"It takes Two to Tango" became the theme image of the Productivity for Growth program.

Challenged by the competitive environment and the investment community to grow and to improve productivity, Bristol-Myers Squibb established a Productivity Steering Committee (PSC) in late 1994 to manage a process of change that would transform the company from a group of discrete profit centers to an integrated whole. The goal set for the project, which came to be called Productivity for Growth, was to double revenues and profits within five years.

The PSC, which was made up of the company's five top executives, recognized the potential economies of scale that could be achieved by integrating processes and functions across division lines. It created eleven initiatives designed to breakdown the barriers, each charged to discover best practices, identify opportunities, develop solutions and implement them.

McCarthy Communications became involved in early 1995 in support of the Director of Public Affairs who was responsible for all the communications relating to the program. Never before had the company attempted to communicate with all employees worldwide as part of one program.

Our work involved strategic consulting as well as creative support for Productivity for Growth.

We restructured the communications strategic plan to improve focus on key target audiences. Recommended a survey and worked with noted pollsters Penn & Schoen on its development and analysis. Created direct mail packages heralding the growth initiatives. Produced a series of videotapes to reinforce the message. Refocused and enlivened the worldwide newsletter The Link. Developed a series of posters that were distributed in nine languages and became the basis for a colorful calendar. Supported the individual initiatives, including Purchasing, Information Management, Supply Chain and Real Estate.

In 1997, we worked with BMS Demand Management , a part of the Supply Chain initiative representing $6 billion in costs, to prepare strategies and the necessary tools for their implementation worldwide. We also worked with Clairol , a subsidiary of BMS, on a leadership program. www.bms.com