Grey's San Francisco Office Scores CellNet Data Systems Business

By Joan Voight





SAN FRANCISCO–The managing director of Grey Advertising’s San Francisco office, Don Dorward, racked up his new first client for the shop.





The San Francisco office has landed creative and media duties for CellNet Data Systems’ business-to-business account without a review. Billings are undisclosed but industry estimates peg them at about $3-5 million.





‘This award demonstrates Grey’s renewed commitment to the San Francisco office,’ Dorward said. The shop approached the client about its new ad account and convinced the company to hire Grey and forgo an agency search, he said.





Since Grey’s San Francisco office has limited experience with technology-oriented and business-to-business clients, ‘we had to sell them on our people, rather than on the accounts we’ve handled,’ he said.





Following Dorward’s hire late last year, the agency has been trying to build its technology capabilities.





Dorward expects the agency will get involved in pitches for more technical types of accounts than it has...