Hirschen Group (‘Home of the Brave’) is an independent agency group within the WPP network. The network stands for the communication and consulting of agency brands, as well as creative communication consultancy, digitisation and public opinion.

10 locations / 301 clients / 800 employees / €60 million in income / Top five of the largest independent owner-run agencies

Marcel, when was the last time you were brave?

When I had to be: for a chicken like me, I guess it was when I had my long-overdue hip operation. It took courage to do it and everything worked out fine. Of course, no one told me that I would need to have insoles in my shoes because one leg is slightly shorter than the other. That’s an example of some of the missing elements in a patient–doctor dialogue. Perhaps it’s one of the reasons we decided to bring a new kind of healthcare agency to life.

Is courage actually rewarded in the communications branch?

Courage is more difficult because there is no proof of concept. And, of course, many companies want a guarantee provided by focus groups. But real success only comes from courageous campaigns. These campaigns are usually decided by people with a good gut feeling and market experience. And these campaigns are always better than what a focus group would have picked. An example can be seen in our Christmas campaign for Mediamarkt ‘Zipfelrauschen’. It received 14 million clicks and was the most popular Christmas video campaign ever. It would never have survived a focus group, just like three-quarters of our most successful campaigns.

How can Hirschen Group change the healthcare market?

Through our commitment to total creativity. For us, creativity in all we do is an absolute rule. Creativity doesn’t just come from the desks of art directors and copywriters, but from all corners and disciplines of an agency. We’re able to create more marketing value through permanently exchanging creative ideas throughout all disciplines. With 750 employees, we can cover all communications sectors with internal teams. The resulting resonance and market success is proof that we’re on the right path. The extensive expertise of health angels with their different view on things is already changing the way healthcare communication is done.