Omnicom's healthcare push continues with Rabin Martin buyout

Omnicom Group bought healthcare consulting firm Rabin Martin this week, continuing a string of healthcare acquisitions and reorganizations across the marketing communications holding company.

Rabin Martin, known for its public healthcare work, joins the brand as Omnicom Public Relations Group. 

Earlier this month, Omnicom Health Group acquired BioPharm Communications, a communications agency specializing in marketing to physicians and healthcare practicioners on behalf of pharma and biotech clients. BioPharm has created campaigns for more than 200 brands in the past 10 years, according to its web site.

In April, Omnicom Health installed new leadership and reorganized its CDM professional services healthcare agency brand. Kyle Barich took over as CEO of CDM--he had been president of the CDM New York office--and Omnicom consolidated the eight CDM global offices under his oversight.

And even earlier in February, Omnicom Group realigned its portfolio of healthcare brands through Omnicom Health across four key disciplines: professional, patient, payer and medical, evidence and regulatory. John Wren, CEO of Omnicom Group noted in a news release then that the move was spurred by healthcare and pharma clients’ concentrating marketing work. He named Ed Wise, who was then CEO of CDM Group, to the role of CEO of the Omnicom Health Group.

Both Omnicom PR Group and Omnicom Health Group report into the larger Omnicom Group holding company. Omnicom Group has more than 3,000 healthcare communication and scientific specialists. Its Health Group serves six of the top 12 global pharma companies across disciplines.

The Holmes Report noted in its coverage of the Rabin Martin acquisition that agency’s work includes Merck for Mothers, which is “a 10-year, $500 million initiative to improve the health and wellness of women in pregnancy and childbirth around the world.”

Rabin Martin president and CEO Jeffrey Sturchio told Holmes Report that Omnicom’s global reach helped solidify his agency’s decision, given the rise of public healthcare demands worldwide. He said, “You have an enormous marketplace for public health in emerging markets--that market is being addressed by all of the major healthcare companies."

Healthcare agency revenues saw strong growth across agency disciplines last year, according to Advertising Age’s annual Agency Report 2016. It grew by 8.5% year-over-year, a rate second only to digital’s growth of 13.5%.

- read press release
- see Holmes Report coverage

- read Ad Age’s annual agency report

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