Boston-based advertising agency Connelly Partners has acquired Mc|K Healthcare.
The acquisition expands Connelly’s healthcare marketing business – Mc|K Healthcare clients currently include Best Doctors, Tufts Health Plan and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Michael McLinden, founding partner of Mc|K Healthcare, will remain on board as the practice director for the newly named Mc|K CP Healthcare. He will oversee the firm’s healthcare and pharma marketing campaigns and provide guidance to Connelly’s existing clients.
McLinden “will continue to head up strategy and market analysis for Mc|K healthcare clients, and to support other CP clients, as well as being part of the CP business development team,” said Christian Megliola, director of PR and social strategy at Connelly Partners.
The terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed, and there has yet to be an announcement on the implications for Mc|K staff. At the time of acquisition, the agency had eight staff and a range of contractors.
Connelly Partners has grown from 60 employees to 110 within the last year, thanks to mergers with travel and hospitality marketing agency ISM and digital and gaming firm Pod Design. The agency has also expanded its public relations, social media, and integrated production departments.
“Today, the best marketers get a bunch of smart people with different but complementary skill sets in a room, and walk out with a solution,” said Steve Connelly, president of Connelly Partners.
“Every move we’ve made has been to get more of those smart folks together. And with Mike and Mc|K, we just got another one.”
“Michael will report to me with autonomy to build our collective practices into a powerhouse. He is the man for the job,” Connelly told PMLiVE.
“As for further acquisitions, anytime we find a potential partnership where I feel 1+1=3 we will explore possibilities and serve the evolving needs of our clients!” he added.