Life sciences and pharmaceutical marketing agency ramarketing is gearing up to launch its first US office, with the signing of a lease on offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the addition of three new US clients to its overseas portfolio.
The move puts ramarketing at the epicentre of the world’s drug development industry, with its new office sited in the world-famous Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC) in Kendall Square, where the agency’s neighbours include the British Embassy.
In 2018, the agency has landed branding, content and PR projects with three multi-billion-dollar US-based clients all situated in and around Boston. Over 50 percent of its business now lies in exports, and the recent winning of eight new European customers creates a client list which spans 12 countries and three continents.
Harriet Cross, Her Britannic Majesty’s Consul General to New England, said: “The British Consulate is absolutely delighted that ramarketing will be expanding its operations to the Boston area. For a Northern Powerhouse company to choose New England as its landing point in the United States says a great deal about the strength and bond between our two regions and the tremendous potential for growth that exists within this market.”
Set up in 2009, ramarketing specialises in design, digital and PR services for research and development, manufacturing, packaging and technology companies operating in the global biotechnology and pharmaceutical sector.
Founder of ramarketing Raman Sehgal, said: “We have been looking for offices in the life sciences hub on the East coast of America for some time. Several hundred biotech facilities and big companies are based in the area so it places us at the heart of our client industry, and Massachusetts is a good cultural fit for us.
“Given our humble beginnings, I’m very proud that we are now established as a life sciences and pharma specialist on an international stage. Our new US office will be the springboard for further growth, and doubling our size again in the next two years is not unrealistic.
“We intend to take advantage of the strong links that already exist between our region and the North East coast of the US. The support we have had from UK Department for International Trade and the British Consulate has been fantastic.”
Harriet Cross added: “The agency’s expansion serves as an excellent example of how UK companies can work with our Department for International Trade (DIT) team to gain insight into overseas markets and better understand the most effective approach for putting their operations on the ground abroad. I would encourage other UK or US companies thinking about such transatlantic growth to utilise the invaluable resource that DIT provides to help ensure their international growth is met with this level of success.”
The US base is the latest step in ramarketing’s expansion plans. Last year the business announced a six-figure investment by pharmaceutical industry expert Fiona Cruickshank OBE, and the news comes on the heels of the firm’s expansion into Manchester earlier this year.
The North East team is preparing to move its Newcastle headquarters into Carliol Square, as Campus North vacates the premises. Several new mid weight marketing and PR roles have been created recently and the company is actively recruiting to help service its growing client base.
Raman added: “We’ve already surpassed our growth targets for this year and kept our recruitment promises, making seven new hires in the last few months, bringing team numbers to 25.
“All the indicators are bright and if things go as well as we expect them to, I see it leading to more expansion and the creation of at least ten new jobs. Excitingly, we are now fishing in a talent pool on both sides of the Atlantic.
“CIC is a really impressive innovation hub and vibrant community designed to support fast growing companies. Big names such as Apple, Amazon, Google and Facebook have all at one time been based on CIC’s innovation campuses so we will be in illustrious company. There is said to be more venture capital housed in the CIC building than in the whole of Europe.”