Caples Creative Community - Page 1 - Direct Marketing News

Publicis Group's revenue up

Alex Palmer February 10, 2012

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 February 07, 2012

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 January 31, 2012

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 January 26, 2012

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

Carat lands $3 billion global GM media

Katherine Levy, features editor, MediaWeek January 24, 2012

General Motors has appointed Carat to its $3 billion global media planning and buying account, following a pitch launched in August last year.

MediaCom names U.S. CEO

Allison Schiff January 19, 2012

WPP-owned media agency MediaCom hired Sasha Savic as its U.S. CEO, a newly created position, the company confirmed on Jan. 19.

360i taps insiders for president, EVP posts

Tim Peterson January 17, 2012

Digital agency 360i named Sarah Hofstetter president and Jared Belsky EVP, the digital agency said on Jan. 17. The promotions took effect this morning, said 360i CEO Bryan Wiener.

Cox Communications taps Draftfcb Chicago as AOR for digital, direct

Tim Peterson January 17, 2012

Communications and entertainment company Cox Communications named Draftfcb's Chicago office its national digital and direct-response agency of record after a two-month review, Todd Smith, director of media relations at Cox Communications, confirmed via email on Jan. 16.

OgilvyOne NY chief creative officer resigns

Tim Peterson January 13, 2012

Chief creative officer Mat Zucker resigned his position with OgilvyOne New York, a source at the agency said on Jan. 13.

Edible Arrangements names Stern AOR

Allison Schiff January 12, 2012

Edible Arrangements International, Inc. named Cleveland-based Stern Advertising its agency of record (AOR) for national creative, including television, print and likely some online display, said Steve Thomas, chief marketing officer of Edible Arrangements, on Jan. 12.

Bank of America initiates agency review

Dianna Dilworth January 12, 2012

Bank of America is looking for a new agency to focus on the company's brand positioning, a person close to the review told Direct Marketing News.

Rauxa acquires digital development firm ThoughtMatrix

Tim Peterson January 12, 2012

Direct marketing agency Rauxa acquired digital design and development firm ThoughtMatrix, the agency said on Jan. 12. Rauxa CEO Jill Gwaltney said the acquisition closed the last week of December but declined to disclose terms.

JWT hires chief creative officer, chief integration officer

Tim Peterson January 12, 2012

JWT named Jeff Benjamin chief creative officer for North America, the WPP-owned agency network said on Jan. 11.

Draftfcb chief growth officer resigns

Melissa Hoffmann January 11, 2012

Draftfcb chief growth officer Nick Paul has resigned from the agency, said Draftfcb EVP and chief communications officer Wally Petersen. Recently appointed global chief of staff Peter Drakoulias will take on Paul's business development responsibilities, effective immediately.

SolutionSet MediaWhiz Partnership merges with D.L. Ryan Companies

Dianna Dilworth January 11, 2012

Marketing services agency SolutionSet MediaWhiz Partnership merged with D.L. Ryan Companies, an independent promotions and digital marketing agency, to form the Hyper Marketing Incorporated Network (HMI).

EDO Interactive taps new VP of brands and marketing development

Allison Schiff January 10, 2012

Interactive marketing services company EDO Interactive has hired Sears Holding Corp. and PepsiCo Inc. veteran Jeffrey Fagel as its new VP of brands and marketing development effective immediately, Fagel told Direct Marketing News on Jan. 10.

Time Inc. digital marketing exec leaves to join Arnold Worldwide

Melissa Hoffmann January 10, 2012

Angela Wei, executive director of digital marketing in Time Inc.'s branded services group, will leave the company to join Arnold Worldwide as chief digital officer of the agency's New York office.

McKinney exec named director of retail and shopper marketing

Dianna Dilworth January 09, 2012

North Carolina-based marketing agency McKinney named VP/account director Jim Reath its director of retail and shopper marketing, an expansion of his current role. He was also promoted to EVP and will have a seat on McKinney's board of directors.

AKQA promotes insider to executive creative director

Melissa Hoffmann January 09, 2012

AKQA promoted insider Pierre Lipton to executive creative director, effective Jan. 9. He will report directly to AKQA CCO Rei Inamoto, said Katy Zack, AKQA's marketing and PR manager.

Shriners Hospitals taps Leo Burnett as AOR

Allison Schiff January 06, 2012

Shriners Hospitals for Children named Leo Burnett Business its agency of record (AOR) for all brand positioning, creative strategy, media and public relations initiatives, said Amy Ritzel, corporate director of PR for Shriners International and Shriners Hospitals for Children, on Jan. 6.

The Marketing Arm hires new digital strategy VP

Allison Schiff, Sara Holland January 05, 2012

Marketing and promotions agency The Marketing Arm tapped Tom Edwards to be its new VP of digital strategy, effective immediately, said The Marketing Arm PR representative Chris Anderson.

MDC Partners acquires media firm RJ Palmer for $25 million

Tim Peterson January 05, 2012

MDC Partners acquired media agency RJ Palmer for $25 million including incentives, Miles Nadal, chairman and CEO of the Toronto-based holding company said on Jan. 5. Nadal said that acquisition closed in December.

Ogilvy names new worldwide CMO

Allison Schiff January 04, 2012

Global marketing agency Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide has named Lauren Crampsie worldwide CMO, effective immediately, said Toni Lee, director of public relations at Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide.

Innovation positions agencies on top

Melissa Hoffmann January 01, 2012

Direct Marketing News spoke with Nick Moore, chief creative officer and EVP of Wunderman, about the trends he sees on the horizon for agencies as they move into the new year.

Agency-as-a-service portrays new business strategy model

Tim Peterson January 01, 2012

For a peek at the future of holding company Publicis Groupe's VivaKi unit, one need only look to its launch of CRM agency CRM365. Not only did it launch without a single client, but managing director Alec Bokman pointed out that CRM365 isn't even really an agency, but rather a software-as-a-service company.

Draftfcb CCO out after 15 months

Melissa Hoffmann December 22, 2011

Draftfcb New York's chief creative officer, Darren Moran, will vacate his post in the first quarter of 2012, the agency's chief communications officer, Wally Petersen, confirmed in a statement on Dec. 22.

Best Buy adds CHI, Wunderman to its roster

Allison Schiff December 21, 2011

After more than a six-month long agency review process, Best Buy announced it has added CHI & Partners and Wunderman to its lineup of lead agencies, said Best Buy public relations representative Lisa Hawks.

GM drops Big Fuel as social media AOR

Dianna Dilworth December 21, 2011

As part of its ongoing agency consolidation, General Motors (GM) dropped its social media agency, Big Fuel, from its AOR roster, effective Jan. 1.

UBM hires SMS for list management

Melissa Hoffmann December 20, 2011

UBM has tapped Specialists Marketing Services (SMS) to handle list management responsibilities for three of its technology divisions, said SMS EVP Peter Candito on Dec. 20.

OgilvyOne names insider regional director

Allison Schiff December 20, 2011

OgilvyOne North America has named Harvey Kipnis regional director, said Toni Lee, director of public relations at Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide. Kipnis, formerly managing director of OgilvyOne New York, will be replaced in that role by Dimitri Maex, former managing director of OgilvyOne New York's consulting and analytics group.

Unilever puts $6B global media account up for review

Melissa Hoffmann December 13, 2011

Unilever is putting its estimated $6 billion global media account up for review in January for the second time in as many years, company spokesman Dean Mastrojohn confirmed to Direct Marketing News on Dec. 13.

ICrossing hires its first chief creative officer

Melissa Hoffmann December 12, 2011

Digital marketing agency iCrossing named Patrick Stern to the newly created position of chief creative officer. He will lead iCrossing's global creative practice and report directly to Don Scales, iCrossing's president and CEO.

National Wildlife Federation names new direct marketing AOR

Dianna Dilworth December 12, 2011

The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) tapped Chapman Cubine Adams and Hussey (CCAH) as its direct marketing agency of record.

Razorfish CEO to oversee four additional agencies

Juan Martinez December 05, 2011

Bob Lord, global CEO of Razorfish, has added VivaKi network agencies Big Fuel, Denuo, Digitas and Phonevalley to his responsibilities, he said on Dec. 5. He replaces former Digitas CEO Laura Lang, who previously oversaw these assets prior to being named CEO of Time Inc.

Anne Bologna tapped as MDC managing director

Dianna Dilworth December 02, 2011

MDC Partners has named veteran marketing executive Anne Bologna managing director. Bologna will work from the company's New York office where she will report to Miles Nadal, chairman and CEO of MDC Partners, the company said in a Dec. 2 statement.

Digitas CEO to leave for Time Inc.

Juan Martinez December 01, 2011

Digitas CEO Laura Lang has been named CEO of publishing company Time Inc. Lang will replace Jack Griffin who was fired in February, six months after being named to the position. She will report directly to Time Warner Inc. CEO Jeff Bewkes.

Client defection slams big agencies

Alex Palmer December 01, 2011

Global agency Draftfcb has for two years struggled under the burden of a handful of major client defections, including the Homewood Suites' by Hilton hotel business, State Farm's TV creative, and several Kraft Food brands, most recently Gevalia at the end of October.

RadioShack conducting creative agency review

Juan Martinez November 30, 2011

RadioShack Corp. announced it is in the early stages of an RFP for a new creative agency of record (AOR). Eric Bruner, RadioShack's director of corporate communications, said the assignment will focus on all marketing channels, including direct and digital marketing. RadioShack will decide on the AOR in March 2012.

MDC posts net loss

Juan Martinez November 02, 2011

Holding company MDC Partners reported revenue of $238.2 million in the third quarter, an increase of 33.4% compared with the prior year. The company's strategic marketing services division generated $146.1 million in revenue, up 32.1% year-over-year, while revenue from the performance marketing services unit rose 35.4% year-over-year to $92.1 million.

Hacker Group specializes  according to client needs

Melissa Hoffmann November 01, 2011

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.

Agencies open separate social units

Alex Palmer November 01, 2011

While social media is a key part of almost every agency's offerings, a number of agencies are now launching separately branded and operated social media entities to offer more focus and expertise in this quickly evolving space.

WPP revenue up 13%

Tim Peterson October 28, 2011

WPP Group's third-quarter revenue hit $3.95 billion, a 13% increase compared with the prior year, the Dublin-based holding company reported on Oct. 28.

IPG revenue up, net income boosted by Facebook sale

Juan Martinez October 28, 2011

The Interpublic Group of Companies (IPG) reported revenue of $1.73 billion for the third quarter of 2011, an 8.7% growth increase compared with Q3 2010.

Havas revenue up 5%, net new business down 14%

Tim Peterson October 27, 2011

Third-quarter revenue for Paris-based holding company Havas ticked up by 5% year-over-year to $543.3 million, the company reported on Oct. 26.

Valassis revenue down, CPG shrinkage cited

Melissa Hoffmann October 26, 2011

Valassis' third-quarter revenue declined 7.7% to $572.4 million year on year, the company reported Oct. 26.

HomeAway taps GSD&M for brand strategy

Juan Martinez October 25, 2011

Online vacation rental company HomeAway has named GSD&M its agency of record for brand strategy, creative and media responsibility, said Matt Cohen, the company's senior director of global brand marketing.

Draftfcb loses Gevalia account to Y&R's Taxi

Juan Martinez October 24, 2011

Draftfcb has lost Kraft Foods' Gevalia coffee account, Draftfcb New York CEO Dana Maiman confirmed in an Oct. 24 statement. Maiman said the agency is "extremely disappointed that [its] plans to leverage the Gevalia coffee brand in the retail environment will not be realized."

Meredith Integrated Marketing rebrands as MXM

Juan Martinez October 21, 2011

Meredith Integrated Marketing rebranded as Meredith Xcelerated Marketing (MXM), said Martin Reidy, president of MXM on Oct. 21. Meredith Corp. also said it has acquired a minority stake in London-based marketing agency Iris Worldwide.

Chobani names Leo Burnett New York new AOR

Juan Martinez October 20, 2011

Yogurt company Chobani named Leo Burnett New York its advertising agency of record on Oct. 19, after a formal review. Leo Burnett New York replaces Gotham as AOR. Leo Burnett will handle a full range of advertising and direct marketing services for the consumer packaged goods brand, said Nicki Briggs, director of communications for Chobani.

Publicis Groupe revenue up in third quarter

Juan Martinez October 20, 2011

Agency holding company Publicis Groupe reported $1.9 billion in revenue in the third quarter, a 6.4% increase compared with the previous year. Its North American business, which accounted for 49% of Publicis' overall revenue, generated $947 million, up 5.5% year-over-year, according to an earnings report released Oct. 20.

Omnicom CRM, specialty marketing revenue up in Q3

Juan Martinez October 18, 2011

Omnicom Group's third-quarter net income increased 16.7% to $203.7 million compared with the third quarter of 2010, the company said Oct. 18. The holding company's worldwide revenue increased 12.9% to $3.4 billion compared with the same quarter last year.

