “This has really shown positive smart growth and momentum for the agency,” they say, claiming that SOLVE(D)’s headcount grew by 23 percent to support revenue growth of 31 percent. 

Among the “brightest talent” attracted to the agency are Andrea Hartman as integrated business lead; Brielle Hrubic, Lisa Czerwionka, Claire Lee, and Rob Inferri as senior VPs, media; Victor Perng, Aline Kasliner, and Sus Misra as senior VPs, analytics and insights; and Kent Bhupathi as senior VP, data science and advanced analytics. “These new additions reflect SOLVE(D)’s continued investment in evolving, enhancing, and expanding its capabilities and offerings to meet the ever-growing needs of our clients,” executives say.

In 2022, the leadership team says it evolved SOLVE(D)’s vision, positioning, and identity to better reflect the breadth, depth, and global scale of capabilities and offerings to meets clients’ needs. “In 2023, we look forward to introducing brands to this next iteration of SOLVE(D), which embodies the characteristics we want to put forth as an agency: progress, momentum, and movement all represent critical and positive dynamics,” executives state.

Leaders maintain that the benefits of IPG’s Open Architecture model have enabled SOLVE(D) to “seamlessly” work across all agency partners, building bespoke teams who work in a highly efficient collaborative model. “This approach has proven even more valuable for clients across every stage of building and executing their omnichannel approach.”

The agency also managed and invested over $500 million in media on behalf of U.S. clients across traditional and emerging channels – an increase of 43 percent over 2021. 

“Our role as the data analytics and media specialist within IPG Health provides us access to the scale and clout of IPG Mediabrands, which enables us to unlock volume discounts, preferred rates, enhanced deal terms, increased flexibility, first-look betas, and innovative media solutions, and the data and technology solutions of Acxiom Health, Kinesso, and Matterkind to drive smarter marketing decisions and better outcomes for clients,” executives say.

“Additionally, we continued to scale our integrated media (HCP and DTC) capabilities across strategy, planning, investment, activation, data, analytics and insights, and technology to drive efficient and effective growth. We formalized our strategy and innovation team, aligning business goals with media strategy and a focus on ROI;  planning  and activation team, bringing any possible strategy to life across all traditional and emerging media channels and drive performance; and our investment and partnerships team, to develop the best media partnerships to create disproportionate value for our clients.”

The agency also significantly invested in expanding and enhancing its data science and advanced analytics (DSAA) team “to make more informed decisions,” executives say. “Our DSAA team helps shed light on the past, contextualize the present, and predict the future to help improve our level of confidence in critical strategic, operational, and commercial decisions, and  better understand and mitigate risk — and maximize opportunities.” 

The agency additionally launched SOLVE(D) in Europe with 16 people, covering the UK, Germany, France, and Spain. “SOLVE(D) Europe provides end-to-end omnichannel solutions and capabilities across health and wellness, and supports and complements IPG Health network’s agencies and clients in the region,” executives say. “SOLVE(D)’s European offering is a crucial hub, helping to accelerate impact and growth for IPG Health’s global clients through media, data, analytics, behavioral science, technology, and consulting.”

Structure and services

Agency offerings include data science and advanced analytics, paid media, SEO (organic search), MarTech and AdTech, CRM, behavioral science, and strategic consulting and advisory services. 

“We service healthcare clients across a spectrum of conditions and therapeutic categories across every subcategory: OTC & DTC pharmaceuticals, healthcare device makers, hospital networks, healthcare providers, insurers, and wellness-related brands,” SOLVE(D) leaders say. “Our flexible staffing approach allows us to customize solutions for clients across the spectrum – from companies commercializing their first assets to Top 25 global biopharma companies. 

Executives say the agency  works with clients across a variety of conditions and categories  including cardiology, dermatology, oncology, infectious disease and vaccines, reproductive health, and mental health; campaign stages, including disease state education  and branded campaigns to both HCP (non-personal and personal promotions) and patients; and product lifecycle stages, including first commercializations, established brands, new indications, and portfolio drug management, all the way through to maturity and loss of exclusivity.

“At SOLVE(D), we partner with Kinesso, the MarTech engine of IPG, which is focused on creating data-driven solutions through enhanced products and services, to maximize the impact of traditional and addressable media,” executives say. “Our custom-curated healthcare data stack, with Acxiom as the backbone, and a robust suite of MarTech powers our end-to-end planning process, and fuels a sophisticated set of marketing accelerators that range from audience segmentation, to KOL identification, to geospatial analysis that uncovers markets of opportunity.”

When it comes to its return to office approach, SOLVE(D) and other IPG Health agencies follows network parent IPG Health’s philosophy of flexibility, accountability, and trust. “Unlike other agencies and networks, we trust our employees to work with their teams to figure out what works best for themselves, their families, and their clients,” executives say.

Future plans

In 2023, the agency will launch and implement CODE, a proprietary data-driven, insight-led and action-oriented platform, powered by Acxiom and Kinesso. “This connected data, analytics, and technology architecture will consist of an interconnected suite of applications that enable end-to-end audience (HCP, patient, consumer, caregiver) targeting, growth planning, activation, measurement, and optimization to drive smarter marketing decisions and better outcomes for clients.” 

Product development will be a priority for SOLVE(D) in 2023. “We will look to develop methodologies, models, tools, and applications to improve strategic, tactical, and operational decisions and drive better outcomes for our clients,” executives say.

Philanthropy/citizenship

In 2022, IPG Health formally announced EDI+You – what network leaders called “a strategic evolution of our longstanding commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.”

“It’s a network-wide strategy that formalizes our approach to creating systemic changes and solutions across four core pillars of our business: Our People, Our Culture, Our Creative Solutions and Our Impact,” network executives say. “This strategy is designed to be actionable and ownable by every single one of us as equity, diversity, and inclusion are too important to be the responsibility of any one person, team, or even department.  EDI+You super charges the many EDI-focused initiatives already underway across the network so we can continue to learn from each other and bring our clients the best of all of us in everything we do.” 

SOLVE(D)  executives add that as part of IPG, the agency donated to causes including Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund, FeedMore WNY Foundation, UNICEF, International Rescue Committee, and World Federation for Mental Health.

(left to right) Michael Le Brocq, executive VP, managing director in Europe; Andrea Hartman, executive VP, data, analytics, and media; Colin Harewood, Jr., executive VP, business operations; Ben Assor, executive VP, media strategy and innovation

vaccines
pharmaceuticals
wellness
healthcare
health
hospital
device
data analytics
markets
fund
otc