SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--W2O, an integrated network of complementary analytics-driven digital, marketing and communications firms, reported another year of double-digit revenue growth with a 17.6% increase in revenue to $144.3 million in 2017, up from $122.7 million in 2016. All of this growth was organic and in large part due to the successful integration of three consecutive acquisitions made in late 2016: Pure, Marketeching and Sentient.
“We had another breakthrough year in 2017 exceeding our revenue target and improving in key areas of efficiency, profit margin, talent development and client service,” said Founder and CEO Jim Weiss. “Our rapid growth and expansion has bucked industry norms and trends as a result of providing more and more offerings that our clients are demanding and giving our staff more opportunities to unlock their inner entrepreneur.”
Of particular note over the past year, W2O’s digital marketing and advertising capabilities and corresponding revenues have increased significantly due to:
- Winning several new advertising and digital AOR assignments;
- Continued expansion of its paid media and search offerings which now comprise nearly 40 people and growing;
- Proprietary integrated paid, earned, shared and owned (PESO) analytics capabilities that inform strategy, creative execution and media campaigns; and
- A unique results-driven approach that help our clients measure the impact of their campaigns on their business KPI’s.
The firm also expanded into some key new practice areas, strengthened its board of directors and enhanced its management team by adding the following senior leaders:
- John Johnson, Veteran biopharma executive (W2O BOD member)
- Charlene Prounis, Healthcare marketing & communications leader (W2O BOD member)
- Mary Corcoran, President of W2O twist, formerly of Edelman
- Rita Glaze, Practice Leader, Value and Access, formerly of Edelman
- Michael Spitz, Practice Leader, Strategy, formerly of Klick Health
- Dominic Viola, Managing Director, Client Service, formerly at FCBCURE
- Chuck Hemann, Managing Director, Analytics, formerly of Intel
- Marie DiFrancesco, Managing Director, Corporate/Strategy, formerly of Cohn & Wolfe
- Ujwal Pyati, PhD – Practice Leader, Scientific Strategy, formerly of McCann
- Ariel Gonzalez – Practice Leader, Government Policy & Relations, formerly of Podesta Group
“We attribute our success to staying true to our mission of Becoming the Best by recruiting and developing our talent throughout the marketing, digital, and communications spectrum to do outstanding work, innovating with clients and working in partnership with them to gain ’unfair advantage’ in the marketplace,” added Jennifer Gottlieb, recently appointed President of W2O. “At the core is our pursuit to perfect the art of Marketing ScienceTM which has dual meanings. First, we focus on partnering with organizations whose science is changing the future of many industries and fields, most notably healthcare and technology, and where those industries increasingly intersect. Secondly, it is how we approach corporate relevance through a marketing and communications lens, led by real-time analytics and insights to more precisely identify, connect with, and activate stakeholders and influencers to drive business goals and sustained results for clients.”
Additional notable accomplishments over the last 12 months include the following:
- Partnered with Techonomy to broaden its networks and ensure W2O’s clients are well-informed on how technology is transforming all industries – especially in the digital age.
- 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.
- Named one of MM&M’s top 100 agencies and one of top eight agency networks.
- Finalist as “Digital Agency of the Year” by the Holmes Report.
- Recognized for over 40 new creative and digital awards.
- Became corporate member of the Healthcare Businesswoman’s Association (HBA) demonstrating commitment to/support of the success of women leaders at our firm.
- Rolled out our industry leading 4th Trimester program to address an unmet need for new working parents. The program focuses on private coaching pre and post-return to help parents deal with challenges like work/life integration, help with child care, etc.
- Grew W2O’s proprietary MDigitalLife (MDL) online health ecosystem influencer database to nearly a million individuals and organizations worldwide. The MDL team now serves all of the 10 largest global pharmaceutical companies and 18 of the top 25.
- Launched our Relevance Model and Index, a corporate intelligence framework that measures the “relevance” of leading organizations and corporate brands.
- Expanded our six year partnership with Syracuse University and the Newhouse School through the W2O Center for Social Commerce. The Center has hosted the CCOs of Chevron, IBM, and General Motors, among others; introduced a new joint internship program with Medtronic and W2O Group; and named student Ambassadors to work in the firm throughout the year. Over 1,000 students have participated in the Center’s program and events. In addition, W2O founder/CEO, Jim Weiss, was named to SU Newhouse Advisory Board.
- Launched the W2O What2Know podcast which spotlights innovative industry leaders.
- Supported the launch of Chuck Hemann’s latest book, Digital Marketing Analytics, and Bob Pearson’s third book, Countering Hate, which comes out next week at SXSW.
About W2O
Founded and led by CEO Jim Weiss in 2001, W2O is an independent network of complementary analytics and insights-driven digital marketing and communications firms focused on integrated business solutions for some of the world’s most innovative companies and products. The firm employs nearly 700 people in a dozen offices across the United States and in Europe. W2O employs proprietary analytics models, methodologies and approaches to design precise communications and marketing strategies, engagement and activaiton that delivers sustained business results.
W2O’s network includes wcg twist, pure, marketeching and sentient. For more information, please visit www.w2ogroup.com.
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