Campaign Imminent: Pfizer taps another new agency partner (Score 74)
Sales Lead: Only a month after hiring other agencies, Pfizer recently also added Work & Co to its agency roster to work on digital innovation.
- The agency will launch new Pfizer work later in 2023.
- In May 2023, Pfizer named Publicis as its media, data, and production AOR and IPG as its creative and product PR AOR.
- WPP-owned VMLY&R retained creative work for one of Pfizer's programs, Independent Medical Education.
- I predicted additional agency hires would follow these.
- The company will likely:
- Shift strategy
- Continue increasing spend, especially when the new campaign launches and especially via digital channels
- Appoint additional new agency partners
- Target demographic:
- A wide target demographic ranging from Gen-Z through Gen-X
Additional spending insights:
- Broadcast insights (TV ad creative spend, effectiveness, impressions, and performance)
- YTD spend: Pfizer has spent approximately $78m on national TV commercials YTD, up 19% from the approximately $65.6m spent by this point last year.
- Last year: In 2022, the company spent around $267.8m on this channel, more than 5x when it spent around $45m in 2021.
- 2023 ad programming: Pfizer's 2023 commercials have targeted Spanish- and English-speaking audiences watching shows such as Futbol, The Incredible Dr. Paul, Den of Thrones, Cult of Personality, and World's Funniest Animals.
- Digital and social insights (digital ad spend, effectiveness, impressions, and performance)
- YTD spend: So far this year, the pharmaceutical giant has allocated roughly $84m toward digital ads, more than 4x the roughly $22.1m allocated within the same 2022 timeframe.
- YTD data: Pfizer has earned ~11.7b digital impressions YTD via Facebook (80%), Instagram (13%), desktop display (3%), YouTube (2%), desktop video (1%), and mobile display (1%) ads.
- Last year: The company's estimated full-year 2022 spend of $133.9m reached 18% more than that of $113.4m in 2021.
- Additional channel insights
- Pfizer utilizes print, digital, OOH, radio, local broadcast, Google Ads, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and online video (primarily via Youtube.com) ads.
- As you can tell, it's also been working with influencers such as Lady Gaga.
- The company sponsors podcasts such as Stuff You Should Know, The Glenn Beck Program, Dateline NBC, The Joe Rogan Experience, and The Herd with Colin Cowherd.
- Additionally, the company invests in short-form DRTV ads.
- Pfizer will likely launch a new campaign in 60 days or so.
- Its top TV networks include LIFE, DLFE, LMN, NEWSNTN, and FYI.
Additional agency insights:
- Opportunity: Additional agency reviews could easily follow this one, so get in touch soon to offer experiential, influencer, and/or multicultural services.
- CMO Drew Panayiotou's September 2022 hire makes other agency reviews even likelier.
- Pfizer primarily works with agencies located in NY, so those in the NE may have an advantage with securing work.
- Current agency roster:
- Work & Co (June 2023)
- Publicis: Media, data, and production AOR (May 2023)
- IPG: JPR and creative AOR (May 2023)
- VMLY&R: Creative agency partner (Independent Medical Education - retained May 2023)
- Patients & Purpose: Digital AOR
- MSLGroup: PR agency partner
Insight Sources: Broadcast insights estimated by iSpot; digital spend insights estimated by Pathmatics; additional channel insights estimated by Vivvix; podcast insights by Podchaser; DRTV insights by Media Analytics.
