AskaNewYorker.com, a site where New Yorkers answer questions from people worldwide, tapped Watson Earl & Partners, New York, to handle its hard launch.
The assignment also involves online marketing such as banner ads and partnerships as well as cross-promotions with other sites. Guerrilla marketing, including plastering walls, will support the effort as askanewyorker.com goes live Feb. 1.
“I think the mandate's simply to communicate the uniqueness of this particular site,” said Rob Earl, chief creative officer of Watson Earl and co-founder with agency president Gary Watson.
The site will let New Yorkers answer queries on diverse subjects. Among the possible inquiries are the best places to buy dessert, how to find bargain designer sample sales or where to find baby-changing facilities in New York.
“It's got the unvarnished truth. It's not massaged,” Earl said.
Watson Earl, founded in 1995, has 15 full-time employees. The full-service agency's accounts include DuPont Tyvek, Doctors' Center of New York and building products directory McGraw-Hill Sweets. The agency joined Mezzina Brown & Partners in 2000 but broke away when Mezzina Brown in 2003 splintered into Agent 16 and Brown Kelly O'Neill. Watson Earl directly split from Brown Kelly O'Neill in April.
“When we went in, we had an agreement which allowed us to retain ownership of our accounts,” Earl said. “We decided maybe we could make something work with Brown Kelly O'Neill, but ultimately we decided it was in our best interests to stay on our own side of the road.”