Euro RSCG launches New York office for Euro RSCG Discovery

Tim Peterson October 17, 2011

Euro RSCG Worldwide added a New York office to its data-centric agency network Euro RSCG Discovery. The Havas-owned agency launched Euro RSCG Discovery New York during the first week of October, said Matt Blasco, managing director of Euro RSCG Discovery New York.

Publicis unveils CRM shop CRM365

Tim Peterson October 11, 2011

Holding company Publicis Groupe launched CRM agency CRM365 on Oct. 11. Digitas global CMO Seth Solomons left the Publicis-owned digital agency to serve as CEO of the sister firm.

GSI Commerce names Barratt e-Dialog president

Tim Peterson October 11, 2011

E-commerce and interactive marketing services provider GSI Commerce has appointed Simone Barratt president of email and multichannel marketing service provider e-Dialog, the company said on Oct. 11. The hire took effect on Oct. 10, Barratt said.

Catalina names Egasti CEO

Tim Peterson October 10, 2011

Catalina has appointed Jamie Egasti CEO, the shopper marketing firm said on Oct. 10. He replaces Catalina cofounder George Off, who served as interim CEO since May.

Havas launches multicultural marketing agency

Juan Martinez October 07, 2011

Global advertising and communications services group Havas launched Totality, an integrated multicultural marketing agency, on Oct. 6. The new agency will provide brands with creative and strategic communications services for ethnic and niche customers.

Draftfcb hires Nielsen to lead Beiersdorf account

Juan Martinez October 06, 2011

Draftfcb has named Rob Nielsen global executive creative director for the agency's Beiersdorf AG account. He will join Draftfcb on Oct. 10 and report directly to Jonathan Harries, the agency's vice chairman and global chief creative officer.

Former Edith Roman owners launch direct agency

Tony Case October 06, 2011

Former Edith Roman Associates co-presidents Stevan and Wayne Roberts launched Reach Marketing, an integrated direct marketing agency, on Oct. 6.

Creative agencies see future in Brazil

Alex Palmer October 01, 2011

Creative agencies are investing more resources in Brazil as the world's fifth-largest economy transitions from burgeoning market to one shaping others around the globe.

Report: M&A activity up 9% in Q3

Juan Martinez September 30, 2011

Mergers and acquisition (M&A) value in the marketing, media, technology and services industries increased 9% to $43.4 billion in the third quarter of 2011 compared with Q2, according to a transactions report from Petsky Prunier, an investment bank. Seven hundred and seventy one transactions occurred during the quarter, an increase of 9% compared to the second quarter.

Rauxa names John Barneson chief digital officer

Tim Peterson September 28, 2011

Direct marketing agency Rauxa has appointed John Barneson its first chief digital officer, the agency said Sept. 27. Barneson said the hire took effect two and a half weeks ago.

Spectra Products merges with Take 5 Solutions

Juan Martinez September 28, 2011

Kinderhook Industries-owned direct marketing services companies Spectra Products and Take 5 Solutions have merged, John Lofquist, director of marketing and communications at Take 5 told Direct Marketing News.

Ogilvy & Mather makes two high-level digital hires

Melissa Hoffmann September 25, 2011

Ogilvy & Mather, looking to expand the agency's social media strategies into new markets and expand its mobile marketing, hired two new digital heads, the agency said in a press release. Tom De Luca was tapped to be the agency's new COO of social media, and Julie Renwick is now executive director of mobile.

Sorrell: This is the decade of Latin America

Tim Peterson September 20, 2011

Latin American consumers, business and media are critical to marketers' long-term growth, said Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO of holding company WPP Group, on September 20 at the "Brasil Inc 2011" event in New York.

Dames promoted to Harte-Hanks corporate VP

Melissa Hoffmann September 19, 2011

Harte-Hanks has promoted Brian Dames to corporate VP. He was previously managing director in charge of data services and data solutions for Harte-Hanks Direct Marketing. In the new role, Dames will serve as the senior business leader for the company's database marketing and analytics businesses.

MDC acquires majority stake in Concentric Pharma

Tim Peterson September 16, 2011

MDC Partners has acquired a majority stake in healthcare marketing agency Concentric Pharma Advertising. The deal will add a healthcare-marketing capability to the New York-based holding company.

Miller named SolutionSet MediaWhiz CMO

Juan Martinez September 14, 2011

The SolutionSet MediaWhiz Partnership has named Michael Miller CMO. He will manage the agency's marketing and growth initiatives in the newly created position, reporting to Zain Raj, the firm's president and CEO.

