About

Why we exist

The Gagnon Partnership is a new kind of organization – formed to meet the needs that have arisen from a rapidly changing marketing environment. We focus on providing objective, collaborative planning and strategic marketing to achieve brand-driven growth for consumer and business services – with an emphasis on health care.

We believe that careful planning and strategy must come first, that it must be independent to assure objectivity, and that it is the most cost-efficient way to achieve results.  Successful organizations begin by evaluating their services, markets, competitors and customers to define a governing brand strategy. And, we believe that the proper integration of appropriate communication tactics, in support of that strategy, is the fastest path to growth.

Who we work for

We work for service organizations – with an emphasis on health care providers.

We typically work for organizations that are facing changes that may inhibit growth – whether changes in competition, economic conditions, service offerings or leadership.

We also work for organizations that are contemplating a search for a new advertising agency or other marketing communications firm. Our goal is to define the marketing strategies and plans that will determine the disciplines needed to accomplish your goals. Only then is it possible to find the resource(s) best suited to the job – including, perhaps, the firm already in place.

We also work for communications firms – advertising agencies, web development firms, research companies, pr firms – who do not maintain strategic specialists on staff but whose clients are facing challenges that require collaborative planning, research or strategic marketing assistance.

How we work

Collaboration is at the heart of everything we do. In fact, it is a precondition of our work with you. Because without it, successful branding is compromised.

In a service business – whether health care, financial services, insurance or others – the brand originates with leadership and is delivered at the point of contact between your employees and your customers. To develop marketing plans and strategies without the collaboration and involvement of leaders and front-line employees is ineffective. Because marketing is not just a department, it’s a way of doing business.

Similarly, communications tactics must accurately reflect the culture and the business goals of your organization. If a promise is made in an ad campaign, it must be kept at the point of contact with your brand. That is why we also work collaboratively with those who execute your plan to assure that they fully understand your brand personality and your integrated brand strategy.

What we do

Strategic services: Our primary focus is on planning and strategic services ranging from message definition to repositioning; from research to social media policy: from brand strategy to integrated communications plans. Craig can also serve as interim Director of Marketing in the absence of a permanent Director or Chief Marketing Officer.

Execution, when needed: Although not our primary function, we are adept and experienced at implementation. We will direct the execution of plans for organizations that don’t have ongoing relationships with communications specialists. We will also implement select tactical projects including social media networks, channel activation and maintenance, corporate identification and new product introduction.

What we don’t do

The Gagnon Partnership is not a traditional advertising agency. We focus on the planning and the strategy. By doing so, we can remain objective and impartial – driven by your success, not your budgets. We can recommend the tactics needed to succeed, not those that we offer under our roof. And we can minimize our staff and our expenses in order to minimize our cost to you.

Nevertheless, we recognize that brilliant planning without equally brilliant execution is a waste. That is why we have expert partners in every communications discipline. We are equally comfortable working with your existing partners or assembling a team of specialists and managing execution on your behalf.