Woonsocket, R.I. – Recently Adweek interviewed the new Chief Marketing Officer of CVS. In that interview Norman de Greve explained that the move to stop selling cigarettes in all of their stores wasn’t the last step in CVS’s plan to help people live healthier lives. While they lost out on roughly 2 billion dollars in revenue they gained in respect from a millennial audience that is highly coveted by marketers today. To go along with this giant change they started the campaign entitled “Be the First” where CVS is investing heavily in helping create the first tobacco free generation. According to de Greve, this is part of a plan by CVS to connect with the right people and have the right discussion with them.
Why it matters:
CVS is making bold moves to create healthy conversations with it’s consumers, and even touting that they are “America’s largest pharmacy innovation company.” They are reframing the conversation to help people make healthier choices. Brands like CVS can take a stand and invest in promoting healthier lives. CVS is positioning themselves as someone to look for how interactions with the healthcare brands should be handled.
About the Author:
As Managing Director of Innovation and Insights for Syneos Health Communications, Leigh is responsible for building and scaling a global team of healthcare experts who together help life science leaders better understand the complex lives, influences and expectations of their customers. Specifically, they uncover actionable insights that fuel empathy and creativity; lead co-creation events that let marketers learn from peers, trends, and new possibilities; and help clients identify the most valuable and useful new customer experiences to create.
Leigh has worked with Fortune 1000 companies to craft their digital, mobile, social and CRM strategies for nearly 20 years.She’s worked for category-leading agencies in retail, public affairs, B2B technology, and higher education. Prior to moving to Syneos Health Communications, she held several leadership roles at our largest agency, GSW. There, she founded an innovation practice fueled by the zeitgeist and spearheaded digital and innovation thinking across the business.
Leigh has taken a special interest in complex healthcare products that can change lives in meaningful ways. She was recently a strategic lead on the 3rd largest launch in pharmaceutical history: Tecfidera. Before that she had keys roles with Eli Lilly Oncology, Abbott Nutrition, Amgen Cardiovascular, and Eli Lilly Diabetes.
A critical part of Leigh’s work is trends and new ideas. Every year, she convenes a group of trend watchers from across our global network to identify the shifts most critical to healthcare marketers. This year, she led over 250 experts to experts to focus on the most important changes in the commercial, consumer, marketing, digital and healthcare landscapes. (See reports at trends.health)
Leigh is a sought-after writer and speaker. Recognized as one of the most inspiring people in the pharmaceutical industry by PharmaVoice and Top 10 Innovation Catalysts of 2017 by MM&M, Leigh also was recognized as a Rising Star by the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA) for her overt passion, industry thought leadership and significant contributions in new business, strategy and mentoring.
