Hotlinenewswire

Linsky Ascends to EVP at IPGNEW YORK—Interpublic Group of Cos. CEO John Dooner has promoted Barry Linsky to evp of planning and business development. Linsky, previously an svp, becomes the third evp at IPG, joining CFO Sean Orr and CMO Bruce Nelson. His duties remain the same: cultivate deals, negotiate client compensation and create synergies between IPG units on behalf of global clients, including General Motors, Unilever and Johnson & Johnson. Asked to describe his management style, Linsky, 57, whose roots with IPG trace back 29 years to The Marschalk Co., said, "My joke is, [it's] sort of management by walking around. I touch a lot of different people. I get involved in a lot of things and I'm an honest broker."MediaCom Takes $600 Mil. GlaxoSmithKline BizNEW YORK—After a three-month review, MediaCom in New York won GlaxoSmithKline's $600 million media buying account. The merger of Glaxo Wellcome and Smith Kline Beecham last December prompted a review of the drug concerns' media accounts. SmithKline incumbent MediaCom beat out The Media Edge, Media Direct Partners/Initiative Media and Media Planning, all in New York. The client will continue to use a variety of shops to develop ad strategies, creative approaches and media planning. Michelin Selects ConsultantNEW YORK—Michelin has tapped Jones Lundin Beals in Chicago to handle the review for its estimated $35 million U.S. ad account. DDB in New York is the incumbent. The review comes as rival tire maker Goodyear considers four finalists for its $60 million account: McCann-Erickson and BBDO, both in New York; Goodby, Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco; and GSD&M in Austin, Texas.Publicis Reports 2000 Revenue up 54 PercentNEW YORK—Publicis Groupe said its billings for 2000 increased to $10.9 billion, a 72 percent jump from $6.9 billion in 1999. Publicis' revenue also increased to $1.6 billion from $1.04 billion in 1999. Net profit was $118 million, up 71 percent from $74.4 million in 1999. Publicis' acquisitions in 2000 included Saatchi & Saatchi, Fallon McElligott, renamed Fallon, and Nelson Communications. TN Issues Operating ResultsCHICAGO—True North Communications reported fourth quarter and year-end operating results last week that showed revenue for 2000 up 12 percent to $1.5 billion. Full results, expected this week, were held up because Modem Media, in which TN holds a 45 percent stake, did not issue its numbers until late last week. The Chicago-based holding company issued its report after agreeing to amortize goodwill on acquisitions over 20 years instead of 40, following inquiries by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The change is expected to reduce earnings for the year by $15 million.Congress Debates Free TV Buys for Political AdsWASHINGTON—As Congress begins talks on campaign finance reform this week, the issue of giving politicians free TV airtime for ads takes on added significance. The Alliance for Better Campaigns, a public-advocacy group in Washington, released a report accusing broadcasters of "jacking up their ad rates" during last year's election and adding to the campaign-finance problem. The National Association of Broadcasters says free airtime should not be mandated. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is expected to draft a free-airtime bill and introduce it later this session.LBTG CEO Splits; Jones ReturnsCHICAGO—Leo Burnett Technology Group CEO Sean Bisceglia is leaving as part of a reorganization of the high- technology b-to-b unit. Bisceglia founded the agency as Total Focus Approach in 1991; it was rebranded TFA/Leo Burnett Technology Group after selling to Burnett in 1998. Recently, the shop dropped the TFA name in a move to become more closely aligned with its parent company. Jeff Jones, who worked for Burnett from 1990-96 and was most recently director of brand management at MarchFirst, will rejoin Burnett as a svp overseeing LBTG. In January, the unit laid off 25 staffers, about 10 percent of its workforce. The shop this week laid off another 15 across its entire network.Newswire RoundupRegister.com has awarded its estimated $20 million account to Impiric, the direct marketing division of Young & Rubicam. The client had narrowed its search in December to Grey, D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles and OgilvyOne, Ogilvy & Mather's direct marketing division [Adweek, Dec. 11]. Impiric will also handle media. … Mohegan Sun Casino is mulling four for its ad account: Avon, Conn.-based incumbent Mintz & Hoke, Deutsch, in Boston and New York, and Merkley Newman Harty and Cliff Freeman and Partners, both in New York. Spending is expected to be significantly more than the $7 million the client spent last year. … Incumbent Publicis in Mid America and Del Webb Corp. have split, sources said. The Phoenix-based client has put its $10 million account in play. … Carmichael Lynch has withdrawn from the review for Johnsonville Sausage Co.'s $10 million account. Remaining are Kerker and Periscope, both in Minneapolis. … The five largest cigarette manufacturers—Liggett Group, Brown & Williamson, Lorillard Tobacco, R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris—spent $8.24 billion on ads and marketing in 1999, up 22 percent from 1998, the Federal Trade Commission found in its latest report on cigarette sales. The report studied the first year of sales after the tobacco industry's agreement to phase in advertising and marketing restrictions.For the RecordEthnic-marketing shop Casanova Pendrill Publicidad is located in Irvine, Calif. [Adweek, "Hotline," Mar. 5].

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