We hear that due to the changing tides at IBM, when Ogilvy first picked up Leopard, it was as a preventative tactic. Fearing the loss of the ginormous-and-increasingly-digital company (IBM), Ogilvy may have sucked up Leopard.
Here’s why the small shop was an enticing buy:(From a press release circa OgilvyOne purchasing Leopard)
“OgilvyOne also noted that in addition to being able to align sales and marketing, the acquisition also provides OgilvyOne with proprietary technology developed by Leopard for digital asset management. Both companies also share key clients including IBM and SAP.”
Hmm — kinda like that time you felt like were about to get dumped by the cheerleader so you bought the gas station she uses once a week just so you could see her…and she’d pump you. Creepy.
Why else would Ogilvy have bought Leopard? After all, the rule in big advertising is “when you can’t compete, buy the competition.” Especially when they’re good with the cheerleader. But enough speculation.
“Ogilvy has in recent years been challenged to keep up with IBM’s quickly changing marketing needs and decision makers (a few years ago, Abby Kohnstamm who was the key client retired and IBM changed its marketing organization a lot.”
Kohnstamm allegedly has close ties to Shelly Lazarus, the Chairman and CEO of Ogilvy & Mathew Worldwide.
Connecting the dots is a skill best left to prophets and bartenders, so I’m going to leave this one alone. But I will say this — no one likes working with a stranger.
The reference in the headline comes frmo IBM’s “Do it Wrong, Quickly” mantra. Learn more about that here.