Agency Update

Indie shops in Boston and Philadelphia merge
Two independent agencies, Allen & Gerritsen in Boston and the Neiman Group in Philadelphia, are seeking to combine their strengths by merging. Observers said the combined agency, which will use the Allen & Gerritsen name, will benefit from the Boston agency's ad focus and Neiman's complementary PR skills. "It's about being better poised to compete," says Allen & Gerritsen CEO Andrew Graff, who will head the new firm. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (6/5)

WPP Group gets access to Twitter data with deal
WPP Group has signed a deal that will allow the ad company to use Twitter's data to create more effective and highly targeted ad campaigns. "This partnership will benefit clients by pairing Twitter with WPP's world-class analytics, targeting, and creative capabilities," Twitter CEO Dick Costolo said in a statement. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (6/6)

Trends, Research & Stats

Doctor channels Yoda to disrupt dark health care forces
Dr. Zubin Damania assumes the role of ZDoggMD impersonating Star Wars' Yoda and others in YouTube videos to educate patients and talk about working in the health care industry. Damania is also leading a new health care system in Las Vegas in partnership with Iora Health. The clinic will charge a monthly membership fee in lieu of accepting insurance for primary care, and access to providers will be through visits and e-mail or phone. Kaiser Health News (6/9)

Online bowel prep videos are no help, study finds
Most patients did not watch online video instructions for colonoscopy bowel preparation, according to Boston Medical Center researchers who said they were surprised that only 24 of 387 people given a link to the resource actually watched it. They also found there was no difference in bowel cleanliness among patients who watched the video and those who were given usual instructions. In an accompanying note, Dr. Grace Lin wrote: "Although Web-based tools are an important avenue for patient education, this study highlights that even well-designed tools will not be effective if they are not used." Medscape (free registration)/Reuters (6/5)

Endo, Impax and Zogenix announce layoffs
Endo Health Solutions announced plans to reduce its worldwide workforce by 15%, about 700 jobs, and possibly sell its HealthTronics urological products and services business. Impax reduced its workforce by about 10%, or 110 jobs, and Zogenix announced 55 job cuts, or 37% of its workforce. PharmaTimes (U.K.) (6/7)

Interactive Ads & Technology

Coming soon to Google's sponsored search results: Images
Google's sponsored search results have long been text only, but now the search giant will permit advertisers to place images next to their notices, the company said in a blog post. The move is part of a bid to attract more of the image-based advertising market held by television and magazines. "Image extensions allow you to more accurately convey the body style of a car, the cut of a pair of jeans, or a particular shade of eyeshadow, making your ads richer and more informative so they stand out in a crowded marketplace," Google product manager Awaneesh Verma wrote in the blog post. Adweek (6/6)

Study makes the case for rich-media mobile ads on social sites
Rich-media mobile ads perform better on social-networking sites than on others, according to a Celtra study. For example, rich-media ads running within Facebook and Twitter applications had about four times the interaction as those on standard mobile sites. The completion rate of one experiment showed almost a 16-to-1 ratio difference, and video play rates were 46.8%, rather than 16.4%, when comparing the two ad environments, writes Mark Walsh. MediaPost Communications/Online Media Daily (6/4)

Go to Market Strategy

How to build buzz for an unglamorous brand
Lady Gaga can count on the intense loyalty of her fans to drive online buzz, but what about less glamorous brands? It's still possible to cultivate intense loyalty and customer engagement, if you're creative and committed to doing so, writes Lindsey Plocek. Giving fans a reason to talk back to you -- or clearly asking them to go out and spread the word -- can go a long way, Plocek writes. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Social Media (6/7)

Policy Pulse

Analysis criticizes relaxed FDA conflict-of-interest rules
Allowing more experts with industry ties to serve on FDA advisory panels could allow more products with dangerous side effects to make it to market, an analysis published in the journal Science says. A 2007 law capped the number of waivers the agency could grant for experts with industry ties, but a 2012 law lifted the cap. Waivers were granted for fewer than 1% of the 608 experts who participated in advisory committees through the first half of 2013, and the agency posts online notice of waivers in advance of meetings, says FDA spokeswoman Stephanie Yao. MedPage Today (free registration) (6/6)

Other News

Coalition News

Learn more about Sunshine Act implementation at June 18 webinar
Publishers and agencies can dive deeper into Physician Payment Sunshine Act implementation at an upcoming webinar hosted by the Coalition for Healthcare Communication and the Association of Medical Media. John Kamp, Coalition executive director, Jack Angel, executive director of the Coalition's Education Foundation, and Kathy Bronshtein, senior vice president for compliance with Sudler & Hennessey, will be speaking at the June 18 webinar: "Preparing for Physician Payment Sunshine Act Implementation: A Primer for Publishers and Agencies." The speakers will review the final rules and discuss how they apply to "indirect payments" made by industry agencies and publishers. The webinar is free to Coalition and AMM members but registration is required. Read more.

Closing the Deal

Sometimes I stop and think: Are we getting in trouble? But the more we push it, the more positive the outcome." -- Dr. Zubin Damania, discussing his educational YouTube videos, as quoted by Kaiser Health News Share: