Publicis Healthware International forays into India

Publicis Healthware International (PHI) is ready to give India healthcare communications a shot in the arm. The company has announced its India foray during the Health 2.0 conference, being held in New Delhi. PHI is part of Publicis Healthcare Communications Group (PHCG), the largest healthcare communications network in the world.

PHI is a global digital agency focused on improving communications across the health and wellness community, with a strong eHealth and information technology focus.

As one of the largest global digital agencies, PHI has developed a strategy focusing on three key service offerings: consulting (innovation planning, change management and e-business strategy), communications (digital marketing, web development, e-detailing, e-CRM, e-learning, e-science, health 2.0 and KOL management) and eBusiness solutions (software platforms, business solutions and proprietary tools to increase the deployment of the digital tactics).

The agency will be based in Mumbai and would be spearheaded by Abhijit Shitut, Joint Managing Director, and Kiran Pai, Joint Managing Director at Publicis Life Brands Watermelon. Shitut remarked, “Today, every healthcare client in India has digital ambitions. Our clients for a long time have been demanding a keener expertise in digital solutions and require wide capabilities to succeed in this ever-changing business scenario.”

Pai added here, “With PHI’s products and capabilities now added to the Publicis Life Brands portfolio, we can now call ourselves a full-service healthcare agency that would enable us to provide more focused and integrated campaigns, empowering client businesses to grow manifold.”

Roberto Ascione, President of PHI, is currently in India to launch the new PHI presence as well as to promote its most recent product, Videum.com. Videum is a global health video portal able to globalise video assets leveraging an exclusive subtitling technology and featuring unparalleled search engine optimisation.

Speaking on the India plans, Ascione said, “India is an emerging information superpower. The digital medium is catching on fast with more and more people becoming web-savvy. India has the largest population of new users after the US and China. Healthcare needs are growing and so are awareness levels. People are demanding better and more effective healthcare solutions. In fact, healthcare is one of the most searched and Googled words among young and old people in India. Launching PHI will help us widen our reach and aid us in getting a strong foothold in India.”

Ashley Kuchel, President of PHCG - APAC, further elaborated, “With a growing focus on providing clients, an enhanced digital experience, the launch of PHI in India strengthens our position in this sector. With this initiative, we hope to increase our APAC footprint and become a formidable digital entity in India.”