Deerfield buys ad firm Embedded, bringing 3 agencies under 1 brand

Deerfield Agency has opened its wallet again, buying up healthcare marketing and advertising firm Embedded to further extend its offer to life science companies. 

Embedded is a New Jersey-based provider of promotional healthcare services covering areas including brand positioning, message development and social media. The company lists AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Regeneron among its partners and takes its name from its approach, which is focused on embedding its staff in a client's science, customers and product.

Deerfield has identified Embedded as the next piece in its expansion plan. The company has acquired Embedded and rolled it into a new brand. Embedded, Deerfield Agency and Verge Scientific will now be under one brand, Deerfield Group.

Frank Burrell, CEO of Deerfield Group, said Embedded brings “an incredible team of seasoned strategists and leaders to the company.” The unification of the agencies under one brand is intended to “drive a more connected experience for our clients and their customers,” Burrell said, by making a team “focused on building brand trust and leveraging all of the talents and capabilities within the organization.” 

The focus on trust and a connected experience reflects Deerfield’s take on industry trends. Burrell said building trust requires agencies to have a deeper understanding of customers and engage with them “in more intentional and coordinated ways.” Yet, in the CEO’s view, “too often marketing disciplines and partners operate in silos, preventing companies from creating a truly cohesive customer experience.” 

The Embedded takeover comes two years after Deerfield acquired Verge Scientific Communications. Verge handles corporate and brand marketing for precommercial healthcare clients, moving Deerfield into an earlier phase of the marketing pathway.

Deerfield has made a series of hires in recent months, naming Sam Cannizzaro as its first chief creative officer, appointing the “growth-oriented” Eric Steckelman to lead business development and marketing and hiring AbbVie and Bristol Myers Squibb alum Bill Veltre as head of media.