"Float Health is experiencing a new stage in its trajectory. The recent redesign of the brand reflects a deeper transformation of the agency, which wants to go beyond traditional communication to assume a more strategic role within the pharmaceutical industry. In an interview, Pedro Joel, CEO of the company, explains the vision, ambition, and journey built over 23 years.
More than a new image, the renewal of Float Health's identity symbolizes a repositioning designed to keep pace with the evolution of the health sector itself. In an area where communicating science is no longer enough, the agency advocates an approach that combines scientific knowledge, technology, behaviour, and social context, with the goal of generating real impact and bringing innovation closer to people's lives.
With 23 years of experience, Float Health wants to establish itself as much more than a specialised agency. The ambition is to consolidate a model that brings together medical communication, strategic consulting, and the development of proprietary solutions, reinforcing the Iberian presence and accelerating international projection.
Float Health recently presented a brand redesign. What does this new identity seek to convey about the agency you are today?
The new identity is not cosmetic, but an alignment with a structural change in the health sector. In the last 10 years, the pharmaceutical industry (PI) has shifted from a product-driving model to an outcomes-driven model: clinical value and patient experience. This means moving into the territory of solving real patient problems.
The tagline "Connect with life" reflects this evolution: we have moved from a from a system-centred view of health to a life-centred perspective. At a time when, according to the OECD, more than 50% of health outcomes depend on non-clinical determinants, communicating science is no longer enough; it needs to be made relevant in everyday life.
The symbolism of cells in an urban environment reinforces this positioning: we work at the intersection of biology, science, behaviour, and social context.
How does this brand evolution also accompany a deeper transformation of its positioning and ambition for the future?
There is a clear transformation. We are moving away from the agency model to a hybrid model between medcomm, product builder, and strategic consultancy. The global medical communications market is growing consistently, especially in the most dynamic segments (proprietary solutions, platforms, data, and scalable models). And it is in this area that we are concentrating our investment.
Today we do not just produce content. We are betting on real-world evidence platforms, automated scientific output systems, and data-driven learning and engagement solutions. This has changed the agency's role: we are now directly influencing the production and dissemination of clinical evidence.
Internally, it requires a structure that many agencies do not have: integration across medical writing, technological development, and strategy. Therefore, our ambition is clear: to be perceived as a partner that solves complex pharmaceutical industry problems and not as a mere service provider.
After 23 years of activity, what do you consider having been most decisive in maintaining relevance in an increasingly competitive and fragmented market?
Anticipation and structure. Most react to demand; we invest before it exists. This involves cost and risk, but it's the only path that counts. And despite the real fragmentation of the market (more channels, more players, more specialisation), the truth is that clients are concentrating investment in partners who can integrate multiple dimensions: science, creativity, technology, and compliance. And, as such, having a solid multidisciplinary team was crucial. This allows us to respond quickly, but consistently, something critical in a regulated sector.
In an increasingly demanding attention economy, how does a specialised agency continue to capture value, trust, and impact?
Initial attention spans are now less than 8 seconds for generalist digital content. For healthcare professionals, the limitation is the time available to them. The answer is not to produce more, but to better design the experience. We work with qualified audiences, which favours relevance over volume. If the content is useful, it is consumed. In a scenario of channel saturation, the differentiator lies in redesigning journeys: integrating learning into the physician's workflow, using microformats, creating modular experiments, and eliminating friction. Every unnecessary click reduces engagement.
Float Health presents itself today as a Global Medcomm. What distinguishes, in practice, this positioning from a more traditional offering in the communications field?
A traditional agency executes. A global medcomm designs, builds, and scales. The difference lies in three areas: Scientific depth; technological integration (without dependence on third parties); and international scale, with projects designed for multiple markets. We develop multilingual platforms, for example in diabetes, medical applications, and solutions for patients in areas such as thyroid or rare diseases, among countless other solutions for those who seek us out. And of course, this forces a sophistication that goes far beyond traditional communication.
Float Health has reinforced its Iberian leadership. What opportunities and responsibilities do this positioning bring for the coming years?
Iberian leadership is not a title. It is, rather, added pressure. But I think the description that fits us best is being one of the best companies in this area in Europe. Especially since pharmaceutical companies are increasingly organized by geographic clusters and having an Iberian or European presence positions us as a natural partner for projects that require consistency across markets, but local adaptation. In addition, this positioning also allows the development of proprietary products. With greater scale, we can invest in solutions that go beyond the service model.
When you look to the future, what space does Float Health want to occupy in the area of Medical Communication in Healthcare, and what mark does it intend to leave on the sector?
We want to be the reference whenever the pharmaceutical company seeks a valuable partner to launch, scale, or transform a medical project. We have already demonstrated this with record-breaking launches in the national market, including Portugal's leading obesity drug. We were responsible for the most successful launch ever in Portugal: a drug that reached first place in its class and exceeded €100 million in the first year. We didn't just launch a drug; we prepared a market.
The next step is to consolidate our international presence and reinforce the weight of proprietary solutions in the portfolio."
MARKETEER Yearbook 2026