H/M/S Moves Into Troubled Waters With Stockton Takeover By Jim Kir

COLUMBUS, OHIO - Hameroff/Milenthal/Spence's move into Cincinnati to take over Stockton West Burkhart's clients and office space earlier this mont

The Cincinnati Convention & Visitors Bureau, which signed on with Stockton six months ago, threw its $1-million account into review after Stockton announced it was going to close its doors because of financial problems. H/M/S will still handle the business on a month-by-month basis until a decision is made.
‘We didn’t do the deal only because of the Convention and Vistors business,’ said David Milenthal, Hameroff chairman. Hameroff has bigger sights, such as growing with one of its newer Cincinnati-based clients, Procter & Gamble. ‘We needed a presence there. Our other option was to open a Cincinnati office from scratch. This was a no-risk deal.’
Milenthal said the agency took on none of Stockton’s debt when it struck a deal to assume the office space and clients of the 57-year-old shop before it went bankrupt. H/M/S handles a number of other clients in the city including Cincinnati Gas & Electric, and Community Mutual Blue Cross/Blue Shield.
Meanwhile, H/M/S decided not defend its incumbency on the advertising portion of the $4-million Ohio Division of Travel & Tourism. The agency cited reduced margins on the business as one reason for the split. H/M/S, which has held the business for 10 years, will continue to pursue the telemarketing portion of the business through its Family Vacation Services direct-marketing division.
A list of agencies hasn’t been determined yet in the review.
Six advertising agencies are vying for the Cincinnati Convention and Visitors Bureau. Besides H/M/S, Mann Bukvic Associates; Lord, Sullivan & Yoder; Powers & Associates; Sive/Young & Rubicam; and Martiny & Co. are pitching the business.
Copyright Adweek L.P. (1993)