Clio Health Champions: Kyle Wright, SVP Group Director, Strategy - Minds + Assembly

Kyle Wright has built brands in healthcare and beyond, defining strategies across immunotherapies and the emerging field of digital therapeutics. In his past work as a research consultant, Kyle helped invent beers and develop ads for the Super Bowl.
How do you bring creativity and innovation to your work?
While there are thousands of brand strategy frameworks and millions of well-paid consultants to peddle them, I have my own patented, rigorous assessment to get to something good. It boils down to a single question: Can you explain the strategy to your mom without her getting confused or bored? If so, you might be onto something.
How do I get there? First, I make clients mildly uncomfortable. For many clients, the focus required to arrive at a simple strategy is painful. Giving up an opportunity or leaving behind the brand’s third-most-important reason to believe seems unimaginably risky.
The other tricky component is the customer. The million-dollar question is, What do they actually care about? Even with all of our data, market research, analytics and AI, the answer may not be obvious. If it was obvious, our competitors would already be taking advantage of it. Arriving at a human truth that changes a business for the better requires creative interpretation and radical empathy. In my experience, these truths are more likely to emerge in winding conversations in cabs and bars than during meetings and Zoom calls.
Tell us about a recent project you’re proud of.
I had the pleasure of partnering with Otsuka Precision Health on the launch of Rejoyn, the first prescription app that is FDA-authorized for depression symptoms. Rejoyn establishes a deeply needed non-pharmacologic approach to psychiatric treatment. We distilled this multifaceted breakthrough from the strategic idea that your brain can change. This led to the creation of an approachable, kinetic visual identity and a defiant, empowering campaign that continues to resonate with people in need.
What are you most excited about right now in the health space?
I’m excited by the combustion of technology and healthcare that we continue to witness. From Neuralink exploring brain-computer interfaces that could restore mobility or communication, to AI-powered tools that detect cancer earlier and with more accuracy, we’re seeing the boundaries of what’s possible shift in real time.
What does it mean to you to be selected as a Clio Health Champion?
It means a lot me. I actually remember applying to my first internship in advertising. I wrote a little essay analyzing a Playstation campaign that recently won a Clio. I remember thinking how special it would be to be recognized by Clio. So it is a big moment. Also, it was really special to read the submission from my peers and friends at Minds & Assembly. I’m filled with gratitude that I get to work with these folks day in and day out.