Agency News

Publicis Group's revenue up

Alex Palmer

Holding company Publicis Group's full-year 2011 revenue increased 7.3% to $7.67 billion, compared with 2010, the company said in an earnings statement Feb. 9.

Epsilon names new president, chief client officer

Allison Schiff

Andrew Frawley has been named president of marketing services firm Epsilon, the company said on Feb. 7. Epsilon said it has also named Catherine Lang as its new chief client officer.

Acxiom reported that revenue for its marketing and data services companies for the third quarter of its 2012 fiscal year was $188 million, down from $189 million during the same quarter last fiscal year.

Harte-Hanks' direct marketing revenue down

Dianna Dilworth

Harte-Hanks' fourth-quarter direct marketing revenue decreased by 3.6% to $168 million, but the annual adjusted revenue for direct marketing was up 5.1% to $23.8 million, marking the sixth consecutive quarter of growth, the agency said in an earnings statement.

Mindshare CEO named president of GroupM

Allison Schiff

Dominic Proctor has been named president of GroupM, parent company of Mindshare Worldwide, GroupM confirmed on Jan. 26.

Agencies gain momentum headed out of recession

Agencies finished last year with improved revenues and are racing to scoop up new business as marketers begin to shop again. This year, as Direct Marketing News interviewed executives at dozens of the leading firms, the message we heard over and over again was "revenues are back."

Features

Hacker Group specializes  according to client needs

Hacker Group hires individuals who are experts in a particular discipline instead of expecting its employees to be experts in strategizing across all channels. A focus on bottom-line metrics allows the company  to "get to know" its clients' businesses and determine what discipline would be the best fit, said Jill Kaufman,  VP of account services.

Draft's swift rise marked by agility

About a year after graduating from Wisconsin's Ripon College, Howard Draft was one of the 13 founding employees of new direct marketing agency Kobs & Brady.

Audacity, Romanian style

Tom O'Keefe, executive creative director for North America, Draftfcb

If you look at the big winners at this year's Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, amid the highly anticipated usual suspects you'll see a name that sounds more like computer software or a robot than a brand: Rom.

Agency mojo rising amid digital shift

Carol Krol

Direct marketing agencies got their mojo back this year as revenues improved and clients began spending across marketing disciplines again. Where the watch words last year were "belt-tightening" and "shrinking budgets," this year recovery and steady growth are what top executives are talking about.