How a Life Sciences Media Agency Won a $300K Engagement in the Pharmaceutical Space
| Client Type | Life Sciences Media and Marketing Agency |
| Win | $300K Engagement, Vertex Pharmaceuticals |
| Verticals Served | Pharmaceutical, Biotech, Life Sciences, Rare Disease |
The Challenge: A Life Sciences Media Agency That Needed to Break Into New Pharma Accounts
This life sciences media and marketing agency built a serious practice around helping pharmaceutical and biotech brands reach the right audiences through data-driven omnichannel strategies.
They understood the regulatory environment, knew how to engage both HCPs and patients effectively, and had done it for some well-known names in the industry.
But getting in front of new brand teams at major pharmaceutical companies required navigating long decision cycles, formal RFP processes, and a buyer landscape where trust and credibility have to be earned before a conversation can happen.
The agency couldn’t build those relationships quickly enough through existing contacts alone.
They needed a program that could identify the right opportunities early, build credibility with the right people over time, and position the agency to compete when a formal process opened up.
Why Outsourced New Business Made Sense
Pharmaceutical new business doesn’t move quickly.
Decision-makers at major biotech and pharma companies take time to evaluate partners, often run formal RFP processes, and need to trust an agency before they’ll put a significant budget behind them.
Getting into those conversations early, and staying visible through a long evaluation cycle, takes a level of discipline and persistence that’s hard to maintain internally.
RSW/US assigned a dedicated New Business Director to work on the agency’s behalf, identifying the right opportunities at the right companies and building relationships with the right contacts over time.
The goal was to get the agency into the conversation early enough to compete, and to keep them visible throughout the process.
How RSW/US Built the Program
The kick-off focused on the agency’s core strengths: decades of life sciences experience, a proprietary analytics platform built specifically for pharmaceutical promotional planning, and a genuine commitment to helping patients, caregivers, and HCPs find the treatments they need.
That combination gave the New Business Director a compelling story to tell to brand teams at companies working on complex, high-stakes launches.
RSW/US built a targeted prospect list focused on pharmaceutical and biotech companies with active brand launches or promotional needs where the agency’s omnichannel capabilities and life sciences expertise were directly relevant.
Outreach was tailored to speak to the specific challenges those brand teams were working through.
The Vertex opportunity developed over several months. The RSW/US New Business Director got the agency into early conversations with the right contacts, maintained visibility through a lengthy evaluation process, and helped position the agency to compete in a formal RFP when Vertex opened one in December.
The Result: A $300K Engagement with Vertex Pharmaceuticals
The agency won a $300K engagement with Vertex Pharmaceuticals to support the launch of a gene editing therapy based on CRISPR technology for patients with Beta-Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Disease.
The work spans innovative media, grassroots outreach, and traditional channels aimed at reaching patients, caregivers, communities, and HCPs, with a specific focus on building trust in communities where distrust of healthcare and pharmaceutical companies runs deep.
It was a win that required patience, persistence, and a program built to navigate a long and formal evaluation cycle.
The conversations started in the summer and the RFP came in December. The agency won because they were in the right place, with the right relationships, at the right time.
Learn more about Vertex Pharmaceuticals.
Is Your Agency Getting in Front of the Right Pharma and Biotech Brands?
If your agency has deep life sciences expertise and the capabilities to back it up, RSW/US can help you get in front of the right decision-makers at the right companies. We build the program, generate the right meetings, and help move opportunities forward.
Want to see exactly what’s included in a full program? Explore Our Offerings
