Adweek.com - Agency News

SMG Restructures Its GM Operations

Steve McClellan — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 06:53:00 EDT

NEW YORK For the second time this year, Publicis' Starcom MediaVest Group is reorganizing operations surrounding its $2 billion General Motors account and will cut about 5-10 percent of its staff working on the GM business -- as many as 150 employees -- by year's end.

Arnold Names New Leader on McD's Biz

Adweek Staff — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:18:00 EDT

BOSTON Havas' Arnold has hired 30-year industry veteran Gary Steele as managing partner, executive director to oversee the shop's McDonald's co-op business that spans 2,500 restaurants in 16 regional groups.

Ignited Opens Outpost in N.Y.

Gregory Solman — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EDT

LOS ANGELES Independent Ignited has opened a New York office and hired Bryan Duffy to run it as evp and experiential marketing director. Duffy started last week. The impetus for the outpost, expanding on the agency's presence in El Segundo, Calif., is to generate new business.

TNS in Reversal on WPP

Steve McClellan — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:57:00 EDT

NEW YORK In an abrupt reversal Monday, the management of market research firm TNS waved the white flag and recommended that shareholders who hadn't already done so accept the WPP offer to buy them out. (Shown: WPP CEO Martin Sorrell.)

Changes In Store for 72andSunny

Gregory Solman — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:02:00 EDT

LOS ANGELES 72andSunny last month hired Matt Jarvis (shown) from Deutsch/LA as managing director, chief strategy officer. Jarvis effectively fills the gap left when co-founder Greg Perlot parted for surfer-brand Quiksilver.

Bailout Fallout

Gregory Solman — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EDT

LOS ANGELES If there were any doubts about whether the tremors from Wall Street would spread uptown to Madison Avenue, the events of last week dispelled them.

Relay Promotes Mauer to CEO

Shahnaz Mahmud — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 01:47:00 EDT

NEW YORK Relay Worldwide, a sports and events marketing company owned by Publicis Groupe, has elevated operations chief Tim Mauer to CEO. Mauer replaces chairman and CEO Wally Hayward.

WPP, Ex-Italy Chief Set for High-Court Showdown

Noreen O'Leary — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 11:29:00 EDT

NEW YORK The showdown between WPP Group CEO Martin Sorrell and Marco Benatti, the WPP country manager in Italy Sorrell dismissed in January 2006, will take place in London's High Court on Monday, according to representatives from both the WPP and Benatti camps. MindShare Worldwide CEO Dominic Proctor and United Group COO Laurence Mellman are the first WPP execs expected to take the stand, but Sorrell probably won't testify next week, sources said.

WPP for 4th Time Extends TNS Deadline

Steve McClellan — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 10:08:00 EDT

NEW YORK WPP Group today extended for a fourth time the deadline for acceptance of its nearly $2.2 billion offer to acquire research firm Taylor Nelson Sofres. (Shown: WPP CEO Martin Sorrell.)

MLB Taps SMG Vet Shaw

John Consoli, Mediaweek — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:06:00 EDT

NEW YORK The Major League Baseball Network has hired Jennifer Shaw, svp and managing director of Starcom MediaVest Group and longtime sports media buyer on the General Motors account, as vp of advertising pricing and strategy.

Euro RSCG Realigns ASL With Discovery

Adweek Staff — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EDT

CHICAGO Havas' Euro RSCG said it has realigned American Student List within its Euro RSCG Discovery group of companies.

SMG Appoints Global Management Team

John Consoli, Mediaweek — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 05:38:00 EDT

NEW YORK Laura Desmond (shown), CEO of Starcom MediaVest Group, has formed a new global management team tasked with accelerating growth across all units of the media agency network.

Boston's P+S Bows Health Practice

Adweek Staff — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 02:19:00 EDT

BOSTON Independent agency Partners + Simons here has established a dedicated health practice, complete with a new microsite. Tony Cotrupi, a principal at P+S, heads the practice.

Bank Deals Could Leave Agencies in Limbo

Gregory Solman — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 04:33:00 EDT

LOS ANGELES Today's news that Citigroup would absorb Wachovia Bank -- possibly subsuming its identity -- has led the client to "pause" the finalization of its deal with WPP's Ogilvy & Mather, hired by Wachovia on Friday following a review.

WPP Eyes Ireland as Tax Haven

Steve McClellan — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 02:50:00 EDT

NEW YORK WPP Group said it intends to create a new Ireland-based parent entity in a bid to prevent its annual tax payments from increasing potentially by tens of millions of dollars under proposed changes in U.K. tax laws.

Investing in Talent Is as Vital as Ever

Andrew McMains — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:00:00 EDT

NEW YORK In response to massive changes in the ways by which marketers reach consumers, as well as the ongoing cry from chief marketing officers for better integration, some agencies are revamping their training programs. In some cases, the new courses involve tackling actual client briefs.

TBWA in Talks to Buy Beattie McGuinness Bungay

Andrew McMains — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 12:45:00 EDT

NEW YORK TBWA is in late-stage discussions to acquire London shop Beattie McGuinness Bungay, sources said. The agency is run by former TBWA\London cd and chairman Trevor Beattie (shown).

WPP Extends TNS Deadline a 3rd Time

Steve McClellan — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 10:09:00 EDT

NEW YORK WPP today extended for a third time the deadline for its nearly $2.2 billion offer to acquire research firm Taylor Nelson Sofres. (Shown: WPP CEO Martin Sorrell.)

Anomaly's Johnson on the Joys of Being a 'Suit'

Andrew McMains — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 05:30:00 EDT

NEW YORK Anomaly co-founder Carl Johnson, speaking at a daylong account management conference in midtown Manhattan today, argued that being a "suit" is the best job in the business. In fact, if he entered the business today, that's the role he would choose.

Global Rebranding at MindShare

Steve McClellan — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 03:29:00 EDT

NEW YORK WPP Group's Mindshare has launched a global rebranding effort to support the restructuring the WPP shop implemented in April.