LaBreche Launches Health and Wellness Practice

LaBreche, announced yesterday that it has launched a health and wellness practice dedicated to serving the communications needs of medical device, biotechnology and health care organizations.

"We wanted to introduce an offering during this perfect storm in the health and wellness industry," said Beth LaBreche, CEO. "Medical device, biotechnology and health care organizations need top talent to help them meet their aggressive growth goals. But competition for talent is fierce. Thus they are tapping into agencies to help fill the void and realize their business potential through sound market development strategy and communications programs."

LaBreche adds that Minnesota and Wisconsin, where the agency has offices, represent an epicenter for early- to late-stage medical device companies. More than 927 medical device companies in 16 diverse market segments are headquartered in the two states. Minneapolis, specifically, is the city with the largest concentration per capita of medical device companies worldwide, and is home to such industry icons such as Medtronic, St. Jude Medical, Boston Scientific and 3M.

Carrie Nelson will lead the firm’s health and wellness practice. Nelson brings 16 years of experience in consumer and business-to-business health care marketing with companies such as Medtronic, American Medical Systems and United HealthCare. Nelson notes that medical device marketing demands a different approach, skill set and experience than other sectors. “Marketers must understand the regulatory, product development, sales and marketing processes that launch and sustain products. They must also understand and apply AdvaMed best practices,” she said.

Most recently, Nelson served as the public marketing manager for the National Marrow Donor Program. Her innovative work in direct-to-consumer medical device marketing has earned several top industry awards including an International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Gold Quill Award and two Medical Marketing and Media (MM&M) awards. Nelson earned her journalism degree from the University of St. Thomas.

"Health and wellness is a dynamic, complex sector," said LaBreche. "Carrie Nelson is a highly experienced marketer with a strong track record of creating original, results-oriented marketing strategies that are fueled by an intimate understanding of the market. She will lead a strong team dedicated to innovative strategy and personalized service that will be a valuable asset to our clients."