MERGE growth playbook

Rebuild the four pharma case studies with the outcomes clients will approve through their medical, legal and regulatory review: HCP reach and engagement, site and portal use, field-enablement adoption, launch milestones. Lead with Supernus (seven years, two sales forces), add a results box and a short client quote, and serve the full text in the page HTML. Link them from the Pharma and MedTech page and every pharma pitch.

Life sciences buyers choose agencies on category proof, and specific, approved outcomes are what both people and AI assistants quote when shortlisting.

[ ] Therapy area and audience (HCP, patient, field)
[ ] Challenge in one sentence
[ ] What MERGE built
[ ] Three approved outcome figures
[ ] Client quote with title
[ ] Approval reference on file
[ ] Full text in served HTML
[ ] Linked from Pharma and MedTech page

• Clients decline to share figures

  Use relative or indexed results, or anonymize by therapy area.

• Regulatory review slows publishing

  Submit all four together with the exact wording.

• HiringPharma hiring: an EVP, Account Management (October 7, 2026) to "Lead MERGE's flagship Pharma and MedTech portfolio as a core business builder" and set its "multi-year vision and annual growth strategy"; a VP and a Director, Pharma Media (August 21) for "one of our fastest-growing areas of pharmaceutical work", "focusing heavily on HCP audiences and integrated HCP/DTC programs"; and a Sr. Account Director with life science and pharma experience.Source
• Your websiteAgency update, June 17, 2026: Supernus Pharmaceuticals named MERGE its comprehensive Agency of Record, expanding a 7-year partnership across its central nervous system portfolio; Supernus' VP of Marketing says the role "spans all our personal promotion efforts and supports two sales forces".Source
• Your websiteCase study page text as served (checked October 22, 2026): Supernus 66 words, Dojolvi 109, BVI Medical 113, YESCARTA 139 and iRhythm 150, against 1,235 for Kroger and 943 for James Hardie. The Supernus, Dojolvi, YESCARTA and iRhythm pages state no measured result; BVI lists "Growth from 4% market share to 10-15%". Each page's served HTML ends in a "Loading component..." placeholder.Source
• Your websitePharma and MedTech page: "Drive faster uptake and stronger market share with connected experiences that unite field, HCP, and patient engagement"; focus areas omnichannel, HCP and vet engagement, commercial enablement, brand and storytelling; recent work GE Healthcare, Dojolvi and iRhythm; a quote from Kite Pharma's VP, Global Marketing. The "Our clients" block arrives as "Loading component..." in the served HTML.Source

Fix the figure (state the real CPM change), then write a current paid search case from the last 18 months with the account structure, the tests and the cost-per-result change. Add it to the Performance Marketing page next to the Google Premier Partner badge.

One wrong number undermines every other number on the page; a fresh, accurate case shows the practice as it is today.

• No client will be named

  Publish anonymized by sector.

• Your websitePerformance Marketing page: paid media "as a Google Premier Partner for paid search"; recent work Premium Pet Food, Travel Nurse Across America and Mizzen+Main. The Travel Nurse Across America case, set as the pandemic began, reports cost per lead "76% below the original target", a "100X increase in leads YoY" and a "268% decrease in YoY CPMs".Source
• HiringManager, Paid Search (posted October 7, 2026, hybrid across eight US offices): a "hands-on player and coach" who will "guide and mentor our paid search specialists while overseeing keyword research, campaign builds, client recommendations, QA processes, and performance reporting", "Lead Discovery & Audits" and "Optimize Landing Pages & Tracking".Source

Render client logos, testimonials and case study sections on the server (or statically) in the Next.js app, keeping the client-side component only for interaction. Check a sample of pages with JavaScript off and with a plain HTTP fetch.

What crawlers cannot read cannot be cited, and client names are among the strongest signals MERGE has.

• Layout regressions

  Ship template by template.

