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Next Fifteen Communications Group Unveils New Digital Media Consultancy, Beyond

rebecca — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 17:22:39 +0000

Next Fifteen Communications Group, a $115 million PR Services Group, today unveiled Beyond, its new digital media consultancy.

The move coincides with the announcement of its most recent investment, the acquisition of Type3, a 20 person digital agency with offices in San Francisco and London. Type3 is being merged with the research and analytics capabilities of Context-Analytics, a specialist content analysis business, which has more than 12 years of experience in media analysis.

The newly formed consultancy, Beyond, has over 30 staff, and a client base which includes Google, Genentech, Hilton Group and Virgin America. Beyond has offices in San Francisco and London, and an office will be opened in New York shortly.

Beyond’s mission is to rethink the traditional digital agency approach and use a combination of earned, owned and paid media to maximize relevant traffic to brand properties and experiences.

According to today’s press release at PR Newswire, Tim Dyson, CEO of Next Fifteen Communications Group was quoted as saying: “Traditional digital agencies emerged in an era where the web was a one-way publishing channel and marketing was all about one-way communication. Beyond has been created from the ground up to create a digital consultancy grounded in the disciplines of influence and listening to maximize traffic to branded content.”

Next Fifteen Communications Group plc is the holding company for a group of worldwide PR consultancies. It owns five independent subsidiary PR agencies that operate as autonomous businesses. It also owns two research businesses and a policy communications business. Between them these businesses have 43 offices in 19 countries. The Group has established itself as a leader in digital public relations. Clients include global names such as IBM, Yahoo!, Microsoft, Facebook and Cisco.

Redstone Promotes Two, Adds One to Online Media Department

rebecca — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:28:04 +0000

Redstone, an Omaha based advertising agency, has promoted two team members and added another to its online media department.

In today’s press release at PR.com, Claudia Martin, Redstone President and Media Director was quoted as saying: “We think Redstone can bring a mostly unique perspective to online advertising that combines our very-real talents in producing, placing and tracking traditional media and integrating that with online channels.”

Randa Zalman was promoted to Online Strategist, Sr. Account Supervisor and Amanda Peterson was prmoted to Online Specialist, Media Buyer. Amy Jacobberger was hired as Online Specialist, Account Coordinator.

Redstone is an agency specializing in advertising, media, online and direct marketing with offices in Omaha and Des Moines. Founded in 1984, Redstone serves some of the region’s premier brands in retail, home services, education, financial services and franchising.

Marty Cooke Joins RAPP as U.S. Chief Creative Officer

rebecca — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:49:59 +0000

Marty Cooke, a highly regarded individual in the creative and marketing worlds, is joining Global marketing agency RAPP as U.S. Chief Creative Officer.

According to the August 30th press release at PR Newswire, Bob Horvath, Global CEO of RAPP was quoted as saying: “Great creative thinking is the final piece of the puzzle in our strategy to compete for A.O.R. accounts. “Marty is all about applying bold creativity to bring brands to life.”

Most recently, Cooke was Partner and Chief Creative Officer of SS+K. During his 10 years at the company, he led the agency’s development of brand-defining experiences, which included big urban games, interactive cinema games and live text projections. He helped turn the LIVESTRONG yellow wristband into a worldwide phenomenon and devised a ground-breaking brand campaign to launch Delta Air Lines out of bankruptcy.

Prior to SS+K, Cooke was best known for creating Fruitopia, naming and helping to launch jetBlue and ground-breaking campaigns for brands like Reebok, British Airways and BellSouth. He also has the distinction of being the only person to serve as Creative Director of three Chiat/Day offices (New York, London and Toronto). Earlier in his career, Cooke was a Copywriter and Creative Director at M&C Saatchi, Doyle Dane Bernbach and Scali McCabe Sloves.

Cooke was quoted as saying: “Creative agencies and digital agencies are all competing for the holy grail of managing clients’ brands. I like RAPP’s odds in this race. Nobody knows more about the consumer than these guys. Their insights are going to be like giving creative people night vision to engage consumers. Having all that information is going to be like cheating!”

Named to Advertising Age’s prestigious A-list in 2009, RAPP is one of the largest marketing services networks in the world. The network is comprised of more than 50 offices in 30 countries delivering over 40 years’ experience in customer acquisition, retention and optimization to its clients. RAPP is a unit of the Omnicom Group, Inc.

San Francisco Advertising Agency, Heat, Adds In-House Communications Department

rebecca — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:44:24 +0000

Heat, a full-service advertising agency located in San Francisco, has added an in-house “Communications Planning and Media” department – a function that had previously been outsourced.

Brad Ziff will be the director of the department. Ziff was formerly media director for all accounts at TDA Advertising & Design in Boulder, Colorado.

According to the August 24th article at sanfrancisco.dbusinessnews.com, Heat president John Elder was quoted as saying: “The heyday of the big, price-focused media agency has come and gone. With today’s explosion-slash-fragmentation of media options—not just bought media, but bought, earned, and owned media—clients have seen that the greatest inefficiencies in media buying are not measured in only CPM. They are measured in opportunities lost. Having media and communications planning together under the same roof with creative shifts the emphasis from sending out messages, which is easier now than it’s ever been, to forging connections.”

