Core Agency
Core Agency is a Canadian healthcare marketing consultancy, founded in 2013, that provides pharmaceutical strategy consulting, HCP and patient engagement programs, and regulatory-compliant (PAAB/ASC) creative services to enterprise pharma, biopharma, and medical device brands in Canada.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersWaterdown, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Core Agency does
Core Agency (legal entity CORE Healthcare Communications Inc.) is a privately held, Canadian healthcare marketing consultancy founded on October 21, 2013, and headquartered in Waterdown, Ontario, west of the Greater Toronto Area. The firm is 100% focused on pharmaceutical and healthcare marketing, serving enterprise pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, and medical device brands — including named clients AstraZeneca, UCB, Dexcom, CSL, Phenix Pharma, and Indivior — across healthcare professional (HCP), direct-to-consumer (DTC), and patient engagement programs.
Its service portfolio spans marketing strategy consulting, digital content creation, HCP engagement programs, patient engagement programs, customer insight research, content audits, and marketing automation advisory. The firm's core differentiator is deep specialization in the Canadian pharmaceutical regulatory environment — notably PAAB (Pharmaceutical Advertising Advisory Board) and ASC compliance — combined with a senior practitioner base: a core team of 13 plus an extended network of 50 contractors, every member carrying 10+ years of healthcare marketing experience and an average of 18 years in the industry. Core Agency does not operate a proprietary technology platform; its technology stack consists of industry-standard marketing automation and CRM tools such as HubSpot, Marketo, Eloqua, and Pardot.
Revenue is generated through professional services engagements — primarily strategic consulting and full-service creative agency work delivered via direct enterprise relationships with pharmaceutical brands — under project-based or retainer arrangements. The firm has cumulative experience building and promoting over 300 Rx and OTC brands in the Canadian market. Thought leadership is distributed through its "MedicineMatters" blog and the "TWO MINUTE MATTERS" educational video series. The company is founder-led, with no disclosed external investment, parent company, or subsidiary structure.
Core Agency firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Core Agency
- Legal name
- CORE Healthcare Communications Inc.
- Website
- https://coreagency.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Core Agency is a Canadian healthcare marketing consultancy, founded in 2013, that provides pharmaceutical strategy consulting, HCP and patient engagement programs, and regulatory-compliant (PAAB/ASC) creative services to enterprise pharma, biopharma, and medical device brands in Canada.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Core Agency industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Healthcare Marketing Services
- NAICS
- Advertising Agencies (541810), Marketing Consulting Services (541613)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Healthcare/Pharma Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAJ)
Keywords
Where Core Agency is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Waterdown
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Core Agency business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Healthcare Marketing Consulting Services: Professional services revenue generated through strategic consulting and full-service marketing agency engagements with pharmaceutical and healthcare brands. Combines consulting firm strategic thinking with creative execution services.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Core Agency product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Core Agency is a healthcare marketing consultancy that delivers strategic consulting and full-service creative agency work exclusively to pharmaceutical and healthcare brands in Canada. The agency builds marketing strategies, digital content, HCP and patient engagement programs, and creative campaigns that are compliant with Canadian regulatory frameworks such as PAAB and ASC.
Product overview
Core Agency is a healthcare marketing agency providing strategic consulting and creative execution services for pharmaceutical brands. The company operates as a single integrated offering combining strategic advisory services with full-service creative production. Their portfolio includes marketing strategy consulting, digital content creation, HCP engagement programs, patient engagement programs, and the TWO MINUTE MATTERS educational video series. They specialize in helping healthcare brands navigate PAAB regulations while developing customer-centric marketing campaigns targeting healthcare professionals (70%), direct-to-consumer audiences (20%), and patients (10%).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Marketing Strategy Consulting
- Digital Content Creation
Quantifiable outcome
- Helped Phenix Pharma achieve Canada becoming the brand's global centre of excellence for marketing approvals and highest market share amongst all regions
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Core Agency
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Core Agency technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Core Agency partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Core Agency competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Intouch Group (now Avalanche): Intouch Group is a health-focused full-service creative and digital agency serving pharma clients, very closely matching Core Agency's model of pharma-only marketing services with strong digital content and HCP/patient engagement capabilities.
- Calcium+Company: Calcium+Company is a healthcare-focused creative and marketing agency offering strategic consulting and full-service execution to pharma brands, directly comparable to Core Agency in scope, customer type, and service mix.
- HCB Health: HCB Health is an independent, healthcare-specialized creative and communications agency serving pharma and biotech clients. Like Core Agency, it focuses exclusively on healthcare marketing for enterprise pharma customers.
Broad incumbents
- Ogilvy Health: Ogilvy Health is the global healthcare marketing arm of WPP/Ogilvy, serving many of the same pharma clients as Core Agency (including AstraZeneca) with broader geographic reach and larger-scale teams — a scaled incumbent competing for the same brand AORs.
- McCann Health: McCann Health is one of the largest global healthcare creative networks, providing strategy, creative, and medical communications to pharma brands. It overlaps with Core Agency in healthcare brand marketing but operates at much greater scale across geographies.
- IPG Health: IPG Health (home of FCB Health and other healthcare networks) is a major global healthcare marketing group serving top-20 pharma clients. It competes with Core Agency for pharma brand mandates at the enterprise end of the market.
- Havas Health & You: Havas Health & You is a global health-and-wellness communications network offering creative, medical, and patient engagement services to pharma. It addresses the same enterprise pharma client base as Core Agency but as part of a broader holding company portfolio.
- Publicis Health: Publicis Health is the healthcare-focused arm of Publicis Groupe, providing creative, media, and digital services to pharma brands worldwide. It competes with Core Agency for healthcare brand mandates at significantly greater scale.
Regional players
- VCCP Health: VCCP Health is a UK-based healthcare creative agency offering pharma brand strategy and execution. It is comparable to Core Agency in service mix and vertical focus but operates primarily in a different geography (UK/Europe vs. Canada).
- Concentric Life: Concentric Life is a UK-based specialist healthcare communications agency serving pharma and biotech clients. It parallels Core Agency's vertical specialization but is geographically focused on the UK/European market rather than Canada.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Core Agency social profiles
Digital presenceCore Agency compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Core Agency financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Core Agency leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Core Agency funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Core Agency M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Core Agency
What does Core Agency do?
Core Agency is a healthcare marketing consultancy that delivers strategic consulting and full-service creative agency work exclusively to pharmaceutical and healthcare brands in Canada. The agency builds marketing strategies, digital content, HCP and patient engagement programs, and creative campaigns that are compliant with Canadian regulatory frameworks such as PAAB and ASC.
Is Core Agency a public or private company?
Core Agency is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Core Agency founded?
Core Agency was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Core Agency based?
Core Agency is headquartered in Waterdown, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Core Agency make money?
One revenue line is on record: healthcare Marketing Consulting Services.
Who are Core Agency's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Intouch Group (now Avalanche), Calcium+Company and HCB Health. Broad incumbents are Ogilvy Health, McCann Health, IPG Health, Havas Health & You and Publicis Health. Regional players are VCCP Health and Concentric Life.
Does Core Agency have an API?
No public API is recorded for Core Agency.
What industry is Core Agency in?
Core Agency's product category is Healthcare Marketing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAAAAJ, Healthcare/Pharma Creative Agencies. Its NAICS code is 541810 and its SIC code is 7311.