After hearing about this since yesterday afternoon, a spokesperson for Vonage finally confirmed to us before the witching hour last night that it has put its creative and media accounts into review. Here’s a quick statement from the company’s recently installed CMO Barbara Goodstein: “As our business evolves and the media landscape changes, it is critical to continually evaluate the effectiveness of our advertising and media investment against our future strategies. The competitive environment demands that we engage consumers through personally relevant, high-impact creative with media that drives efficient response. Reviewing our agency relationships will ensure we are teamed with the best possible partners for our future business needs.”
Omnicom siblings TBWA\Chiat\Day and PHD, Vonage’s current advertising and media agency, respectively, have both been invited to participate in the review, which the company expects to complete in January 2013. Chiat and PHD have handled the Vonage biz for three-and-a-half years. Meanwhile, Hispanic and direct mail assignments, which are currently being handled by Vox Profero and The Agency inside Harte Hanks, respectively, have not been affected.
The Holmdel, NJ-based phone service provider has retained Roth Associates to consult regarding the search for its creative and media agency partners.