Just over a year ago, I was struck by the exodus of senior expertise leaving the healthcare communications industry to go it alone, and decided it was time for a ‘Different’ approach.
- One where the passion, commitment and talent of the individual matters more than the number of hours clocked up in an office reached by a long and soul-destroying commute.
- One where the quality and timely delivery of the output matters more than the hours of the day or night in which it is created.
- One where quick and easy access to senior counsel, insight and expertise is the norm, not the exception.
- One where collaboration sits at the heart of the business, rather than on the periphery.
Luckily, I wasn’t alone in my desire to do things Differently and the rapid pace of technological and digital change made it possible. The Difference Collective was born.
Nearly 18 months on, we have built the first virtual Collective consultancy of its kind in healthcare communications, where it’s not just the depth and breadth of talent that sets us apart, it’s what we do with it. Now with over 60 consultants ‘Working Differently’, we are excited to announce the creation of a range of Specialist Groups, comprised of members with particular expertise and skill-sets, who collectively bring untold value to any programme:
Social and Digital Health
Vicki Harper, a social media strategist with 20 years PR agency experience, specialising in setting and devising social media strategies, deploying engaging campaigns and negotiating partnership deals.
Media Relations
Jo Willey, our very own Media Maestro and former Health Editor of The Daily Express, who brings media strategy and content development expertise, and regularly facilities media training sessions.
Health Charities
Elspeth Massey, a former journalist who has spent the last decade in the communications teams of three national charities – The Stroke Association, Samaritans and Beating Bowel Cancer.
Biotech and Start Ups
Stuart Mayell, Head of the Creative Difference, is a highly adaptable facilitator of ideation, strategy, messaging and crisis workshops. With a passion for supporting health start-ups, Stuart has re-vamped the positioning and visual identities of countless brands, including the high-tech chip designer ARM, the data science giant IQVIA (previously Quintiles IMS) and wellness start-up Live Well London.
Internal Engagement
Alex Harrison, a healthcare communications specialist with over 15 years’ experience developing and delivering successful corporate responsibility and employee engagement strategies for companies, such as GSK.
Content Development
Lisa Harper, who has 18 years’ experience across the healthcare communications spectrum and specialises in project management, content generation and copywriting.
If you’d like a copy of our brand spanking new credentials, which delve deeper into our capabilities in each specialism and why our Different approach works, please get in touch.
In recognition of their significant contribution to The Collective and our clients, the heads of the Specialist Groups will join the Core Collective that sets and oversees our strategic direction. We are, therefore, delighted to welcome Elspeth Massey (Health Charities), Vicki Harper (Social and Digital) and Alex Harrison (Internal Engagement) to join our Core Team and help take The Difference to the next level of delivery.
Our collaborative framework continues to produce extraordinary results for clients. How? Because we know it takes ‘Different Strokes for Different Folks’ and the depth and breadth of our talented Collective means we can cater for and purpose-build teams to ensure you get things done Differently: THE RIGHT WAY, FIRST TIME.
