WPP Acquires Healthcare Media Specialist CMI

In the US, WPP has acquired healthcare and life science services firm Communications Media Inc. (CMI), for an undisclosed sum. The firm provides media investment management and non-sales force promotional strategy, planning, customer insights and data solutions.

Founded in 1989 and led by CEO Stan Woodland (pictured), CMI employs more than 210 people, including statisticians and analysts, strategists, paid and natural search teams, and media experts with knowledge of traditional, mobile and digital channels. Unaudited revenues for the calendar year 2015 were $38m. The firm uses proprietary and industry-standard tools to help clients understand target audiences, connect brand goals to customer insights, and construct media plans for each audience segment. It also offers access to a buying tool called AdMission which targets healthcare professionals.

As part of the acquisition, Ogilvy CommonHealth Medical Media, the media practice of WPP's wholly-owned Ogilvy CommonHealth Worldwide, will become part of CMI, and the latter will become a media investment management hub for GroupH, parent company for WPP's healthcare specialist companies.

John Zweig, Chairman, Healthcare and Specialist Communications who oversees Group H at WPP, comments: 'As part of WPP, CMI not only creates the deepest capability in the industry, it delivers precision in audience targeting and the ability to assess return on media investment never before seen in the healthcare specialist industry. We are particularly impressed that CMI is recognized by its clients as an indispensable partner, something we strive to achieve with all of our companies.'

Web sites: www.wpp.com and www.cmimedia.com .