About VPR Creative Group
Applying Innovation to a tradition of excellence.
VPR Creative Group stands behind a philosophy to combine creativity with what we know or, as we call it, "applying innovation to a tradition of excellence". Yes, we utilize the latest technologies, our creative staff is continually challenged to deliver fresh ideas, and our team looks at each project from a new perspective. However, we also appreciate that when a Product Manager or CEO is in front of the sales force for the only time all year, it's a time to motivate and re-recruit…not reinvent the wheel.
It's a philosophy built on years of trial, error and, ultimately, excellence. We'd never settle for status quo, but we have learned what works and what doesn't. We understand the mentality of sales professionals, healthcare providers & patients... and we know to motivate them. We're dedicated to building on our experience to help you build a culture where every attendee leaves your event proud to be apart of your company and more excited about your products than ever before.
VPR Patient Outreach Program
Our sister company, focused on peer-to-peer outreach
VPR POP specializes in developing and scheduling peer-to-peer healthcare education programs; providing customized training programs for peer educators; creating tools to enhance peer interaction; marketing peer-to-peer programs to healthcare providers and their patients; and coordinating the research and data analysis of the powerful impact of these programs. Website
Curtis Pickering
Founder & CEO
As founder and CEO of VPR Creative Group, Curtis has garnered more than 350 awards for excellence in media and communications including the most innovative award from the Consumer Electronics Tradeshow for his interactive CD-ROM “Dennis Miller: That’s News to Me”. He was also honored by Kodak for this role in the Frank Sinatra Duets project. And, both USA Today and The Wall Street Journal have recognized his contributions to the aviation and telecommunications industries.
The projects that mean the most to Curtis, however, are those that focus not on technology but on people. Working with Marion Laboratories in the early 1980’s, Curtis pioneered the concept of talking about disease states through the eyes of the patient. Initially, Curtis developed several of these “patient profiles” for Cardizem; eventually, the VPR library would grow to include hundreds of these stories spanning therapeutic areas from respiratory to oncology and diabetes to multiple sclerosis.
Among the highlights of that library is a film featuring Kevin Costner that was used in 2010 to raise awareness for deep vein thrombosis, a potentially life-threatening medical condition. Curtis was working with the Academy Award winner on an unrelated project when he learned that Mr. Costner was one of the nearly 2 million Americans affected by DVT each year. Curtis asked him to share his powerful story with healthcare providers during DVT Awareness Month to help spread the word about this silent killer.
Rachel Sexton
Creative Director & Vice President of VPR POP
After graduating cum laude from the University of Missouri’s Journalism School in 1998, Rachel went to work as a Writer for VPR Creative Group. Over her 14 years with the company, she has been promoted from Writer/Producer to Sr. Writer to Creative Director.
At most companies the primary roles of Creative Director are leadership and delegation, but at VPR, Creative Director is a full-service role. This unique structure has allowed Rachel to apply the breadth of her talents to each project: developing the creative treatment; writing the script or speech; and overseeing the team to execute every deliverable. It’s also what prepared Rachel to assume the role of Vice President of VPR Patient Outreach Program in 2011.
Thanks to her contributions on 7 pharmaceutical product launches and 3 major training initiatives, Rachel has been immersed in the world of patient care for more than a decade. “There is nothing as rewarding and enlightening as hearing directly from patients…the people who walk the walk every day. For most of my career, I’ve worked for them. Today, it is my sincere honor to also work beside them,” Rachel says of her dual roles at VPR Creative Group and VPR Patient Outreach Program.
Rachel Sexton has been honored as one of KC Business magazine's "Most Influential Women"; named a "Forty under 40" by Ingram's Magazine; recognized as a "Rising Star" by KC Business magazine; selected as a "Next Gen Leader" and member of the 2013 class of "Women Who Mean Business" by the Kansas City Business Journal; chosen as one of KC Magazine's Top 100 People of Kansas City; and recognized as a PharmaVoice 100 in 2014.