Life Healthcare Group appoints Ogilvy

Hilton Branch, Life Private Hospital

“We conducted a highly competitive selection process to find the right agency to support us,” says Life Healthcare Group's chief executive, Pete Wharton-Hood. “After a rigorous pitch process, we felt that through Ogilvy’s understanding of our business and the broader healthcare sector, they are the right partner to help support our business to deliver on its communications objectives.”

Currently, Life Healthcare Group operates 65 healthcare facilities across South Africa and Botswana. It is also 100% owns Alliance Medical Group, the leading provider of diagnostic imaging services in the United Kingdom and Europe.

Life Healthcare Group's communications manager, Tanya Lowth, says Ogilvy’s integration of strategy, content, digital and health and wellness offers a broad scope of services for the group.

“We’re excited to be working with the Ogilvy team to further build our brand reputation and continue to communicate our services and expertise within the communities in which we operate,” she says.

Ogilvy was recently announced as the No1 Best Agency & Ideal Agency, in a survey of South Africa’s senior marketers and agency professionals, by marketing research organisation Scopen.

Ogilvy PR managing director Samantha Presbury says communication has never been more important to showcase the impact of healthcare in society.

“I believe our strategic understanding of the challenges in the sector resulted in Ogilvy and Life Healthcare Group sharing a common view of what is required for the business going forward,” she says.

“Our expertise at the intersection of public relations, content, digital performance, social media, health and wellness positions us well to support Life Healthcare Group to achieve its business and communications goals,” says Presbury.

Ogilvy CEO Pete Case says the critical role of healthcare service providers has been amplified by the Covid-19 pandemic over the past two years.

“We are very proud to have Life Healthcare Group as a client. The group played a pivotal role during the pandemic and prioritised patients over profit at the height of the crisis,” says Case.

“We look forward to working with them over the coming years and producing work of value as they continue to innovate and lead in the health sector.”