Group Health Selects Sedgwick Rd. as New Advertising Partner.

SEATTLE -- Group Health Cooperative, (www.ghc.org), announced the selection of its new partner: Sedgwick Rd., a Seattle-based, full-service advertising agency who will take the lead on Group Health's multi-million dollar broadcast, print, online and non-traditional advertising components.

After completing a two-month comprehensive advertising agency review, managed by Select Resources International of Santa Monica, Calif., Group Health chose Sedgwick Rd. because they understood the complexities of Group Health's business -- an innovative, consumer-governed, non-profit health care system that integrates care and coverage.

"Sedgwick Rd. really did their homework to win the account," explains Sharon Thomson, executive director of Group Health's Advertising & Marketing Communications. "They skillfully integrated our brand voice into both their strategy and creative concepts. Then, they demonstrated how their work could be executed across all media platforms."

"Group Health is a local icon that's respected by health care professionals across the country," says Jim Walker, president of Sedgwick Rd. "Working with the internal marketing team to develop advertising that leverages emotion in meaningful, brand-building ways will keep Group Health at the vanguard of the insurance industry."

For the past three years, under Draft FCB, Group Health's advertising messages have focused on how Group Health empowers consumers and gives them greater access to health care. Recent advertising tracking studies indicate that this strategy has paid off, and perceptions regarding the Group Health brand are at an all-time high.

"Now, we're ready to move forward to the next phase in our brand evolution, and we're confident Sedgwick Rd. will help lead us in the right direction. We want to help people begin answering the question: What's next for your health?" explains Thomson.

In addition to Sedgwick Rd., the other three review participants were Cole & Weber United, BPN of Portland, Ore., and incumbent Draft FCB, Group Health's agency for the past four years.

Group Health Cooperative

Marking its 60th year, Group Health Cooperative is an innovative, consumer-governed, nonprofit health care system that integrates care and coverage.

Along with its subsidiary carriers, Group Health Options, Inc. and KPS Health Plans, Group Health works to improve the health of 568,000 plan members in Washington and Idaho.

Nearly 10,000 staff employed by Group Health and Group Health Permanente, its contracted, multispecialty group practice, provide patient-centered, evidence-based care to members and the broader community through medical and specialty centers, hospitals, a charitable foundation, and a nationally recognized research center.

Please visit the virtual newsroom on our Web site, www.ghc.org under "Newsroom."

Sedgwick Rd.

Sedgwick Rd., a subsidiary of IPG (NYSE:IPG) located in Seattle's SoDo district, provides award-winning creative, brand development, digital services, public relations, and media planning and buying services. Sedgwick Rd. serves as the agency of record, a roster shop or a project shop for companies including Converse, RealNetworks, the Seattle Storm, Krispy Kreme/ICON LLC, the Seattle Art Museum, Digeo, Nintendo and Redhook Ale Brewery. Sedgwick Rd. is located at 1741 First Ave. South, Seattle, WA 98134, www.sedgwickrd.com.