What AbelsonTaylor does

AbelsonTaylor, Inc. is an independent healthcare advertising agency headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, founded in 1981 by Dale Taylor. The firm provides full-service brand strategy, creative development, clinical strategy, media planning, digital development, and production services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and consumer health companies, and reports having launched 57+ drugs to market including Ambien, Actos, Neulasta, and Imfinzi. Its core capabilities span HCP (healthcare professional) and DTC (direct-to-consumer) communications across therapeutic areas including rare diseases, oncology, cardiology, mental health, primary care, and OTC products.

The agency operates as part of the AT Group holding structure formed in 2022, which bundles the parent agency with three wholly-owned sub-brands: AT Activate, a data-driven media division handling planning, programmatic, paid social, and OTT/CTV buying; Dose Pictures (Dose), an in-house production studio for broadcast, print, animation, and digital content; and AT Nutrient, a sister agency launched in 2022 serving nutrient and wellness brands. Revenue is generated on a professional services basis through custom project-based and multi-year retainer engagements with enterprise pharma and biotech clients, including Kodiak Sciences, Arcutis, MyoKardia, Nestle Health, Radius Health, CSL Behring, Sage & Biogen, Vericel, and Sunovion.

The company remains privately held under founder/CEO Dale Taylor, who has declined at least 35 acquisition offers (including in 1997 and 2018) and granted equity to 13 employees in 2005 to broaden ownership. The leadership team includes President Jeff Berg (appointed 2019), EVP/CFO Keith Stenlund, EVP/CCO Janet Barker-Evans, and a bench of senior VPs across client services, media, creative, IT, finance, and medical strategy (including an MD and a PharmD). The firm operates from a 300+ person headquarters at the Chicago Old Post Office and is a member of 4A's, HBA, CHC, The Network One, and MAHF.

Name

AbelsonTaylor

Legal name

AbelsonTaylor, Inc.

Website

https://abelsontaylor.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

AbelsonTaylor is an independent Chicago-based healthcare advertising agency founded in 1981, providing brand strategy, creative, media, and production services to pharmaceutical, biotech, and consumer health brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Healthcare Advertising Services: Full-service healthcare advertising agency providing strategy, creative, media, digital, and production services to pharmaceutical, biotech, and healthcare brands. Revenue generated through professional service fees for brand planning, campaign development, media planning/buying, and content production.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

AbelsonTaylor is a full-service independent healthcare advertising agency that develops brand strategy, creative campaigns, digital media, and production services for pharmaceutical, biotech, and consumer health brands. The agency pairs traditional HCP and DTC advertising with specialized units for media (AT Activate), production (Dose), and consumer health (AT Nutrient), serving both prescription and over-the-counter healthcare marketers.

Product overview

AbelsonTaylor is a Chicago-based independent healthcare advertising agency operating as a unified platform with multiple integrated divisions. The core agency provides full-service brand strategy, creative, clinical strategy, media, digital development, and production capabilities. The portfolio includes AT Activate (data-driven media division launched 2023), AT Nutrient (sister agency for nutrient/wellness brands), and Dose (full-service production studio). The agency specializes in both HCP (healthcare professional) and DTC (direct-to-consumer) marketing across rare diseases, oncology, cardiology, mental health, primary care, and other therapeutic areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AT Activate: Data-driven media strategy and activation division.
• Dose Pictures

Products and services

• Brand Strategy & Creative

Quantifiable outcome

• 57 drugs successfully launched to market since 1981
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• CHC (Consumer Healthcare Association)minorOthersIndustry association partnership supporting consumer healthcare industry connections and insights.
• The Network OneminorOthersHealthcare advertising network providing industry connections and collaborative opportunities.
• HBA (Healthcare Businesswomen's Association)minorOthersPartnership supporting women leaders in healthcare through networking and professional development.
• 4A's (American Association of Advertising Agencies)minorOthersMembership in industry organization supporting advertising agency standards and practices.
• MAHF (Medical Advertising Hall of Fame)minorOthersIndustry recognition partnership supporting excellence in medical advertising.
• AT NutrientcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister agency within AT Group focused on nutrient and wellness brands, launched in 2022. Allows agency to serve broader health and wellness clients under the group umbrella.
• AT ActivatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerData-driven media division within AT Group providing integrated media strategy, planning, and activation across channels. Launched to strengthen agency's media offering.
• Dose PicturescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFull-service production studio within AT Group offering video production, animation, and creative services across broadcast, print, and digital channels.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• McCann Health: Global healthcare communications network within IPG/McCann Worldgroup, serving major pharma clients with strategy, medical communications, and patient/HCP engagement. A holding-company incumbent competing with AT for large pharma accounts.
• IPG Health: Holding-company healthcare network (formerly FCB Health) offering full-service healthcare communications, medical education, and DTC/HCP marketing. Represents the holding-company alternative to AT, often competing on pharma AOR reviews.
• Syneos Health Communications: Healthcare communications and contract research organization offering brand communications and patient/HCP engagement. Often co-competes with AT on launches where clinical insight matters.
• Havas Life: Havas Group's global healthcare and wellness creative network. Competes with AT for mid-cap and specialty pharma accounts with a similar HCP/DTC integrated offering.
• Omnicom Health Group: Holding-company healthcare network including CDM, DDB Health, and TBWA\WorldHealth. Competes directly with AT on pharma AOR reviews with greater scale but less independence.
• Grey Health / Grey Group: WPP-owned healthcare advertising agency serving pharma, biotech, and consumer health clients. Competes on DTC and HCP campaigns similar to AT's portfolio.
• Publicis Health / Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness: Publicis Groupe's healthcare communications network serving global pharma with creative, medical, and patient engagement services. Holding-company competitor frequently in pitches alongside AT.
• VMLY&R Health: WPP's healthcare agency (merger of VMLY&R and Y&R Health), serving pharma, biotech, and medical device clients. Competes with AT on integrated launches and brand strategy mandates.

Direct peers

• Real Chemistry: Large independent healthcare and life sciences marketing agency offering brand strategy, creative, data, and communications services to pharma and biotech. Most direct independent competitor to AbelsonTaylor, similar scale and client mix.
• Calcium (formerly Calcium USA): Independent health and wellness agency specializing in consumer health, pharma, and OTC. Closest peer in terms of independent positioning and size, with overlapping pharma and OTC client base.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/abelson-taylor
• Xx.com/abelsontaylor
• Facebookfacebook.com/abelsontaylor

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AbelsonTaylor