Walls come down for Polish ad effort By Daniel Tille

PARIS--In one of the first cases of its kind, an independent Eastern European company has started working with a Western ad agency. Hortex, Poland's largest fru

According to Doris Walczyk, BBDO/Warsaw’s managing director, the Hortex relationship is still the exception for Polish companies without ties to Western marketers. Most still resist associations with multinational agencies, and in Walczyk’s eyes, not always without reason.
“The truth is that much of the work Western agencies have done here has not been good, and Polish companies see it,” Walczyk said, citing ads done by Western shops that use poor Polish or aren’t true to cultural norms. “Until recently, Poland and other Eastern countries were basically a dumping ground for second-rate products, not to mention (talent),” she said. “Even when agencies hire Polish nationals, we’re often overruled by Western clients.”
Despite the problems, Walczyk expects more independent Polish companies such as Hortex to start working with Western agencies, if only to stay competitive with Western marketers. “Hortex is very unique in that they know money must be invested now which will not show immediate results,” Walczyk said. The budget for Hortex is about $500,000, extremely large by Polish standards, though medium-sized compared to Western clients in Poland.
Walczyk sees a bright future for some Polish firms, but not for others. “There are some very strong dairy and grocery brand names,” she said. “Other sectors, like textiles, are at serious risk.”
Daniel Tilles writes for Communication CB News in Paris.
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