W2O Becomes Real Chemistry, a Global Health Innovation Company Designed to Improve Outcomes Across Today’s Healthcare Ecosystem

After 20 years, this new chapter integrates 12 acquisitions to deliver data-driven, tech-enabled health marketing and communications solutions, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--W2O, the healthcare marketing and communications powerhouse founded 20 years ago by Jim Weiss, announced today that it has transformed into a new kind of healthcare company named Real Chemistry. Healthcare is undergoing a radical transformation that has only accelerated since the outbreak of COVID-19. Real Chemistry is designed to address the forces driving this disruption, including digitization, consumerization and value-based care. Real Chemistry is a unified “health innovation company” that combines award-winning expert services in digital marketing, creative and communications with clinical trial, health economics and outcomes, and value, pricing and access advisory expertise. All of these expert services are powered by proprietary data and technology that deliver comprehensive health solutions for the challenges facing healthcare companies today.

“For 20 years, our work and our passion have been about making the world a healthier place for all,” said Jim Weiss, CEO and Founder of Real Chemistry. “Innovation in healthcare has never been faster or more important. The pandemic has shown us that communications plays a more vital role than ever to ensure life-changing healthcare solutions get to the right person at the right time and place. That is why this moment is about so much more than a new name or approach. It’s about how our ethos of action, our two decades of intentional evolution, and our drive for constant improvement helped us create what we see as the real chemistry between people and the brands born to change their lives.”

Today’s announcement comes as changes in healthcare continue to rapidly accelerate – with patients more in control than ever before. Information and services are increasingly delivered via intelligent technologies, with the goal of tailoring solutions to each individual at any place, time or context – from clinical trial design to treatment and ongoing health communication. In the years ahead, the health ecosystem will continue to rapidly evolve, driven by health and digital literacy, agency and the self-determination of care.

According to research from McKinsey & Company,¹ pharmaceutical executives today are 28% more likely to cite innovation as their #1 or #2 priority than before the pandemic, which is in stark contrast to significant declines in this measure for every other industry. The same study found that only 21% of executives feel equipped to address new growth and innovation demands, while 66% believe this is the most challenging moment in their entire career. These findings, and similar research, have reinforced that there is a clear need for new models and approaches, such as what Real Chemistry is striving to deliver. Today’s health ecosystem is striving to address demands to be increasingly patient-centric, outcomes-driven and digitally connected. Physicians and patients are increasingly digital natives and prefer digital channels of connection. Savvier patients and consumers of products and services are increasingly demanding seamless and tailored engagement across channels. Providers increasingly express preference for quick, personalized, consumable content that can be easily shared with staff and patients in a digital and shareable format. Research has shown that, on average, healthcare professionals report having worse experiences with remote engagement, with many contributing factors, including inadequate content that is not adapted for virtual interaction.

Real Chemistry invested early and often in data, digital and tech-enablement and has more than 400 analysts, digital experts and data scientists. Data and technology are core to the vision, but Real Chemistry’s greatest value rests in its people and culture. The company’s core belief is that the way to real, transformative change is through the alchemy of talents, disciplines and technologies to create entirely new, more insightful ways to solve problems.

“We’re driven to help our clients move faster and with more precision and efficiency. Recent events make clear the importance of value-based and outcomes-driven engagement, designed to connect the right patients to the right treatment at the right time,” added Jennifer Gottlieb, Global President of Real Chemistry. “Real Chemistry can do this for clinical trials, new product launches and commercialization opportunities – all focused on successfully navigating product lifecycles to ultimately improve health outcomes, in partnership with our clients.”

All executive leadership, corporate functions (e.g., operations, finance and human resources) and key shared services (e.g., data, analytics, technology, branding, media, activation and performance marketing) will sit across the Real Chemistry platform. Real Chemistry Health Technologies will house a portfolio of proprietary technology products, including Swoop and IPM.ai, as well as the Symplur Suite of social listening, analytics and engagement tools. Real Chemistry’s Hū capability will lead innovation and improvement in the clinical trial experience. Real Chemistry’s key expert service brands include W2O, which is focused on integrated communications; 21GRAMS, which continues to lead in advertising; Discern, which delivers expert value and access consulting; and starpower, a team of cultural strategists leading the “Hollywood meets healthcare” movement.

About Real Chemistry

Real Chemistry is a global health innovation company with an alchemic mix of 1,600 people and hundreds of clients and partners working from bench to bedside, making the world a healthier place. Purpose-built by Jim Weiss to address modern healthcare challenges, Real Chemistry is the culmination of 20 years of intentional, fiercely independent, sustained growth. With offices across the United States and Europe, Real Chemistry believes that the way to real, transformative change is through the uncommon combination of talents, disciplines and technologies.

Real Chemistry’s proprietary technology products include Swoop, IPM.ai and the Symplur Suite of social listening, analytics and engagement tools, all housed within Real Chemistry Health Technologies. Tools focused on clinical trial engagement live within Hū, and expert service brands include W2O (integrated communications), 21GRAMS (advertising and medical), Discern (value-based care consulting), and starpower (influencer and entertainment marketing). Integrated intelligence, media and marketing are all within Real Chemistry’s Integrated Marketing and Intelligence Services (IMIS).

For more information, please visit www.realchemistry.com and connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

¹ McKinsey & Company. “Innovation in a Crisis: Why It Is More Critical Than Ever.” June 2020.

Peter Duckler, 773-343-3069
pduckler@realchemistry.com