BOSTON Ryan iDirect said it has launched Ryan TrueHealth, a specialty practice dedicated to direct and interactive marketing for healthcare and pharmaceutical companies.
Alfred O'Neill, who joined the agency last October with more than 20 years of marketing and pharmaceutical experience, will lead Ryan TrueHealth. He arrived from Wunderman in New York, where he served as an svp leading the WPP Group shop's pharma practice.
"Today, pharma marketing is truly at a crossroads," says O'Neill, 47, whose title is senior vice president and group director. "New DTC regulations are compelling brands to search for new ways to understand how to market health to consumers, while at the same time consumers' attitudes towards these messages and their own health management needs are constantly evolving."
Said John Kuendig, president of Wilton, Conn.-based Ryan iDirect: "Alfred's work with top pharma brands, his specialty in emerging areas such as biologics and his firm grasp of industry issues and opportunities make him ideal to lead this new practice."
The shop is a unit of DL Ryan Cos.