Five Shops Compete for Central Point By Kathy Tyre

PORTLAND, ORE. - Software utilities equipment maker Central Point Software has split with Larsen Colby/L.A. after three years and has lined up five contenders in

The list includes S.F. shops Anderson & Lembke; BBDO; Winkler McManus; The Donaldson Group; and Seattle agency McCann-Erickson. Finalists will be selected from this group.
The shops on the list, except for M-E, reflect new Central Point marketing executives’ interest in having a high-tech specialist handle the account.
Advertising and creative services manager Mary Browning, who is running the review, joined Central Point five months ago from Intel, where she worked first with Anderson & Lembke and then Dahlin Smith White.
Dan Meub, Central Point vp/corporate marketing, joined the company three months ago from Software Publishing, whose advertising is handled by BBDO/S.F.
‘We are in the process of recrafting Central Point’s image,’ said Browning. ‘Both Dan and I come from companies where we’ve had agencies that specialize in brand marketing, business-to-business and high technology. It’s really hard for an agency whose mainstream business isn’t in high tech to understand the demographics of the market and the complexity of this media. We discovered that it wasn’t a good relationship for either the client or the agency. Nobody was having fun.’
In spite of that bias, CP executives felt McCann’s creative warranted consideration.
Browning is also looking for an agency with global ties, since half of Central Point’s business is in international markets, and for a shop nearer to Portland.
Central Point’s best-known product is PC Tools, a maintenance program. The 12-year-old firm, better known among heavy PC users than in the general market, plans to extend its reach next year.
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