• Your websiteHomepage: "Uniting people and brands for healthier, happier lives"; seven industries (Connected Living, Financial Services, Food, Health Insurance, Health Providers, Pharma and Medtech, Retail); recent work Ortho Molecular Products, Kroger ("35% Time Savings in Marketing Operations Workflows") and a healthcare insurer's Workfront rollout across 26 teams; client logos include Abbott, American Express, Coach, James Hardie, Supernus and T-Mobile. Six sections arrive as "Loading component..." in the served HTML.Source
• Your websitePharma and MedTech page: "Drive faster uptake and stronger market share with connected experiences that unite field, HCP, and patient engagement"; focus areas omnichannel, HCP and vet engagement, commercial enablement, brand and storytelling; recent work GE Healthcare, Dojolvi and iRhythm; a quote from Kite Pharma's VP, Global Marketing. The "Our clients" block arrives as "Loading component..." in the served HTML.Source
• Your websiteAgency update, August 26, 2026: MERGE, "serving 160+ clients", acquired St. Louis-based Brado's Insight and Digital practices, uniting qualitative research with digital performance "including generative engine optimization" to "Accelerate AI-Driven Discoverability" for health, wellness and life sciences brands.Source
• Your websiteCase study page text as served (checked October 22, 2026): Supernus 66 words, Dojolvi 109, BVI Medical 113, YESCARTA 139 and iRhythm 150, against 1,235 for Kroger and 943 for James Hardie. The Supernus, Dojolvi, YESCARTA and iRhythm pages state no measured result; BVI lists "Growth from 4% market share to 10-15%". Each page's served HTML ends in a "Loading component..." placeholder.Source

Create one events page with upcoming conferences, a meeting request form, and past-event recaps (talks, slides, takeaways). Redirect each event page to its recap once the event ends.

Event pages earn links; keeping them current turns them into lasting content instead of dead ends.

• Losing event links

  Redirect, never delete.

• Your websiteSitemap (587 URLs, checked October 22, 2026): 438 insights, 66 case studies, 58 about and agency-update pages, 8 industry and 9 solution pages, and event pages /hlth (titled "HLTH 2025", with an empty meta description), /vive-2026 and /hmps-2026. No URL carries a last-modified date. Agency updates include a 2026 Data Science Academic Advisory Council "to close the enterprise AI trust gap".Source

Add industry and need questions (pharma launch, health system, payer, media, platforms, Workfront), route each to its practice lead, and say what happens next and how fast.

Routing gets a senior specialist on the first call and shortens the sales cycle.

• Form drop-off

  Keep it to two extra questions.

• Your websiteContact page: one "Contact us" route for "everything from press inquiries to new business needs", with offices in Chicago (headquarters), Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York City and Raleigh.Source
• HiringPharma hiring: an EVP, Account Management (October 7, 2026) to "Lead MERGE's flagship Pharma and MedTech portfolio as a core business builder" and set its "multi-year vision and annual growth strategy"; a VP and a Director, Pharma Media (August 21) for "one of our fastest-growing areas of pharmaceutical work", "focusing heavily on HCP audiences and integrated HCP/DTC programs"; and a Sr. Account Director with life science and pharma experience.Source
• Your websiteHomepage: "Uniting people and brands for healthier, happier lives"; seven industries (Connected Living, Financial Services, Food, Health Insurance, Health Providers, Pharma and Medtech, Retail); recent work Ortho Molecular Products, Kroger ("35% Time Savings in Marketing Operations Workflows") and a healthcare insurer's Workfront rollout across 26 teams; client logos include Abbott, American Express, Coach, James Hardie, Supernus and T-Mobile. Six sections arrive as "Loading component..." in the served HTML.Source

Serve modern formats at the displayed size through the Next.js image pipeline, lazy-load below-the-fold images, and recheck PageSpeed.

It protects the experience on slower phones and hospital networks at almost no cost.

• Quality loss

  Check key images by eye.

• Google PageSpeedHomepage: mobile lab score 43 (desktop 87), lab LCP 17.9s, 14.3 MB downloaded of which about 13 MB is images (image delivery alone could save about 5s); 15 third-party services load, including tag manager, consent, account-based marketing and ad-tech tags. Real visitors pass: Chrome UX Report LCP 1.2s and INP 45ms at the 75th percentile.Source

Publish a Pharma Media page: HCP audience planning, endemic and programmatic channels, DTC integration, compliance process and measurement, with YESCARTA's trade media and congress work and Supernus results.

