Dentsu Launches Global Health Solution

Former Outcome Health CEO Matt McNally to Head Up a Global Network of 2,000 Healthcare Marketing Experts

New York, NY – April 20, 2021 – Dentsu announced today the launch of dentsu health, a global solution.  Drawing upon the expertise of dentsu's global network of 2,000 health marketing experts across 85 markets in EMEA, APAC and the Americas, dentsu health is poised to become one of the top global healthcare agencies. By aggregating and mobilizing dentsu’s health marketing expertise powered by its market-leading capabilities, dentsu health will provide a single point of contact now required by many of the top brands across pharma, payer, provider, device and OTC.  

Formed to leverage dentsu’s transformed business model and reinforce its offering to health brands and industries, while navigating the rapidly changing digital economy accelerated by COVID-19, this solution combines health capabilities from across dentsu including strategy, creative, media, customer experience, analytics, technology and fulfillment.

“Across dentsu, we have always had significant, world-class health and wellness business globally and, while not necessarily known for it, are actually among the top players in the vertical. The launch of dentsu health is deeply rooted in our mission to connect health and wellness brands with their most important stakeholders through trust and empathy, radical collaboration and connected intelligence,” said Jeff Greenspoon, President, Solutions, dentsu. “By creating a new, connected network of health experts, we can activate our deep medical, pharma and consumer-focused capabilities at-scale, in any market, and bring a diverse set of talent together to service clients more seamlessly, igniting innovation and driving more meaningful solutions that will lead to better health outcomes and patient experiences. Health innovation does more than power a multi-billion-dollar industry — It has the power to move society forward and gives hope for a better tomorrow.”

The solution is the third vertical offering from dentsu’s solutions group and will be led by Matt McNally, who serves as Global President. In this role, McNally is responsible for expanding health offerings across the dentsu network, unifying health talent across the group and driving new opportunities for clients. Prior to joining dentsu health, McNally served as Chief Executive Officer at Outcome Health where he directed the company’s operational and business transformation dedicated to connecting healthcare brands with relevant audiences. Previously, he served as Chief Media Officer at Publicis Health and President of Digitas Health North America. Matt has been recognized as a leader and visionary in the healthcare space.  He was named Agency Marketer of the Year by MM&M, PharmaVoice recognized Matt as one of the 100 most influential people in the life sciences industry, PRWEEK recognized him as one of the 50 Top Health Influencers, and DTC National named Matt as one of the biggest innovators in healthcare marketing.

“Today, health and wellness happen everywhere. Doctor and patient interactions are no longer confined to the physical office. The ‘second opinion’ is no longer just about seeing another physician, it is about humans connected through social media to find other like-minded people. It is not only about sickness, but also about wellness, prevention and prediction. It starts at home or happens in the yoga studio, grocery store, hospital and in the street. At the same time, our clients want a simplified and streamlined process and a single point of contact for their agency partners.” said McNally. “This is why we are so excited to introduce dentsu health, a contemporary, bold model that isn't about taking a legacy agency approach and making it work for healthcare. It is a model that puts clients at the center and delivers what works for them, not what works for us. We are fueled by the data and digital prowess of some of the biggest companies in the world, underpinned by world-class creative talent, operational rigor and execution.”

Kent Groves, PhD, a 10+ year veteran from Merkle, a dentsu company, will join McNally as Global Chief Strategy Officer. With 20 years of experience in health business globally, Groves worked with clients in the pharmaceutical, healthcare and animal health verticals including AbbVie, Sanofi, BMS and Boehringer Ingelheim to name a few, focusing on engagement, communication and CRM strategy in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australasia.

The solution will serve as a global center of excellence for health brands as well as advocacy groups such as Ad Council, who in partnership with COVID Collaborative, is currently working with dentsu health on a national initiative to boost confidence regarding COVID-19 vaccination. The campaign, “It’s Up To You,” includes research-driven creative, strategic media placements, community outreach and trusted messenger engagement, representing one of the largest public education efforts in U.S. history with over 300 major partners including brands, media companies, community-based organizations, faith leaders and medical experts.

“When we first set out on our COVID-19 Vaccine Education Initiative, we knew that we needed a truly innovative media strategy that would allow us to deliver on one of the largest public health campaigns in history. Dentsu health activated the power of their network and came to the table with a robust segmentation approach, helping us to educate millions of Americans about the COVID-19 vaccines. We were honored to be one of their earliest clients and are excited to see what is next for dentsu health,” said Kathy Kayse, Chief Media Strategy and Partnerships Officer at the Ad Council.

Visit www.dentsuhealth.com for more details.

About dentsu 

Part of dentsu Group, dentsu is made up of eight leadership brands - Carat, dentsu X, iProspect, Isobar, dentsu mcgarrybowen, Merkle, MKTG, Posterscope and supported by its specialist brands. Dentsu helps clients to win, keep and grow their best customers and achieve meaningful progress for their businesses. With best-in-class services and solutions in media, CXM and creative, dentsu operates in over 145 markets worldwide with more than 46,000 dedicated specialists. www.dentsu.com

 Contact:  

Jennifer Ferguson, Chief Communications Officer, dentsu Americas 

M: 1-917-797-6038 

Email: Jennifer.Ferguson@dentsu.com