Topin and Advanced Clinical Concepts Join Forces: “Science Bridge” Approach Helps Drive Brands
CHICAGO, Ill. — May 10, 2011 — Topin & Associates, a Chicago-based health care marketing communications agency, and Advanced Clinical Concepts (ACC), a medical and scientific communications agency located in Bridgewater, N.J., have joined forces to create a new strategic partnership which provides clients with continuity in science-based messaging, creative and content development.
“The relationship is a new business approach that aims to help clients bridge the gap that often occurs when companies separate their promotional advertising efforts from their promotional scientific and educational programs,” said Al Topin president of Topin & Associates (topin.com).
“The industry has created necessary firewalls between scientific exchange and promotion,” said David Rear, R.Ph., president of ACC (advancedclinical.net). “Many pharmaceutical companies, however, have created an unnecessary division between a brand’s on-label medical education and its advertising — resulting in a loss of continuity in brand messaging.”
Continuity problems begin when separate client teams develop separate plans, which are then executed by different agencies, often with little communication between them.
“The result can be a brand story that’s not aligned in all channels,” added Topin. “We saw a real opportunity for us as agencies to work together to align that story.”
The approach the agencies are taking, dubbed the “science bridge,” is to help clients create core scientific content that provides continuity throughout the entire promotional plan, from pre-launch market development activities through product launch and lifecycle management. The goal is to link all brand promotion activities — from peer-to-peer programs to sales force promotion to patient communication — to a brand’s scientific core. It’s this link, according to both agencies’ presidents, that drives brand meaning and ultimate value for all audiences.
The science bridge approach is based upon the allocation of a complementary team of specialists, beginning with strategists from both agencies. ACC then provides a team of medical and clinical experts while Topin provides creative and tactical support. The result is a multidisciplinary group and a seamless process with the goal of translating scientific and clinical data into content that helps brands reach their market potential.
While the formalized relationship is new, the agencies have been applying the science bridge concept for existing global clients. “We have seen the dramatic benefits of integrating and streamlining the development of science-based educational, marketing and promotional materials,” noted Rear.
About Topin & Associates
Topin & Associates is a full-service health care marketing communications agency based in Chicago. Founded in 1982, the agency offers strategic planning, global branding and positioning, creative development, and tactical implementation to help clients achieve their business objectives. Topin & Associates applies The Pepper LogicTM approach – a set of guiding principles unique to the agency – to deliver product, service and brand campaigns with impact. To learn more about the agency’s Pepper Logic process, go to topin.com or call Al Topin at 312-645-0100.
About Advanced Clinical Concepts
Advanced Clinical Concepts (ACC) is a fast-growing medical and scientific communications agency committed to developing medical communications that help clinicians make decisions regarding the best patient care. ACC combines scientific savvy and strategic insight with a passion to support their clients’ brands. To learn
more about ACC, go to advancedclinical.net or call David Rear, R.Ph., at
908-450-5661.
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