Pharma media buyers search for specialists; a page of its own makes the new practice findable.

• Thin proof

  Wait for one approved result.

• #1 Give the flagship pharma practice proof to match it: results on the Supernus, YESCARTA, Dojolvi and iRhythm case studies

• HiringPharma hiring: an EVP, Account Management (October 7, 2026) to "Lead MERGE's flagship Pharma and MedTech portfolio as a core business builder" and set its "multi-year vision and annual growth strategy"; a VP and a Director, Pharma Media (August 21) for "one of our fastest-growing areas of pharmaceutical work", "focusing heavily on HCP audiences and integrated HCP/DTC programs"; and a Sr. Account Director with life science and pharma experience.Source
• Your websiteCase study page text as served (checked October 22, 2026): Supernus 66 words, Dojolvi 109, BVI Medical 113, YESCARTA 139 and iRhythm 150, against 1,235 for Kroger and 943 for James Hardie. The Supernus, Dojolvi, YESCARTA and iRhythm pages state no measured result; BVI lists "Growth from 4% market share to 10-15%". Each page's served HTML ends in a "Loading component..." placeholder.Source
• Your websitePharma and MedTech page: "Drive faster uptake and stronger market share with connected experiences that unite field, HCP, and patient engagement"; focus areas omnichannel, HCP and vet engagement, commercial enablement, brand and storytelling; recent work GE Healthcare, Dojolvi and iRhythm; a quote from Kite Pharma's VP, Global Marketing. The "Our clients" block arrives as "Loading component..." in the served HTML.Source

Publish a 15-question maturity check (velocity, power, governance, personalization), with a scored report and a call to review it. Use results to scope programmes.

A self-assessment qualifies buyers and gives the new practice a front door.

• Low completion

  Keep it under five minutes.

• HiringMeasurement hiring: a VP, Analytics (Life Sciences) who will "turn measurement strategy into credible evidence of marketing impact" and mentor the Applied Intelligence team; a Director, Experimentation, Decision Science to "design, manage, and scale high-impact experimentation and personalization programs" with "learning agendas" across web, app and media.Source

Write a measurement page: KPIs by audience, attribution approach, privacy and HIPAA handling, examples. Use it in every life sciences pitch.

Credible measurement is a deciding factor for pharma brand teams.

• Over-claiming

  Show limits.

• HiringMeasurement hiring: a VP, Analytics (Life Sciences) who will "turn measurement strategy into credible evidence of marketing impact" and mentor the Applied Intelligence team; a Director, Experimentation, Decision Science to "design, manage, and scale high-impact experimentation and personalization programs" with "learning agendas" across web, app and media.Source
• Your websiteMERGE publishes a trust center listing SOC 2, ISO 27001 and HITRUST; partnership pages cover Adobe (Workfront, Marketo), Salesforce and Sitecore; Workfront case studies include "Adobe Workfront Implementation in 12 Weeks" and a DAM project that "Saves $4 Million Annually".Source
• Your websiteCase study page text as served (checked October 22, 2026): Supernus 66 words, Dojolvi 109, BVI Medical 113, YESCARTA 139 and iRhythm 150, against 1,235 for Kroger and 943 for James Hardie. The Supernus, Dojolvi, YESCARTA and iRhythm pages state no measured result; BVI lists "Growth from 4% market share to 10-15%". Each page's served HTML ends in a "Loading component..." placeholder.Source

Offer a fixed audit: 50 patient and HCP prompts, which sources AI assistants cite, accuracy issues and fixes, with a quarterly re-check. Review all outputs for medical accuracy.

It packages the acquisition into something buyers understand and can approve quickly.

• Medical accuracy

  Clinical review of findings.

• Your websiteAgency update, August 26, 2026: MERGE, "serving 160+ clients", acquired St. Louis-based Brado's Insight and Digital practices, uniting qualitative research with digital performance "including generative engine optimization" to "Accelerate AI-Driven Discoverability" for health, wellness and life sciences brands.Source
• HiringManager, Paid Search (posted October 7, 2026, hybrid across eight US offices): a "hands-on player and coach" who will "guide and mentor our paid search specialists while overseeing keyword research, campaign builds, client recommendations, QA processes, and performance reporting", "Lead Discovery & Audits" and "Optimize Landing Pages & Tracking".Source
• Your websiteAgency update, April 7, 2026: the Humanity Suite, "an orchestrated system of six offerings" and "the new operating model for the AI-first era"; the AIgency series lays out MERGE's view of the agency model "where the stakes are highest, in health and life sciences".Source

Run a short qualitative study each quarter on one decision (choosing a plan, starting a therapy, picking a provider) and publish findings with clips and implications.

