We Began with You in Mind

It was already 1991.

And an honest-to-goodness advertising agency focused on healthcare had yet to be established in an industry that certainly needed it more than at any other time.

Unlike the previous decade, the 1990s and the new millennium were forecast to be like the golden age for novel, promising molecules in both emerging and high-growth markets.

But the giant tri-media agencies did not seem interested to pursue the niche; and the small design/copy shops could never be ready for the discipline required by healthcare advertising, especially prescription pharmaceuticals.

Not surprisingly, the entrepreneurial spirit in Melanie Lantin posed the question: "Why not me?" The rest is history. As the story goes, Medicomm Advertising, Inc. began in 1991 as Adroit Management, Inc. with Melanie Lantin as Chief Everything Officer.

In 1993, Adroit Management, Inc. teamed up with Huntington Communications (Singapore) to form Adroit Huntington Communications. The new agency launched the Philippine Pharmaceutical Directory, an innovative drug directory published by sister Company, Medicomm Pacific, Inc.

As the agency began managing more brands, longer-term, and increasingly, integrated communication programs, Medicomm Advertising, Inc. was established in 1997 as the first and only total-service, fully-integrated marketing and communication company in the Philippines dedicated to the healthcare industry.

Today, Medicomm Advertising, Inc. stands alone as the only advertising agency focused on healthcare.

We Are All Empowered by Information

Growth industries, especially healthcare, are fueled by information.

Medicomm Advertising, Inc.'s business is simple and singular: communicating healthcare information.

We believe in the power of information to empower doctors, patients and pharmaceutical companies and to create new markets, new paradigms, new behaviors, processes and practices. The Agency understands the nature, capabilities, and the nuances of the various channels through which information is delivered to doctors and, increasingly, also to patients, payors, policymakers, and managed care institutions.

Medicomm has the internal capability and expertise to track and more importantly, understand the changes and developments in the medical field. We can access, process and utilize the information to design, develop and help implement communication strategies and marketing programs, and to deliver these information quickly to decision-makers.

You Drive Us

Doctors

are our primary customers. Developments in the field of medicine happen rapidly and simultaneously, initiated increasingly in pharmaceutical and biotechnology laboratories. These developments generate tremendous amounts of information, which translate into better medical skills for practitioners and better healthcare for patients. We serve doctors--both as individuals and as societies--by helping to make access to information faster and easier.

Medicomm Advertising, Inc. has a finger on the pulse of individual practitioners, medical societies, key opinion leaders, policymakers, and academicians.

Our well-accepted DAWN (Discovering Arthritis WellNess) program for patients is a collaborative project with the Arthritis Care Foundation and a major pharmaceutical company.

Patients
are our ultimate customers. Informed patients assume responsibility for their well being and are easier to manage. Information helps patients understand their disease, what they can expect from doctors and the rationale behind treatment regimen. In an informed environment, dosing compliance among patients become much easier to manage as well.

The Agency's understanding of both disorder and patient prepares it well to handle out-of-the-closet issues such as menopause, impotence and depression, and to successfully master the fast emerging direct-to-consumer advertising discipline. Our "Smell & Scratch", " Sleeping with the Enemy", Don't Stay Home Without It" and "See-Food Eater" series to consumers for an anti-allergy product are creative pioneering efforts.

Healthcare Companies
are our principal partners in this undertaking. Much of the revolutionary developments in the medical field is industry initiated. In the process, research-oriented companies have accumulated massive valuable medical information which needs to be delivered. not only to doctors but to patients and other audiences too.

We Believe in Creating Value

We Soar On Wings of Creativity

Medicomm Advertising, Inc. is driven by creativity that combines information, insight, intuition and common sense to produce campaigns that are relevant, remembered, and results-measured.

The Agency has the discipline of the creative process: taking the pains to go through definition of marketing issues, developing the marketing strategy, generating the communication plan before brainstorming the creative solution.

Our work on "An Apple is Not an Orange" for Nubain, the "Tooth Pain" Campaign for Ponstan, the "Sexy" Detailers for Diovan, the "Calypso", "Hello Kiddy" campaigns for Tempra and unique interactive detailing aids "Lipat sa Lipostat" for anti-cholesterol Lipostat and "Wedding Invitation" for anti-hypertensive Capoten show fresh, innovative, non-traditional thinking. The series of four newsletters we developed for Enervon-C reflects our deep understanding of pharmaceutical science.

In the Anti-Tuberculosis market, we have launched campaigns for Wyeth's Myrin (Fire and Ice campaign) and recently for UL-Medichem's Quadtab, Tritab, Triofix, and Bifix (Confronting TB Face to Face).

