Havas Drive Opens Practice--Unit will develop virtual communications tools for pharma clients

Havas Drive Opens Practice

Unit will develop virtual communications tools for pharma clients

Sept 10, 2008 (AdWeek)

By David Gianatasio

A Virtual Convention Booth, accessible on WebMD's Medscape, is a key launch offering of Havas Drive.

BOSTON Paris-based holding company Havas has launched a unit called Havas Drive, a 15-person operation focused on developing virtual communications and marketing tools for pharmaceutical clients.

Ed Stapor, senior partner, leads the group of strategists and designers who will also tap into Havas' broader digital services units on an as-needed basis.

Havas Drive is not an ad agency. Its mandate is to build virtual products that would allow doctors and other medical professionals access to relevant client information and insights. Ultimately, the long-term goal is forging a deeper relationship between the pharma companies and medical professionals.

David Jones, CEO of Havas' Euro RSCG network, said Havas Drive was formed "to create forward-looking strategies that reach audiences when and where they want to be reached. Havas Drive's unique offering delivers innovation with built-in return-on-investment, as the clients only pay for results."

Havas Drive develops licensed products and then makes them available to existing and new clients. Havas Drive does not create work for hire.

These include a 3-D Virtual Convention Booth, accessible via WebMD's Medscape site. The booth lets physicians experience the convention booth as if they were at the live event.

The unit at launch is also offering Virtual Hospital, an immersive interactive program for hospital staff designed to deliver complex brand messages, and Virtual Detail, which allows a virtual sales rep to deliver detailed advertiser info in a 3-D environment.

The launch comes as Big Pharma continues to struggle with its image in the consumer sector.