Marta Rafel takes over the General Management, and Montse Carrasco the Management of On-line Communication.
A combination of experience and an innovative spirit appears to be the most effective formula in moments of crisis. At least, that is what is demonstrated by the results of INNUO, an agency which never ceases to evolve, and which is converting the economic crisis into an opportunity for expansion.
INNUO ended the 2013 financial year with an increase of 16% in turnover and of 24% in profits. That same year also marked the Company’s move into internationalization, with its joining the world’s largest network of independent agencies, Worldwide Partners Inc. (WPI), founded in the U.S.A. — a multi-disciplinary network consisting of 85 companies in 51 countries in the five continents, with a consolidated turnover of 3.2 billion dollars.
‘We are currently collaborating in the international expansion of Spanish companies in the pharmaceutical sector, and we are also leading, from our central office in Barcelona, the European communication for several brands of global importance in the field of health. This year, international business will represent 30% of our turnover’, reported Joan Asensio and Xavier Lorenz, partners and co-founders of the Agency.
In an environment which is still very volatile, 2014 represents a huge challenge for INNUO, who have decided to re-organize themselves in order to succeed in the coming five years, while continuing to embrace change from the basis of the excellence and quality which so much characterize this agency.
Marta Rafel assumes the general management of the Agency and is faced with the challenge of renewing and boosting INNUO’s strategic plans. Marta is a graduate in Veterinary Science and also holds a Master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Marketing Management. With wide experience in Healthcare Communication, she joined the Agency in 2007 as Accounting Manager and was later appointed Manager of Customer Services, a post which she has held up to the present time.
In Marta Rafel’s own words: ‘For me, this new step forward represents a challenge which I am facing with great excitement, and the thrill of continuing to drive forward INNUO’s growth. Adaptation to change, flexibility and efficiency all impel us to maintain our firm resolve to reach and surpass our clients’ objectives. Their successes are our successes.’
One of the main pillars of INNUO’s ‘service offering’ is the incorporation of the on-line medium into communication projects aimed both at health professionals and at patients. In recent years the Agency has developed important projects in the fields of diabetes, personal care, corporate social responsibility and nutrition, in which the social networks and the new technologies have had an important rôle in the achievement of the objectives of the communications. This area currently represents 40% of INNUO’s turnover.
Montse Carrasco takes on the management of the Agency’s on-line communication with the aim of making the Agency the most innovative and reliable player in the sector. Montse is a journalist with a long track record in different media and in the pharmaceutical sector. Since 2011 she has been in charge of INNUO’s Social Media Management and On-Line PR.
‘Taking charge of a strategic area which for INNUO has great potential for growth is indeed a challenge for me. Nowadays, our clients are asking us for innovation and creativity, as well as for a continuous evaluation of our actions to adapt them to their commercial plans. In the on-line environment, we have the tools to achieve this, and the INNUO team provides the rest’, said Montse.
As for Joan Asensio and Xavier Lorenz, they are going to concentrate on consolidating the Agency’s client portfolio, the strategy for internationalization, and diversification through spin-offs and collaborations with other companies. They summarize the decisions taken recently in these words:
‘We love taking risks and regularly re-inventing ourselves. Our clients and our own team notice this and appreciate it. This is what makes INNUO really different as a partner in health communication.’