Sogard named Publicis & Hal Riney chairman

Tim Peterson September 13, 2011

Publicis USA has named Harold Sogard chairman of creative agency Publicis & Hal Riney, effective September 19. It is a new position at the San Francisco-based shop.

ICrossing expands into Latin America, Spain with Wallaby acquisition

Tim Peterson September 12, 2011

ICrossing has acquired Santiago, Chile-based digital agency Wallaby Group in a deal that will allow the Hearst Corp.-owned shop to expand its global footprint.

Nurun builds US presence with Odopod acquisition

Tim Peterson September 12, 2011

Quebecor Media-owned Canadian digital agency Nurun has acquired Odopod, a San Francisco-based digital shop. The deal adds Odopod clients such as Google, Electronic Arts and Sony Electronics to Nurun's roster, which includes Cartier, MSN, AT&T and Disney.

Draftfcb hires analytics, strategy chiefs in NY office

Tim Peterson September 08, 2011

Draftfcb has named Paula Fedoris EVP and chief analytics officer and Sara Bamber chief strategy officer for its New York office. Bamber's hire took effect September 6, while Fedoris started work at the agency last week.

DMA to open Silicon Valley marketing center

Juan Martinez September 08, 2011

The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) will open a Silicon Valley office on September 12 to interact with current and prospective members on the West Coast. Alexandra Morehouse, former CMO of AAA, will oversee the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Center for Accountable Marketing (CAM), reporting to DMA CEO Lawrence Kimmel.

SapientNitro boosts direct response with DAD deal

Anne Cassidy, Campaign September 08, 2011

SapientNitro has acquired DAD, a digital and direct marketing agency, in a deal worth about $42 million. DAD's offices in London, Amsterdam and Munich will be folded into Sapient's European network and operate under the SapientNitro name.

Connecticut seeks agencies for $22M tourism account

Tim Peterson September 07, 2011

The state of Connecticut is seeking up to six agencies to provide marketing services for its Department of Economic and Community Development and Office of Tourism.

Ascentium buys e-commerce firm Cactus Commerce

Tim Peterson September 06, 2011

Digital agency Ascentium has acquired e-commerce firm Cactus Commerce. The two companies began talks last September, said Tony Marinelli, CEO of Cactus Commerce.

Borenstein Group acquires Q2 Marketing

Juan Martinez September 06, 2011

Digital agency The Borenstein Group has acquired Q2 Marketing, a digital and direct marketing shop. Borenstein Group will incorporate Q2 into its brand by the end of this week, said Gal Borenstein, CEO and founder of the agency.

72andSunny names Norcross, Rowles partners

Juan Martinez September 02, 2011

MDC Partners agency 72andSunny has named Jason Norcross and Bryan Rowles partners. Norcross and Rowles will also continue to serve as creative directors in addition to overseeing the firm's client roster.

JetBlue names Rokkan digital agency of record

Tim Peterson September 01, 2011

JetBlue Airways has hired Rokkan as its digital agency of record. The firm will handle e-commerce, mobile and social media work for the airline.

Agencies tap CMOs to extend growth

Tony Case September 01, 2011

The job of agency CMO is not a new one, but it is a role that is becoming more prominent as agencies aim to put themselves — as they do their clients — in the best possible light.

Harte-Hanks promotes Simpson to SVP of retail, consumer brands

Juan Martinez August 31, 2011

Harte-Hanks has promoted Jeff Simpson to SVP of retail and consumer brand markets in the firm's direct marketing division. Reporting to Gary Skidmore, president of Harte-Hanks Direct Marketing, he will oversee a 25-employee division.

Havas reports first-half revenue growth

Frank Washkuch August 30, 2011

Havas reported about $1.1 billion in first-half 2011 revenue, a 5.6% organic increase compared with the prior year.

Kats named president of MediaWhiz

Juan Martinez August 29, 2011

The SolutionSet MediaWhiz Partnership has promoted Ed Kats to president of its MediaWhiz division, effective August 29. Kats will report directly to Zain Raj, president and CEO of the Partnership.

Tribal SF names Ciampa executive creative director

Tim Peterson August 29, 2011

Tribal DDB's San Francisco office has hired Keith Ciampa as executive creative director. He previously worked at integrated agency Goodby, Silverstein & Partners on the Yahoo and Sprint accounts.

Universal McCann hires Pelham to lead MasterCard account

Juan Martinez August 26, 2011

Interpublic Group (IPG) subsidiary Universal McCann has named Barbara Pelham EVP and global managing partner for the $500 million MasterCard account, effective September 8.

