Up and coming minority agency Stedman Graham & Partners, New York, announced the addition of Chase Manhattan Bank, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson, Greyhound and State Farm Insurance to its growing roster of assignments. The new accounts bring the agency's capitalized annual billings to nearly $15 million.
Late last year, Stedman Graham began partnering with other True North Communications divisions making it part of the holding company's New America Strategies Group, a network of multicultural marketing agencies. Also, the growing shop took on new staff members — which Verdia Johnson, vice president and managing director for the agency, said has helped provide clients with the analytical power of a management consultancy.
According to Alfred L. Schreiber, executive vice president and general manager for SG&P, the company also is bringing a heightened awareness of diversity issues to the advertising world overall as well as growing its reputation as delivering the comprehensive minority marketing strategies that clients are looking for.
“We're looking to create marketing campaigns that more accurately reflect a changing America.” Schreiber said. “Today, marketing needs to more closely reflect the culture it is trying to reach. It needs to show respect for those cultures, and it needs to be more inclusive, more integrated. It needs to create a partnership with the target market.”
Schreiber cites the importance of working within the media that the culture is familiar with, as well as constructing authentic imagery in the creative execution of advertising and marketing programs that go beyond routine tokenism or “face replacement.”
True North Communications is the sixth largest advertising holding company and includes two global advertising networks, Foote,Cone & Belding Worldwide and Bozell Worldwide.
Stedman Graham & Partners' most recent staff additions include Ted Pettus, creative director; Sheila Throne, managing director of multicultural healthcare marketing; and LaTanya Junior, director of integrative media services.
