If you want to engage stakeholders in a thoughtful, information-driven debate about the scientific and moral implications of stem cell research and its potential pharmaceutical benefits, int/ext Communications is the public relations firm for you. Its team of eight includes individuals whose backgrounds range from life sciences to publishing to logistics, and most of the firm’s clients are drawn from the chemicals and life sciences sectors—industries where managers are frequently faced with the kind of complex, multidimensional issues that int/ext specializes in addressing.
Managing partner Marcel Trachsel, who founded the firm in 1993, was previously scientific communications officer for Sandoz and head of marketing and communications at Sandoz Technology. He is joined by two partners: Martin Huschke was project manager and head of marketing and sales in a scientific publishing house, while Claudia Bracher Wolfensberger joined in January 2007 and enabled the firm to expand its services to the logistics sector.
That leadership team has communications expertise that spans the full range of int/ext services, which were formally organized in 2010 into six centers of excellence: corporate communications (including financial communications); marketing communications; issues and crisis management (including reputation management); organizational development and change management; quality programs; and consultancy with non-profit organizations and the public sector.
Fee income has held steady over the past two years, at around the €1.1 million mark. There was new business from Sauter (building management), Bank Coop (financial services), the Drug Information Association (a large non-profit), and Sonova (hearing aids), while the firm continues to work with Rhenus-Alpina Group (logistics), mission 21 (non-profit), Mepha Pharma (healthcare), Galenica Group (healthcare), bci Betriebs (landfill remediation), Novartis, and CSL Behring (healthcare). Interesting work included strategic consultancy, communications planning and issues management for the remediation of a major landfill for bci Betriebs and “simply better,” an internal quality initiative of pharmaceutical company CSL Behring, which culminated in an event that saw 2,000 employees were baking chocolate cakes applying the stringent quality standards of pharmaceutical production.
“We are so glad that we decided to assign int/ext Communications with the planning and realization of our ‘simply better’ initiative,” says Anita Kohl Truebenbach, head of production for CSL Behring Marburg. “The ideas were really creative, very close to our business and pragmatic enough to be realized.” Adds bci Betriebs managing director Michael Fischer: “We appreciate int/ext Communications as a very reliable partner due to the industry-specific know-how, the professionalism and the commitment of its communications experts. The agency supports us with a comprehensive service, from consultancy to conception and realization.”
int/ext Communications is a member of Public Relations Organisation International, a network of independent public relations firms and handles numerous international assignments.