Advertising Age magazine named Heat 2010 Small Agency of the Year, West Region. Heat Clients include EA Sports, Condé Nast Publications, The California Academy of Sciences, Bare Escentuals Cosmetics and Adobe.

British Agency Opening Irvine Office

victor — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 19:53:27 +0000

Britain-based ad agency WPP PLC announced it is bringing 100 jobs to Orange County through an agreement with Mazda North American Operations based in Irvine.

WPP PLC plans to open a new agency, Team Mazda, by October, the Orange County Business Journal reports. Open positions will include human resources, creative staff and account executives. About half of the positions will be filled by staff at existing WPP offices around the world with the remainder coming from within the United States.

An initial 100 workers will be hired in October and more workers will be hired as the workload increases. Estimates are the agency could employ more than 150 people by the beginning of the year.

Burson-Marsteller Appoints Regional Managing Director

victor — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 22:07:34 +0000

Burson-Marsteller, a global public relations and communications consultancy, has appointed Christine Jones as regional managing director for Asia-Pacific.

Jones is a senior communications executive with 25 years of experience working in several markets including Australia, Europe and Asia. A recognized expert in pharmaceuticals, consumer health, consumer goods, as well as issues and crisis management, Jones has successfully managed businesses through both periods of economic expansion and recession. She will report to Asia-Pacific President & CEO Bob Pickard and will be based in Australia.

As Regional Managing Director, Jones will be responsible for driving strategic business development in Asia-Pacific. She will work with teams across the firm’s 19-office region to help expand existing client relationships and build new business. She will be a regional board member supporting the senior leadership team.

“Christine’s return to Burson-Marsteller is emblematic of our firm’s rising fortunes in Asia,” said Pickard. “She has an outstanding track record building teams and businesses. Her expertise in pharmaceuticals will be invaluable as healthcare is our number one target growth sector in Asia and an area in which Burson-Marsteller has significant strength in the region and globally.”

Jones previously worked with Burson-Marsteller as Market Leader for Singapore from 2004 to 2007. In that capacity, she was credited with delivering 40 percent revenue growth and returning the company to the top of the agency rankings in Singapore as voted by Marketing Magazine.

Burson-Marsteller was established in 1953. It provides clients with strategic thinking and program execution across a full range of public relations, public affairs, advertising and web-related services. The firm’s network consists of 70 offices and 60 affiliate offices, together operating in 85 countries across six continents.

Advertising Jobs Down Across the Board

erik — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 00:38:48 +0000

Between the start of the recession in December, 2007, and the most recent numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which cover up to October, 2009, the advertising industry lost a little over 26,000 jobs. That’s approximately 14% of all positions in advertising agencies nationwide. Between January and October of 2009, 8% of all agency employees or nearly 14,000 jobs in total were lost.

There is some good news however. Stock in advertising agencies has started to rebound, which signals confidence in the future of the industry. As the market improves, the need for employees should start to rise as well. Watch for companies to test the waters first with part time and temp employees, then move to lengthening the work week for existing employees and finally growing their workforces with new hires.

JWT Brings on Banham as Digital Creative Director

erik — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:46:39 +0000

Paul Banham joins the London office of JWT as digital creative director, replacing Fernanda Romano.

Banham has held senior creative positions at agencies including Archibald Ingall Stretton, Agency.com, and WCRS.

With a history stretching back to 1864, JWT (formerly J. Walter Thompson) is one of the world’s largest advertising and communications companies. It is one of the key companies of Sir Martin Sorrell’s WPP Group, and is headquartered in New York.

RPMC Welcomes Birkin as Partner

erik — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 18:27:17 +0000

RPMC has announced that Michael Birkin, former Vice Chairman of Omnicom Group and CEO of Omnicom Asia-Pacific, has taken a majority position in the privately held company, effective immediately.

Birkin will hold the title of partner at RPMC, and will oversee its expansion in the marketing services and consulting sector. He will found a New York City office.

He was previously the CEO of Interbrand Group.

RPMC provides marketing services to the sports, entertainment and music industries. The company focuses on event management, entertainment marketing, hospitality & travel incentives, media promotions and sweepstakes services. It has offices in Los Angeles and London.

Payne Founds New Green Ad Agency

erik — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 18:23:44 +0000

Oliver Payne, formerly of Saatchi & Saatchi and OgilvyOne, has founded a new London agency called The Hunting Dynasty, to provide advertising exclusively for clients with sustainable or green products and services.

Oliver brings 15 years of digital and advertising agency experience from the “wrong side of the fence’” on BP, P&G, Cisco, Ford, IBM, Castrol, Avis, and Toyota, to name a few. He’s won over 30 of the industry’s top global Awards, including the Grand Prix at the Revolution Awards.

Colwyn Elder joins the new firm as a partner and Director of Planning & Strategy. He was previously with Leo Burnett London, Bates Japan, Springer & Jacoby Amsterdam, and Green Sky Thinking.

The Hunting Dynasty is a trading name of The Hunting Dynasty Limited, Company registered in England and Wales.