FRAMINGHAM, MA: Biotechnology company Berg has named The Sway Effect as its global PR AOR.
The Sway Effect will help Berg develop a multi-channel communications strategy to expand awareness and “strengthen the company’s leadership position within the biotechnology industry and across the global business community,” said Berg cofounder, president and CEO Niven Narain.
The scope of work includes traditional PR, social media engagement and CEO visibility, as well as highlighting strategic partnerships and the company’s research.
A key Berg initiative the Sway Effect is supporting is Project Survival, a study to discover and validate the first clinical biomarker to diagnose and treat pancreatic cancer, explained Narain.
The Sway Effect started working with Berg at the start of this month. The account budget is six figures, said Sway Effect founder and president Jennifer Risi. Berg issued an RFP late last year, and more than five small and large PR agencies pitched for the business.
Ogilvy was the incumbent on the account. The agency mutually ended its engagement with Berg in December when its contract ended. Ogilvy did not pursue the business again, a spokesperson from the WPP agency told PRWeek via email.
Risi launched the Sway Effect last year after exiting her role as Ogilvy’s worldwide chief communications officer and MD of media influence. An Ogilvy executive since 2011, she was also a part of the 2019 PRWeek Hall of Femme class. Risi worked with Berg during her time at Ogilvy.
“[Berg] started to work on amazing stuff using technology to drive the future of drug development,” said Risi. “There are a lot of partnerships we will be working on with the team to get out there in the healthcare and technology space.”
She added that Berg, which uses AI to research diseases and develop innovative treatments, is also helping to identify drugs needed to find a cure for COVID-19.
Medical technology company Becton Dickinson also hired the Sway Effect this year to handle an integrated internal and external communications program.
