CommonHealth Unveils New Operating Philosophy and Corporate Identity.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. -- In anticipation of the rapidly shifting marketing demands of the healthcare industry, CommonHealth today unveiled a new operating philosophy as well as its new corporate identity.

CommonHealth (www.commonhealth.com) is the world's leading healthcare-communications network and a WPP Group (NASDAQ/ADR:WPPGY; www.wpp.com) company.

Collaborative Velocity (SM), the philosophy behind CommonHealth's new approach to business and its tag line for the overall initiative, was borne out of the growing demand for concentrated talent, integrated services and urgency and results in the healthcare marketing services arena. Developed in conjunction with Enterprise IG, a leading branding and identity consultancy and sister WPP Group company, the phrase itself is designed to capture the organization's unique ability to mobilize talent and resources across its 12 business units to create inspiring and impactful communications programs.

"Between the quest for innovation, patent expirations and pricing dynamics - just a few of the pressures being felt by our clients - the needs of the pharmaceutical industry are changing at light speed, and the approach to healthcare communications must adapt, as well," noted Matt Giegerich, president and CEO of CommonHealth. "As a result, concentrated talent, experience and resources - all packaged within an efficient infrastructure - will prove increasingly valuable when clients are looking for the best marketing services for their brands," he said.

"It became clear that CommonHealth's network of operating companies had to more closely and meaningfully align to address the imminent needs of our clients and the marketplace. While no small task, we're better equipped than most because, while each of our units is unique in their core competencies, every one is the result of organic growth and, as such, shares an underlying common culture. These truths are why our offerings so complement one another and why we're able to collaborate so well together on behalf of our clients," Mr. Giegerich concluded.

As part of this rebranding effort, CommonHealth also partnered with Enterprise IG to create an innovative graphic identity, the focal point of which is a logo that serves as a visual expression of the message behind Collaborative Velocity. Composed of a series of interlocking concentric rings of varying widths and colors, the image represents CommonHealth's diverse companies and service offerings while conveying the marketing momentum that its integrated capabilities can offer clients. To preserve the individual identities of CommonHealth's 12 operating units while firmly establishing a connection to the overall organization, each has adopted a logo that is a variation of the company's core symbol.

"Our new visual identity communicates a more cohesive image of CommonHealth, yet allows the individual companies to stand strong as individual brands," noted Mr. Giegerich.

Other significant changes include the altering of several operating company names to reflect CommonHealth's dedication to efficient communications. The new, abbreviated company names include: Carbon, formerly Carbon Healthcare Communications, CommonHealth's Wayne-based professional advertising and promotion unit created to serve the marketing needs of high-science brands; Conectics, formerly The Conectics Group, its research and media planning services company; Ferguson, formerly Thomas Ferguson Associates, CommonHealth's founding professional advertising and promotion agency; HLS, formerly Health Learning Systems, its founding medical education company; Noesis, formerly Noesis Healthcare Interactions, its Morristown-based professional advertising and promotion unit; ProCom, formerly ProCom International, the Parsippany-based medical education agency for the organization; Qi, formerly Qi Interactive, its interactive services unit; Quantum, formerly The Quantum Group, the network's consumer advertising and promotion unit; and Xchange, formerly The Xchange Group, CommonHealth's relationship marketing unit.

The remaining three core units: Adient, a Wayne-based professional advertising and promotion unit; MBS/Vox, its research-based consultancy; and Solara, its managed care marketing unit, will maintain their current monikers. CommonHealth will introduce its new corporate identity to the healthcare industry in a series of launch ads, a revamped Web site and other external-facing business materials later this month.

CommonHealth comprises Adient, Carbon, Conectics, Ferguson, HLS, MBS/Vox, Noesis, ProCom, Qi, Quantum, Solara and Xchange. The organization also has partnerships with WPP companies Einson Freeman, Enterprise IG, Mendoza Dillon, Ogilvy Healthcare, and PDI.