W2O Reports 17th Consecutive Year of Double-Digit Revenue Growth

W2O, an innovative, analytics-driven, digital-first marketing and
communications firm, reported a 23 percent increase in revenue to $177
million in 2018 from $144 million in 2017. The company also increased
its profit margin by a similar amount.

Since its founding in 2001 by healthcare communications executive Jim
Weiss, W2O has distinguished itself by investing in the future
specifically in the areas of data analytics and insights, digital and
social media, content creation, and activation and strategic consulting.
Over 150 of W2O’s clients actively use its analytics platform. This
pioneering approach has set the firm apart and allows its hundreds of
professionals to transcend traditional boundaries by connecting multiple
components of the marketing, digital and communications mix. They weave
this all together to partner with a growing roster of Fortune 500
clients, including 24 of the top 25 pharmaceutical companies, to create
and deploy integrated solutions that measurably impact business results.

“In looking at 2018, the headline is this: Great Clients + Great People
= Great Results,” said Founder and CEO Jim
Weiss. “Putting all that aside, our results are a reflection of
being strong partners with our clients – proactive in our thinking,
responsive in our service, and strategic in our capabilities. We are
always working hard to punch above our weight because we are on a
mission to improve healthcare and the patient experience through
strategic marketing and communications by achieving clarity,
understanding and engagement.”

During 2018, the firm:

• Launched the Relevance Health Index, an extension of its Relevance
  Model and Index covering the Fortune 500 and its engagement in a
  social/digital reality
• Expanded its Market Access and Value & Pricing teams with the addition
  of new members and research offerings
• Started our Scientific and Medical Communications group
• Opened three new offices – in Atlanta, Washington, D.C. and Zurich
• Supported 29 U.S. Food and Drug Administration product approvals
• Designed, built and launched over 100+ corporate websites
• Completed 2,200 analytics and research projects
• Conducted 160+ executive and media coaching sessions, including with
  dozens of CEOs

The firm also strengthened its board of directors and senior leadership
team with the addition of the following individuals:

• George
  Gallate, W2O Board Member – formerly Chief Marketing Officer at
  Merkle, Global Chairman at Havas Worldwide Digital, and Regional CEO
  at Euro RSCG Asia Pacific
• Deborah
  Hankin, Chief People Officer – a senior HR professional from a
  marketing and consultancy background with a diverse set of recruiting
  and talent development skills
• Keri
  P. Mattox, Global Lead of Integrated Corporate Communications –
  formerly Vice President, Corporate & Investor Relations, at
  Amerisource Bergen, a Fortune 10 company
• Hsiao
  Liu, Global Practice Leader – formerly Executive Vice President at
  Ogilvy Health and an integrated marketing leader focused on Asia
  Pacific market expansion

“It’s always been about delivering results for clients as they navigate
their way through complex times. 2018 was another banner year for us
with numerous new client wins across the pharma, biotech, payer/provider
and digital health space, along with creating a larger, more integrated
team across 15 offices,” said Jennifer
Gottlieb, President
of W2O. “In 2019, we will grow our global presence and mindset,
invest in key expertise and portfolios, expand our PESO (paid, earned,
shared and owned) media capability and offerings, extract insights from
our ever-expanding and deepening data ingestion engine and combinatorial
views from our qual and quant research approach, and hone operational
efficiency, customer service and delivery.”

Additional notable accomplishments for W2O over the last 12 months
include the following:

• Won 150+ awards, including:
  • AdAge’s Best Places to Work 2019
  • The Holmes Report’s Best Agency to Work for 2018 (Large)
  • MM&M’s Best Places to Work 2018
  • MM&M and Holmes Report Large Agency of the Year (Finalist)
  • Jim Weiss was selected for the PharmaVOICE 100
  • Jennifer Gottlieb was inducted into the Hall of Femme 2018
  • Andy Boothe, Senior Director, Data Sciences, was named to the
    Holmes Report’s Innovator 25 list
• Jim Weiss was appointed to the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association
  (HBA) Global Board of Advisors
• Angela
  Gillespie, President of W2O wcg, was appointed to the HBA’s 2019
  Global Board of Directors and serves on the Executive Committee as
  secretary/treasurer
• Entered its seventh year in partnership with Syracuse University for
  the W2O Center for Social Commerce at the Newhouse School, which is
  considered the premier industry-academic partnership model
• Continued to invest in an innovative diversity healthcare
  communications effort with The LAGRANT Foundation. The partnership
  includes fellowships, in-office trainings and Jim Weiss’s seat on the
  LAGRANT board.
• Served as lead sponsor of a Signature Research Study with IPR – The
  Future of Work – exploring technology, artificial intelligence (AI)
  and generational workforces on the state of organizational
  effectiveness
• Rolled out Springboard, a leadership development program for W2O
  employees who are account director level and above and have been with
  the company for at least two years

“Every year since we began has been a year of transformation and
learning,” added Weiss. “We’ve never rested on our laurels and
continually challenge ourselves and our clients to do better, to see
what’s not in front of us, to dig deeper for the best approach, and to
ignore labels and descriptions. It’s the W2O Way, and it won’t ever
change.”

About W2O

Founded by Jim Weiss in 2001, W2O is the leading independent provider of
analytics-driven, digital-first marketing services and communications to
the healthcare sector. W2O applies proprietary analytics models,
methodologies and approaches in a digital world to design precise
communications and marketing strategies to deliver sustained business
results. The firm employs nearly 800 people in 15 offices across the
United States and in Europe.

For more information, please visit www.w2ogroup.com.

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