Original research gives sales and PR a reason to call every quarter.

• Small samples

  Present as qualitative insight.

• HiringAlso open: a Qualitative Insight Director and a Sr. Qualitative Insight Director (research design, execution and deliverables), a Manager, Programmatic Media (Boston) and an Adobe Workfront Administrator to "unify Workfront with AEM Assets, GenStudio, Firefly" for advertising workflows. Every post describes MERGE as "a marketing and technology agency purpose-built for the intersection of health and wellness" practising "Whole Human Marketing".Source
• Your websiteAgency update, August 26, 2026: MERGE, "serving 160+ clients", acquired St. Louis-based Brado's Insight and Digital practices, uniting qualitative research with digital performance "including generative engine optimization" to "Accelerate AI-Driven Discoverability" for health, wellness and life sciences brands.Source
• Your websiteSitemap (587 URLs, checked October 22, 2026): 438 insights, 66 case studies, 58 about and agency-update pages, 8 industry and 9 solution pages, and event pages /hlth (titled "HLTH 2025", with an empty meta description), /vive-2026 and /hmps-2026. No URL carries a last-modified date. Agency updates include a 2026 Data Science Academic Advisory Council "to close the enterprise AI trust gap".Source

Offer a two-week health check of an existing Workfront setup (intake, templates, reporting, AEM integration) with a scored report and a fixed-price fix plan.

It turns an existing strength into a repeatable entry point with clear value.

• Low-margin audits

  Credit the fee against the fix plan.

• Your websiteMERGE publishes a trust center listing SOC 2, ISO 27001 and HITRUST; partnership pages cover Adobe (Workfront, Marketo), Salesforce and Sitecore; Workfront case studies include "Adobe Workfront Implementation in 12 Weeks" and a DAM project that "Saves $4 Million Annually".Source
• Your websiteHomepage: "Uniting people and brands for healthier, happier lives"; seven industries (Connected Living, Financial Services, Food, Health Insurance, Health Providers, Pharma and Medtech, Retail); recent work Ortho Molecular Products, Kroger ("35% Time Savings in Marketing Operations Workflows") and a healthcare insurer's Workfront rollout across 26 teams; client logos include Abbott, American Express, Coach, James Hardie, Supernus and T-Mobile. Six sections arrive as "Loading component..." in the served HTML.Source
• HiringAlso open: a Qualitative Insight Director and a Sr. Qualitative Insight Director (research design, execution and deliverables), a Manager, Programmatic Media (Boston) and an Adobe Workfront Administrator to "unify Workfront with AEM Assets, GenStudio, Firefly" for advertising workflows. Every post describes MERGE as "a marketing and technology agency purpose-built for the intersection of health and wellness" practising "Whole Human Marketing".Source

Tag each case by industry, solution and outcome type (cost, time, revenue, adoption), add a results line to each card, and set a minimum standard for new cases.

Faster proof-finding helps both prospects and the sales team.

• Old cases

  Archive the weakest.

• Your websiteCase study page text as served (checked October 22, 2026): Supernus 66 words, Dojolvi 109, BVI Medical 113, YESCARTA 139 and iRhythm 150, against 1,235 for Kroger and 943 for James Hardie. The Supernus, Dojolvi, YESCARTA and iRhythm pages state no measured result; BVI lists "Growth from 4% market share to 10-15%". Each page's served HTML ends in a "Loading component..." placeholder.Source
• Your websiteSitemap (587 URLs, checked October 22, 2026): 438 insights, 66 case studies, 58 about and agency-update pages, 8 industry and 9 solution pages, and event pages /hlth (titled "HLTH 2025", with an empty meta description), /vive-2026 and /hmps-2026. No URL carries a last-modified date. Agency updates include a 2026 Data Science Academic Advisory Council "to close the enterprise AI trust gap".Source

Map each top client against the Humanity Suite, find the next service they lack, and run a yearly growth plan with the client lead. Track share of client spend.

