SOUTHWEST REPORT CARDS

Ackerman McQueenFinancial CBillings up 3% to $105 million; revenues static at $15 million. Won Thrifty Rent-A-Car and Southwestern Bell; new work for Premier Parks. Lost Remington Park and Purolator.Creative BSouthwestern Bell Mobile Systems was highlight of television reel. Energy Resources Board work stands out in a dull category. Crafty print art direction for Brunswick.Management BRebounded from Purolator account loss and gained ground amid agency cuts in the Pizza Hut system. Angus McQueen"s policy of promoting in-house staff to new offices inspires loyalty.Teacher"s CommentsColorado expansion could be golden opportunity, allowing shop to make inroads like it has in Dallas.B-=====================Berry-BrownFinancial DBillings dropped 8% to $41 million; revenues down 2% to $6 million. Won Sav-A-Lot; lost J.C. Penney"s Latin American/Hispanic accounts.Creative B+Strong art direction across the board, especially in Gatorade print. Platinum Pages ad shows copywriting skill. Cookie-cutter approach to Daisy Sour Cream and Quaker Rice Cakes TV only shortcoming.Management CDespite a good mix of category leaders and up-and-coming clients, Berry-Brown was only major Southwest shop that posted a billings decrease in 1995.Teacher"s CommentsGrowth of Hispanic client base in creative and media assignments could be the key to success.C=====================Black Rogers Sullivan GoodnightFinancial CBillings falt at an estimated $70 million; revenues also stuck at an estimated $7 million.Creative CSouthwestern Brick Council TV stands out, but forced sentimentality weighs down healthcare work. Over-the-top concepts backfired for Valac and Playoff trading cards.Management CAfter relying on acquisitions to grow in recent years, agency struck no deals in 1995. Little new business was evident last year.Teacher"s CommentsPerhaps time would be better spent pitching accounts rather than pursuing other shops.C=====================Cranford Johnson Robinson WoodsFinancial CBillings up 6% to $54 million; revenues up 6% to $8 million. Won Straight Arrow and Ash Grove Cement; lost Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Arkansas.Creative C-Print slipped. Ads for Straight Arrow lend themselves to self-parody. Tourism TV effective. Did not fully exploit potential of clients like Ballet Arkansas.Management B-Grew bottom line despite inability to establish stronger regional presence. Losing trophy Blue Cross/Blue Shield account to tiny rival raises questions.Teacher"s CommentsIt is no secret this agency hopes to make it outside Arkansas. It will need a better creative product to do so.C=====================Fogarty Klein & PartnersFinancial C+Billings up 6% to $139 million; revenues up 5% to $19 million. Won Oshman"s Sporting Goods, Bank United and Sanderson Farms; lost Pulte Homes.Creative B-Brings stylish creative approach to a client roster dominated by retail accounts.Management B+Put in place a new-business strategy that successfully expanded client roster beyond retail base.Teacher"s CommentsTom Monroe is pacesetter for creative in Houston. Recent new business wins outside hometown hold promise for more growth.B-GSD&MFinancial B+Billings up 43% to $396 million, reflecting huge MasterCard media win. Revenues up 12% to $31 million. Won No Fear, Airheads candy. Lost Advanced Micro Devices, Dollar Rent-A-Car.Creative AStrongest work in region. Standout TV spots for Fossil, Southwest Airlines, Coors Light. Humor strong as always. Print work also stands out.Management ALanding MasterCard media was upset of the year. Absorbed new business without disrupting existing work.Teacher"s CommentsRoy Spence has built diverse stable of clients without compromising quality. In new business pitches, agency"s off-the-beaten track location has become an advantage.A-=====================Larkin, Meeder & SchweidelFinancial C+Billings up 9% to $82 million; revenues up 9% to $12 million. Most of gains from new assignments for Prudential and PageNet.Creative B-Excellent print art direction for INET, Peterbilt. Print copy for PageNet highlights benefits without dulling the message. TV continues to be the weak link.Management BHandled politically sensitive Dallas Area Rapid Transit account well. Growing Prudential business was a coup. New-business pursuits often lacking.Teacher"s CommentsHard to knock four years of growth, but Carl Larkin needs to build an image outside Texas to sustain it.B-=====================Publicis/Bloom, DallasFinancial BBillings up 24% to $180 million; revenues up 20% to $18 million. Newcomers include La Quinta Inns, H&R Block Premium, Texas Scottish Rite Hospital.Creative DZale"s TV is derivative of DeBeers. Dearth of new ideas for TGIFriday"s. Substandard print. Cellular One TV is an exception.Management B+Racked up one of the best growth rates of region"s top shops. Deftly negotiated entry into pitch for H&R Block"s entire $15 million account.Teacher"s CommentsConcentrating on existing clients paid dividends in 1995. Creatives need to develop presence in agency dominated by account service.C+=====================Puskar Gibbon ChapinFinancial B-Billings up an estimated 5% to $60 million; revenues up estimated 5% to $6 million. New assignment from LD Brinkmann; won Glamour Shots, Morningstar; lost Discovery Zone.Creative CFalse emotion is common denominator in ads for Taco Bueno, Cook"s Ham, International Delight coffee creamer. Struck appropriate chord for Sewell Cadillac.Management BSmart new-business efforts early on cushioned end-of-year account losses.Teacher"s CommentsAgency looking to future with addition of Michael Cobb and Tony Dammicci as partners, along with plans to add seniorlevel creatives. Omnicom affiliation has yet to provide benefits.C+=====================The Richards GroupFinancial CBillings up 1% to $297 million; revenues up 1% to $38 million. Won GT Interactive, Thompson"s Pet Pasta Products, Baker"s Square; lost Taco Bell, G. Heileman.Creative A-Quality was off slightly, but American Standard, Hummer ads hit mainstream audiences. Harley work remains fresh. Chick-Fil-A outdoor was clever.Management B-Flat growth following whirlwind 1994. Losing Taco Bell would be a black mark in any year. Taking on GSD&M for Texas Tourism showed moxie.Teacher"s CommentsAlthough it took a swing at EDS, it lacked grand-slam account win. Challenge remains raising TV to level of print.B-=====================Rives CarlbergFinancial B-Billings up 15% to $63 million; revenues up 19% to $6 million. Won Azrock and Texas Commerce Bank.Creative C-Despite its industrial and business-to-business client base, agency squanders opportunities in more mainstream categories. Houston Chronicle TV ads missed the mark.Management B+Managed second year of steady growth. Held line against account losses while adding lucrative assignments for Rheem, Igloo, Compaq.Teacher"s CommentsChuck Carlberg could extract more business from existing clients. Creative needs a boost.C+=====================Sosa, Bromley, Aguilar, Noble & AssociatesFinancial CBillings up 4% to $114 million with wins of Clairol and Western Auto accounts. Revenues up 2% to $14 million.Creative B+Reel continues to improve. Well-executed strategic ads for Sprint. Art direction strong for Burger King. Coke print ad for Selena a touch of class.Management AAbsorbed Noble"s staffers without disrupting agency culture. Positioned itself for additional Procter & Gamble work.Teacher"s CommentsWith retirement of founder Lionel Sosa, principals Bromley and Aguilar found themselves working without a net--and succeeding.BCopyright ASM Communications, Inc. (1996) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Southwest

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