Makovsky's Health practice adds digital to policy + product services

Makovsky + Company Health Practice Adds Digital to Policy and Product Services

Builds on Sector Strength to Meet Client Needs

NEW YORK, NY – FEBRUARY 9, 2010 – Makovsky + Company , one of the world’s largest independent public relations firms, announced today that it has added a third arm to its Health Practice by including digital and visual communications to health policy and product positioning.  This addition reflects the importance of integrating traditional, social and digital communications in delivering new product indications and approval information.

Leveraging Makovsky’s “power of specialized thinking,” the digital offering will align the firm’s deep health-sector knowledge, outcomes-based solutions and social media expertise, giving clients a competitive advantage in today’s challenging marketplace. 

“Direct-to-consumer promotion has given way to patients creating their own conversations around illness and solution,” said Gil Bashe, executive vice president, Health Practice leader, Makovsky + Company. “Expanding into the digital space is a natural extension of our intuitive ability to connect key audiences to the message.”  

Timothy Kane, executive vice president, leads the health digital effort.  An award-winning writer, designer, marketing strategist and educator, Kane has developed online experiences for clients such as Quest Diagnostics, BioTrove and a number of other pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.  Joining Kane is Michael Meikson, vice president, Interactive Creative Director, serving as the group’s digital strategist.  He has developed online vehicles for numerous pharmaceutical products including Topamax, Toviaz, Androgel, Aciphex and Mylicon. 

“Digital media has broadened our ability to access information and participate in conversations; from a virtual second medical opinion on WebMD to a support group for an ultra-rare disease,” said Kane. “Our job is to build the digital foundation for these conversations and their communities through targeted messaging and channels.”

About Makovsky + Company
Founded in 1979, Makovsky + Company (www.makovsky.com <http://www.makovsky.com> ) is one of the nation’s leading independent global public relations and investor relations consultancies, focused in financial services, professional services, health care, technology, branding and investor relations.  The firm attributes its success to its original vision: that the Power of Specialized Thinking™ is the best way to build reputation, sales and fair valuation for a client. Based in New York City, the firm has agency partners in more than 20 countries and in 35 U.S. cities through IPREX (IPREX.com), the second largest worldwide public relations agency partnership, of which Makovsky is a founder.