
The seventh installation of our "Road To..." series celebrates 30 years of scientific creativity at That's Nice. Join Nigel Walker and Mark Allen as they answer 30 questions about the agency's formation, history, milestones, and memorable moments across the city's most iconic locations on two genuine 1971 Raleigh Choppers.
Pharma's Almanac and That's Nice would like to extend their gratitude for the following companies for the support on this year's road trip. Thank you for your time and for sharing your valuable knowledge and insights.



















































































































































































































We’re closing our 30-day journey at one of New York City’s most iconic landmarks: Bethesda Fountain in Central Park. One of the questions Mark and Nigel get asked most often is where their accents are from. Hint: it's not Australia.

Many of the companies we work with are backed by PE investment. Understanding how PE drives growth and consolidation across life sciences is now essential to how the agency operates: connecting capital, strategy, and science to accelerate what’s next.

It's a simple question, but one we get asked quite often. Orange isn’t just a color. It’s a statement of confidence and energy. For That’s Nice, orange is our signal to the world that creativity and science can shine just as brightly together.

Charge over to Bowling Green’s Bull with us as we reflect on That’s Nice’s first M&A project, which served as an early exploration of how branding and marketing intersect with valuation and acquisition.

Today we’re at the Christian Louboutin store in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, a neighborhood that has reinvented itself more times than almost any other in the city. It’s a fitting stop for Nigel, who’s as passionate about craftsmanship and design as he is about science and strategy.

Join us at the Yankees Clubhouse on 5th Avenue, a flagship store that pays tribute to one of New York’s most iconic teams. Today, we want to take a moment to recognize Mark Bamforth, the driving force behind countless ventures that have shaped the advanced therapies CDMO landscape.

Just as the Flatiron stands at the crossroads of New York, relationships and connections stand at the crossroads of opportunity in life sciences. The strength of your network often determines the reach of your ideas — and cultivating those relationships is as vital as the science itself.

Conceived by Wei Gao and now led by Editor in Chief David Alvaro, Pharma's Almanac grew out of our realization that scientific companies needed more than marketing; they needed a space for invited thought leadership.

In 2013, That’s Nice moved into our current office on 5th Avenue, which for years served as the central hub for much of our staff. While the shift to remote work has since scattered our team across the globe, the 5th Avenue office remains an anchor point.

Not to be confused with FIT, That’s Nice has a meaningful connection with MIT. Our research division’s foundations trace back to a former colleague who studied at MIT, and played a pivotal role in building the systems that powered Nice Insight’s earliest quantitative research.

We’ve seen it all, from early-stage incubators to full-scale commercial manufacturing plants. Our clients’ facilities have spanned every major geography, giving us a unique vantage point into how science is practiced and scaled across borders.

Our move to 6 West 20th Street marked the company’s first venture into real estate ownership, a major step forward from our earlier rentals. The move reflected both the growth of our team and the confidence that came with scaling the business.

At That’s Nice, we’ve also looked outward to consider our role in sustainability. During our 2023 Road to Launch road trip, we participated in the Transpacific Yacht Race. Part of the journey was dedicated to science: collecting seawater samples along the route from California to Hawaii to measure microplastic levels.

What many people don’t know is that our Head of Strategy, Mark Allen, is also a former PGA professional golfer. Golf remains his hidden talent and lifelong passion, though most of his energy today is dedicated to shaping strategy, crafting content, and helping life sciences companies tell their stories.

In the life sciences, the phrase “content is king” has taken on new meaning. As scientific companies compete not only on innovation but also on perception, the intersection of content and design has become critical.

A name or tagline is more than just words — it’s identity. It’s also one of the most personal and time-intensive parts of any branding project. So how do Mark and his team consistently get it right? Watch today's episode to find out.

The logo is every client's favorite part of a branding project, and we've done that project a lot of times for companies across the entire spectrum of life sciences. But, logo design isn't just about what looks pretty; it's about the message that the logo conveys about your company.

Being ready is important. If you ask Nigel, getting ready, or more specifically, getting dressed, might be the only thing more important. How do Nigel and Mark get prepared and stay prepared? And more importantly, how does That's Nice help its clients get and stay prepared for the various pitfalls and surprises that come with running a business?

In the '90s, now-local-legend and Tea & Sympathy proprietor Nicky Perry managed to seek out her fellow countrymen when looking to do some branding work for her restaurant and its retail packaging. Thus began a decades-long friendship between Nigel, Mark, Nicky, and her late husband Sean Kavanagh-Dowsett.

Featuring special guest appearances from LEGO and a yellow monkey named Eric, in today's episode, Nigel and Mark explore which retail brands have influenced them most and how, even a space like pharma manufacturing, can take a leaf out of some retail companies' branding playbook.

That's Nice had the great privilege of contributing to the Staten Island September 11th Memorial's development, providing the facial silhouettes, typography, and nearby informational signage in the neighborhood of St. George.

A simple two-word phrase, a shocking orange tint, and the refined curves of Caslon 540 typeface — that's what it takes to make a good logo. We might make it look easy, but an immense amount of time, effort, and design sensibilities go into designing a logo.

When Mark and Nigel began this journey, they never envisioned that they'd have a big enough pipeline to necessitate a multi-floor office in Manhattan's Flatiron District. What began as a two-man operation had grown into five, and would continue to scale throughout the early 2000s through to today.

Early projects with UNICEF and UNFPA planted the seeds for what would become a defining part of That’s Nice’s culture. Exhibits became central to the way the agency engaged with audiences — a reflection of how the pharmaceutical industry itself relied heavily on exhibitions for visibility and connection.

The "Road To..." crew has always had a need for speed. Where did this fascination with exotic transportation stem from? It's simple, really: we've got facilities to tour and scientists to interview.

Pharma's Almanac and That's Nice are all about science. And what better way to showcase the science than by bringing scientists and their stories directly to our readers and viewers? For the last seven years, our "Road To..." series has done just that.

New York City's Fashion Institute of Technology is located just a few blocks from the That's Nice headquarters. It was here, more than three decades ago, during his residency, where Nigel first ideated the agency's name before ever even starting the company.

How do two English lads with no scientific training tap into the life sciences space? Grit, persistence, and a little help from the team at Allied Signal and Pamela Roach, who has cemented herself as something of a folk hero at That's Nice since giving us our big break.

Before fully dedicating to life sciences, That's Nice worked on projects for New York City's Economic Development Corporation to write and design informational and safety signage for the city's greenways.

Take a bike ride down Memory Lane with us. Join Nigel Walker and Mark Allen, the founders of That's Nice, as they explore the company's history across our home turf, New York City, on two genuine 1971 Raleigh Choppers.