Growing existing clients costs less than winning new ones and deepens relationships.

• Clients feel sold to

  Lead with their business plan.

• Your websiteAgency update, June 17, 2026: Supernus Pharmaceuticals named MERGE its comprehensive Agency of Record, expanding a 7-year partnership across its central nervous system portfolio; Supernus' VP of Marketing says the role "spans all our personal promotion efforts and supports two sales forces".Source
• Your websiteAgency update, August 26, 2026: MERGE, "serving 160+ clients", acquired St. Louis-based Brado's Insight and Digital practices, uniting qualitative research with digital performance "including generative engine optimization" to "Accelerate AI-Driven Discoverability" for health, wellness and life sciences brands.Source
• Your websiteAgency update, April 7, 2026: the Humanity Suite, "an orchestrated system of six offerings" and "the new operating model for the AI-first era"; the AIgency series lays out MERGE's view of the agency model "where the stakes are highest, in health and life sciences".Source

Add lastmod dates, show published and updated dates on each insight, update the top 30 by traffic, and merge or redirect thin or outdated posts.

Fresh, dated content ranks and gets cited more, and a smaller library is easier to navigate.

• Traffic loss

  Redirect to related posts.

• Your websiteSitemap (587 URLs, checked October 22, 2026): 438 insights, 66 case studies, 58 about and agency-update pages, 8 industry and 9 solution pages, and event pages /hlth (titled "HLTH 2025", with an empty meta description), /vive-2026 and /hmps-2026. No URL carries a last-modified date. Agency updates include a 2026 Data Science Academic Advisory Council "to close the enterprise AI trust gap".Source

Add a security and compliance block to health industry pages, prepare a standard security pack for RFPs, and offer the trust center link in first meetings.

Removing procurement friction shortens the time from verbal yes to signed contract.

• Out-of-date certificates

  Link to the live trust center.

• Your websiteMERGE publishes a trust center listing SOC 2, ISO 27001 and HITRUST; partnership pages cover Adobe (Workfront, Marketo), Salesforce and Sitecore; Workfront case studies include "Adobe Workfront Implementation in 12 Weeks" and a DAM project that "Saves $4 Million Annually".Source
• Your websitePharma and MedTech page: "Drive faster uptake and stronger market share with connected experiences that unite field, HCP, and patient engagement"; focus areas omnichannel, HCP and vet engagement, commercial enablement, brand and storytelling; recent work GE Healthcare, Dojolvi and iRhythm; a quote from Kite Pharma's VP, Global Marketing. The "Our clients" block arrives as "Loading component..." in the served HTML.Source
• HiringPharma hiring: an EVP, Account Management (October 7, 2026) to "Lead MERGE's flagship Pharma and MedTech portfolio as a core business builder" and set its "multi-year vision and annual growth strategy"; a VP and a Director, Pharma Media (August 21) for "one of our fastest-growing areas of pharmaceutical work", "focusing heavily on HCP audiences and integrated HCP/DTC programs"; and a Sr. Account Director with life science and pharma experience.Source

List every tag with its owner and purpose, remove duplicates and unused tags, and load the rest after consent and after the page renders. Repeat each quarter.

Fewer tags mean a faster site, cleaner consent and simpler data, which MERGE also advises clients on.

• Losing data

  Check reports before removing tags.

• Google PageSpeedHomepage: mobile lab score 43 (desktop 87), lab LCP 17.9s, 14.3 MB downloaded of which about 13 MB is images (image delivery alone could save about 5s); 15 third-party services load, including tag manager, consent, account-based marketing and ad-tech tags. Real visitors pass: Chrome UX Report LCP 1.2s and INP 45ms at the 75th percentile.Source

Track a fixed set of patient and HCP prompts across major AI assistants each quarter, score accuracy and brand presence by category, and publish the index with clinical review.

A regular index becomes the reference for the category and a reason for every health brand to talk to MERGE.

• Method challenged

  Publish the method.