Our major media-based clients, past and present, include St. Luke's Medical Center, Himlayan Pilipino, Diane 35-Schering Philippines, Plasmin-SEA Pharmacom, Inc., and Cecon Consumer-Abbott.

Our Public Relations stints include the Unilab Enervon High Energy tri-series, 3M Pharmaceutical's Aldara news and photo releases and two major Novo Nordisk multi-media conferences on diabetes, TV coverage, broadsheet news articles, including the creative development of invitations, media conference kits, and venue drop banners.

We are also handling CordLife Philippines' formal launch of umbilical cord stem cell technology.

Our approach to Packaging design combines unique brand identity, core brand message and brand aesthetics which produce yet another compelling medium of communication. In an environment where oftentimes the customer's first contact with the brand is the package, design truly assumes an influential role in the purchasing decision.

Our People Give Us Strength

1. Melanie M. Lantin, Founder, President & CEO
Impressive sales and marketing experience in medical publications with ASEAN regional responsibilities, backed by prior significant stints in PR work. Founded Medicomm Advertising, Inc. and Medicomm Pacific, Inc. Marketed the Philippine Pharmaceutical Directory, the Compendium of Philippine Medicine, the Philippine Veterinary Drug, Better Pharmacy Directory, and the Philippine Pharmaceutical Directory Review successfully. A Business Management graduate of the Ateneo de Manila University and Candidate – Graduate of the MBA Senior Executive Program at the Ateneo Graduate School of Business. Director and First Vice-President, Marketing Executives of the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Industry, 1999,2001 and President for the year 2002. Chair, 2nd National Marketing Convention of Marketing Executives of the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Industry (1999). Board Member, Finance Chair, Young Entrepreneurs Organization, 2000, Member, Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP).

2. Emmanuel U. Lantin, Vice President for Sales & Operations
Management experience includes research, marketing, finance, and economics at the National Economic Development Authority. Wide-ranging marketing experience at Laboratories Servier and Eli Lilly includes key positions in research, information systems and sales management, highlighted by award-winning achievements. A graduate of Industrial Management Engineering from De La Salle University. Chair, The Outstanding Pharmaceutical Product Manager Search, 1998.

3. Leopoldo F. Moral, General Manager & Creative Director
Marketing savvy and communication creativity, backed by an Advertising Design degree from the UP College of Fine Arts, copywriting and copy group head work at Ace Compton-Saatchi, VP-Head of Pharma stint at Basic Advertising, and an MBA degree from De La Salle University. Significant management and marketing experience in senior posts at Richardson-Merrell Vicks, Du Pont Pharmaceuticals, and Boots Healthcare International. Managed Nubain, Glucophage and Strepsils to become major brands. Developed creative campaigns for Bio-Femme, Mobic, Celebrex, Capoten, Lipostat, Envacar, Lipitor, Zegen, Olmetec, St. Luke’s Medical Center. Co-Founder, and former President, Marketing Executives of the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Industry, 1991. Course Director – IMS “Designing Effective Detailing Aids”, 1994-2001.

4. Marie Claire N. Carlos, Deputy GM & Account Director
AB Communication Arts, Miriam College
Extensive advertising experience at AMA, and Public Relations Counselling at Zorilla & Partners, Inc. following PR stints at Silahis International Hotel, Philippine Village Hotel, and Holiday Inn Manila. Marketing experience includes senior posts at Jardine Davis, Inc., Cyanamid Philippines, Red Ribbon Foods Corporation, and, Pascual Laboratories, Inc.–Consumer Healthcare Division where Claire re-tooled her marketing team to finish ahead of budget for two consecutive years.

5. Nelia Santos-Lopez, Account Group Head
B.S. Psychology, St. Scholastica’s College, MBA, Ateneo Graduate School Major accounts successfully managed include St. Luke’s Medical Center, Diane 35 Direct-to-Consumer, Cecon consumer campaign, Ponstan SuperFast 500mg, Listerine Mouthwash Dental, Novo Nordisk Press Conference, Lipostat and Capoten, Launch of anti-clot Plasmin and Pfizer “PROMPT” Event. Strong experience in media planning and buying, healthcare magazine planning and multi-media conference packaging.

6. Christian Isiderio, Art Director
B.S. Industrial Design, MIT
Worked on package designs for major Probus Lines such as Alaxan, Medicol, and Tiki-Tiki, Cough-Cold Manual, print ads for Himlayan Pilipino and St. Luke’s Medical Center and detailing brochures for Zyvox, Zithromax, Enervon-C.


You Our Partners Give Us Life

Member:
4A's - Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies
KBP - Kapisanan ng mga Brodkasters ng Pilipinas
UPMG - United Print Media Group