AH: Would you mind telling us a little about your background?
AF: Since my first job, Author and Director of programs for the Italian Radio Television (RAI), communication has always been my passion.
After my University degree, MSc in Biology, I joined the pharmaceutical industry holding positions in national and international marketing and in Corporate communication in leading multi-national companies.
During my pharma experience I had the opportunity to create a Foundation and to be invited by the WHO to present a project regarding maternal and child health.
I left the pharmaceutical industry after 20 years to join Publicis Healthcare Communications Group in 2006.
I am currently responsible for the strategic direction at PHCG Italy.
AH: Tell us a bit about your company and what you are doing now
AF: PHCG Italy is a full service agency with a multichannel, multitarget and multimarket expertise.
On top of the classical capabilities of a communication agency, we have consultancy in our DNA and can support our clients in strategy and process development.
AH: Tell us about a piece of recent work that you are proud of?
AF: We are currently developing for a client an innovative Patient Journey Model, applicable to any disease. The uniqueness of this model is based on the integration of three layers of information, quantitative, qualitative and emotional in a single map. It is intended to become a communication tool for the different stakeholders, internal and external, including company people, health care practitioners, patient and caregivers, providing each of them with specific information.
AH: What makes healthcare advertising so different from consumer advertising?
AF: You know, healthcare advertising is a big thing, including a wide range of areas, from consumer healthcare to prescription products. As demand grows for products that people think can make them healthier, a whole new consumer healthcare segment is emerging, midway between mass retail-based consumer goods and pharmacy-based pharmaceuticals.
Dealing with this variety of areas requires not only a different sensitivity but also the compliance with different levels of regulations with an impact on creativity latitude.
Our agency has a very wide experience and the cross fertilization coming from different areas is very inspiring for us.
AH: Where do you look for inspiration?
AF: Great ideas can come from anywhere, books, movies, news, museums, blogs, social networks… there’s a world around us and curiosity is the best way to be inspired.