• #10 An AI discoverability audit for health brands, built on the Brado team

• Your websiteAgency update, August 26, 2026: MERGE, "serving 160+ clients", acquired St. Louis-based Brado's Insight and Digital practices, uniting qualitative research with digital performance "including generative engine optimization" to "Accelerate AI-Driven Discoverability" for health, wellness and life sciences brands.Source
• Your websiteAgency update, April 7, 2026: the Humanity Suite, "an orchestrated system of six offerings" and "the new operating model for the AI-first era"; the AIgency series lays out MERGE's view of the agency model "where the stakes are highest, in health and life sciences".Source
• Competitor researchRivals' own homepages: Klick Health, "Over 1000 people passionate about life sciences" choosing "outcomes over optics"; Real Chemistry, "AI and ideas coming together", "an end-to-end healthcare experience group".See the research Source

Package a launch programme (HCP and patient sites, field tools, HCP media, measurement) with fixed phases and prices, drawn from the Humanity Suite.

Packaging lowers the buying effort for smaller biotechs, a growing segment.

• Scope creep

  Clear change process.

• Your websitePharma and MedTech page: "Drive faster uptake and stronger market share with connected experiences that unite field, HCP, and patient engagement"; focus areas omnichannel, HCP and vet engagement, commercial enablement, brand and storytelling; recent work GE Healthcare, Dojolvi and iRhythm; a quote from Kite Pharma's VP, Global Marketing. The "Our clients" block arrives as "Loading component..." in the served HTML.Source
• Your websiteCase study page text as served (checked October 22, 2026): Supernus 66 words, Dojolvi 109, BVI Medical 113, YESCARTA 139 and iRhythm 150, against 1,235 for Kroger and 943 for James Hardie. The Supernus, Dojolvi, YESCARTA and iRhythm pages state no measured result; BVI lists "Growth from 4% market share to 10-15%". Each page's served HTML ends in a "Loading component..." placeholder.Source
• Your websiteAgency update, April 7, 2026: the Humanity Suite, "an orchestrated system of six offerings" and "the new operating model for the AI-first era"; the AIgency series lays out MERGE's view of the agency model "where the stakes are highest, in health and life sciences".Source

Draft a public standard with the council (disclosure, review, data use, testing) and invite clients and peers to adopt it, with a short self-check.

Setting the standard makes MERGE the reference point for responsible AI in health marketing.

• Seen as marketing

  Keep the council independent.

• Your websiteSitemap (587 URLs, checked October 22, 2026): 438 insights, 66 case studies, 58 about and agency-update pages, 8 industry and 9 solution pages, and event pages /hlth (titled "HLTH 2025", with an empty meta description), /vive-2026 and /hmps-2026. No URL carries a last-modified date. Agency updates include a 2026 Data Science Academic Advisory Council "to close the enterprise AI trust gap".Source
• Your websiteAgency update, April 7, 2026: the Humanity Suite, "an orchestrated system of six offerings" and "the new operating model for the AI-first era"; the AIgency series lays out MERGE's view of the agency model "where the stakes are highest, in health and life sciences".Source

Record two-minute answers from practice leads (HCP media, experimentation, Workfront, GEO) each week, with chapters and links to the matching pages.

Short expert videos rank in search and give sales a link to send.

• Low views

  Focus on search topics.

• YouTubeThe MERGE YouTube channel has 125 videos and about 180 subscribers (22,000 total views).Source
• HiringPharma hiring: an EVP, Account Management (October 7, 2026) to "Lead MERGE's flagship Pharma and MedTech portfolio as a core business builder" and set its "multi-year vision and annual growth strategy"; a VP and a Director, Pharma Media (August 21) for "one of our fastest-growing areas of pharmaceutical work", "focusing heavily on HCP audiences and integrated HCP/DTC programs"; and a Sr. Account Director with life science and pharma experience.Source
• HiringMeasurement hiring: a VP, Analytics (Life Sciences) who will "turn measurement strategy into credible evidence of marketing impact" and mentor the Applied Intelligence team; a Director, Experimentation, Decision Science to "design, manage, and scale high-impact experimentation and personalization programs" with "learning agendas" across web, app and media.Source