W2O Reports 18th Consecutive Year of Double-Digit Growth Surpassing $220 Million in Revenue in 2019
Acquisitions, Organic Growth, Hiring Enables Firm to Partner with Clients Looking to Thrive in a Future-First Era with Deeper, More Expansive Technology and Scientific, Creative Offerings
Firm Adapts to New Normal by Offering Staff Flexibility, Mental Health and Childcare Support while Sheltering in Place
SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–W2O reported 2019 revenue increased by 26% to $223 million from $177 million in 2018 and improved operating profit. The company, which was recently recognized as a North American Agency of the Decade by PRovoke Media, has reported double-digit revenue growth since its inception in 2001. Growth was due to a combination of organic client expansion, new client partnerships, and the addition of new capabilities and offerings through hiring and acquisitions.
“Our growth this past year is even more remarkable because we achieved it while completing the sale of our firm, which resulted in an exciting partnership with New Mountain Capital,” said Founder and CEO Jim Weiss. “Since then, we have completed five game-changing acquisitions and generated new and organic business growth, putting us on track to achieve over $300 million in revenue in 2020. We quickly adapted to a new normal and invested in our people so they can continue to deliver for their clients and their families while sheltering in place during this pandemic crisis. We are teaming up with clients and organizations focused on testing, tracking and new treatments to fight COVID-19 with everything they and we have got!”
Among the many initiatives W2O is supporting pro-bono are a COVID-19 news tracker with the California Life Sciences Association (CLSA) and the VentilatorSOS program with UC Berkeley.
Acquisitions
Five newly acquired firms have bolstered W2O’s science communications, medical education, creative, technology and digital capabilities and added more than 60 Ph.D. and M.D. staff members across the United States and Europe:
- Arcus Medica: A deep bench of doctoral-level experts who specialize in translating complex clinical and scientific data into clear, meaningful content to help brands influence key audiences in today’s evolving healthcare environment
- ISO.health: UK-based scientific and medical industry experts who create scientific educational programs for pharmaceutical, biotech and life sciences companies and organizations
- Radius Digital Science: A scientific, digital, creative agency translating complex science into immersive, easy-to-understand creative experiences for healthcare brands
- 21GRAMS: A rapidly growing, strategic and creative marketing, advertising and patient/medical education agency dedicated to making healthcare more human
- Symplur: A social media analytics platform exclusively focused on the healthcare sector
W2O continues to build and expand its technology-based tools and platforms to provide real-time information, consumer sentiment and insights that inform highly tailored and results-oriented marketing communications approaches for its clients. In early 2020, W2O entered into a licensing agreement for access to HIPAA-compliant medical and pharmacy claims and electronic health record data. Coupled with the firm’s other non-traditional real-world data (RWD), W2O has new and unique views into the clinical landscape to help clients improve clinical decision-making, patient access and health outcomes.
Our People and Clients
Experts from across the technology, healthcare and marketing communications industries joined the firm in 2019, with more than 25 hires in leadership roles. Bringing leaders from diverse backgrounds complements the firm’s rich healthcare focus and drives new thinking for clients, bringing the best from multiple industries to the healthcare sector in an integrated fashion. These leaders join W2O at a time when the focus on culture and employee engagement has never been stronger, as W2O has expanded wellness, mental health, childcare support and flexibility offerings for employees in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The firm’s culture and experience has resulted in being recognized as a Best Agency to Work for by AdAge, MM&M, PRovoke, PRWeek and PRNews. W2O has also been shortlisted for Large Agency of the Year by MM&M, Medical Advertising News, PRWeek and PRovoke.
W2O partners with clients to create innovative work, using an integrated and data-driven approach to set clients apart from their competition and reach stakeholders in new, more personal ways. This work resulted in W2O winning more than 100 awards in 2019.
“The future is now with organizations being expected to lead and shape with purpose and meaning and maintaining relevance for greater innovation, connectivity and empowerment, added Weiss. “Driving this new ecosystem is a discover-based marketing and communications model allowing stakeholders to engage in real-time, accelerating learning, confidence and trust.”
About W2O
Founded by Jim Weiss in 2001, W2O is the leading independent provider of analytics-driven, digital-first marketing 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 more than 1,300 people in 18 offices across the United States and in Europe, and partners with a growing roster of Fortune 500 organizations, including 23 of the top 25 pharmaceutical companies.
For more information, please visit www.w2ogroup.com.
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Contacts
Peter Duckler, 310-774-3425
pduckler@w2ogroup.com
