LONDON — Technology specialists Missive and SourceCode Communications have won a brief to collaborate on global PR for Koa Health, which develops digital mental healthcare tools.
The agencies will work together to deliver integrated communications including media, influencer and stakeholder relations, digital and social media, strategic campaigning and thought leadership – to raise the profile of Koa Health and its mobile-first among its core audiences of healthcare providers, employers and insurers in the UK and the US.
Their first joint assignment in November was coordinating Koa Health’s spin out from Alpha, Telefonica’s innovation lab – or “moonshot factory” – defined by Telefonica as “audacious projects, on the edge of what is technically possible, that will affect hundreds of millions of people, have a positive societal impact, and grow into billion euro businesses.” The spin-out followed a €14.1 million investment from Ancora Finance Group and Wellington Partners.
Koa Health’s strategy director and head of ethics, Ollie Smith, said, “We’ve worked closely with Missive for a number of years, ever since we started life as a moonshot project under Alpha. The agency has been an invaluable partner as we’ve evolved, helping us to tell our story, offering strategic counsel and always responding creatively to our briefs.
“Sourcecode is a great US counterpart to Missive and they have started strongly out of the blocks with our spin out. I’m looking forward to working with them and with SourceCode as we enter a new chapter of growth and expansion.”
At Missive – which recently shook up its leadership team with the appointment of former Lewis SVP Giles Peddy as CEO – chief client officer Nicola Koronka said: “With its strong management team and highly accessible, personalised and effective mental health solutions, Koa Health is going to be a true game-changer in digital therapeutics.”
SourceCode SVP Kristen Stippich added: “Among the many challenges 2020 has thrown at us, managing its toll on our mental health has increasingly become a struggle. This is further exacerbated by the stigma Americans face when seeking support. SourceCode was founded on the determination to put humanity back into technology and Koa Health is a terrific example of how tech built upon empathy can demonstrably change lives.”