Huge named digital AOR for Comcast.com

Tim Peterson August 25, 2011

Cable provider Comcast has named interactive agency Huge the digital agency of record for Comcast.com. Brooklyn, NY-based Huge, an Interpublic Group agency, will be responsible for the site's digital strategy and design. It will also work on online, mobile and social customer-service initiatives for Comcast.com.

WPP's direct, digital business reports first-half growth

Tim Peterson August 24, 2011

WPP Group reported $7.62 billion in first-half 2011 revenue, a 12.8% increase compared with the prior year. The Dublin-based holding company's branding and identity, healthcare and specialty communications business grew by 5.7% year-over-year in the quarter to $1.93 billion.

Valassis CEO Schultz to retire

Juan Martinez August 23, 2011

Alan Schultz will retire as president and CEO of Valassis on December 31 after 27 years with the media- and marketing-services company. Rob Mason, Valassis' EVP of sales and marketing, will replace him.

JWT, MediaCom land $200M global US tourism account

Daniel Farey-Jones, Campaign August 23, 2011

JWT New York will lead a global tourism marketing campaign for the US after winning a pitch against two undisclosed agencies.

Boston Bruins name Arnold AOR, drop Mullen

Juan Martinez August 19, 2011

The Boston Bruins National Hockey League franchise has named Arnold Worldwide its AOR. The team, which won the Stanley Cup championship last season, previously worked with Mullen.

WPP to acquire Rockfish Interactive

Tim Peterson August 19, 2011

WPP Digital has agreed to acquire digital marketing agency Rockfish Interactive. The deal is expected to close within the next 15 business days, said Kenny Tomlin, Rockfish Interactive CEO and founder.

Draftfcb Chicago to cut staff after losing SC Johnson

Juan Martinez August 16, 2011

Less than a month after losing the key SC Johnson & Son global advertising account to BBDO and Ogilvy & Mather, Draftfcb Chicago said August 16 that it will reduce its staff by approximately 10%. The agency's global workforce will be cut by 3%.

Interpublic Group sells half its stake in Facebook

Tim Peterson August 15, 2011

Interpublic Group of Cos. (IPG) has agreed to sell approximately half of its investment in Facebook for $133 million. The holding company will increase the value of its share-repurchase program to $450 million from $300 million.

SolutionSet, MediaWhiz merge into full-service agency

Juan Martinez August 10, 2011

Integrated agency SolutionSet and online performance marketing firm MediaWhiz have combined to form the SolutionSet MediaWhiz Partnership.

Valassis unveils crisis-management strategy

Juan Martinez August 10, 2011

Media and marketing services company Valassis said this week that it will offer clients a "rapid response" media-placement strategy for crisis response.

Gotham promotes Johnson, Tick to co-president

Juan Martinez July 29, 2011

Integrated marketing agency Gotham has promoted both CMO Nick Johnson and managing director Lyle Tick to co-president. Chairman and CEO Peter McGuiness left the agency to join DDB Worldwide as president and CEO earlier in the week.

Draftfcb loses SC Johnson account to BBDO, Ogilvy

Juan Martinez July 29, 2011

SC Johnson & Son has reassigned its global advertising account after a decades-long relationship with Draftfcb. The Racine, Wis.-based company hired BBDO for advertising for its pest-control and home-storage divisions and Ogilvy & Mather for ad duties for its fragrance and home-cleaning units.

Kolb to replace Landsberg in MRM top spot

Frank Washkuch July 28, 2011

MRM Worldwide global president and COO Bill Kolb will succeed Marc Landsberg as CEO of the direct and digital agency after a months-long transition period.

MDC reports second-quarter profit

Tim Peterson July 28, 2011

Holding company MDC Partners reported revenue of $240.5 million in the second quarter, a 42% increase compared with the prior year. The company's strategic marketing services division generated $155 million in revenue, up 45% year-over-year, while revenue from the performance marketing services unit rose 36% year-over-year to $85.5 million.

Revenue up at Interpublic, IAN unit

Juan Martinez July 28, 2011

The Interpublic Group of Companies' second-quarter revenue increased 4.7% organically, compared with the prior year, to $1.74 billion. The holding company's Integrated Agency Network segment, which includes agencies McCann Worldgroup, Draftfcb, Lowe & Partners and Mediabrands, saw second-quarter revenue growth of 3.9% to $1.47 billion.