Tustin-based Hispanc ad shop al Punto just wrapped up work for client Los Angeles-based Clougherty Packing LLC and its Farmer John Meats brand.
The campaign, which recently started, includes three TV spots promoting hot dogs, sausage and bacon that are set to run through the fall in the Southland, Farmer John’s biggest market.
Clougherty is a unit of Hormel Foods Corp.
Eduardo Bottger, al Punto’s president, said the commercials,titled “Catwalk”,aim to get Hispanic moms noticed in a new way.
The spots have moms strutting down a fashion runway holding Farmer John meats on a tray while techno music plays and cameras flash.
“We knew that we wanted to run counter-category in order for our advertising to stand out,” Bottger said. “Most competitors appear to be stuck in a stereotypical groove focusing on traditional scenes.”
Al Punto won the business last year.
The shop recently hired Tony Stanol as chief business strategist. He’ll work with existing and new clients and help “accelerate our double-digit growth,” principals Bottger and Peggy Goff said.
Stanol “is an important asset as we gain assignments for both the general marketing and Hispanic marketing duties,” Goff said.
Stanol most recently was at La Agencia de Orci & Asociados in Los Angeles.
NN Expansion
NN Public Relations Inc. has moved to bigger space in Costa Mesa after picking up several clients.
The shop nabbed business from Tdvision Corp., Atwater Foods LLC and Posh Pooch, principal Natasha Nelson said.
NN Public Relations hired one worker to help with the accounts, she said.
“Billings increased by 25% in the last year,” Nelson said, declining to give specifics. “All our new business came from referrals.”
NN Public Relations also expanded its services to include Web and graphic design.
“That side of the business has been growing steadily,” Nelson said.
NN Public Relations said it remains competitive by offering clients a lot of attention without charging the “high overhead of some of the larger firms,” Nelson said.
The shop recently handled crisis communications for a client facing “the largest fine in history by the FDA,” said Nelson, who declined to name the client.
“We prepared for the worst, spent a lot of extra time with the client and tried to keep everyone calm,” she said.
NN Public Relations, which has two full-time workers, taps freelancers to help with accounts, Nelson said.
“That is how we have built such a diversified client base,” she said.
The shop also partners on projects with other local agencies, including Desmond Mcleish Inc. in Costa Mesa and Driven Media Communications in Mission Viejo, Nelson said.
Morgan’s Hunt
Irvine-based Morgan Marketing & Public Relations LLC continues to hunt for workers while competing for business.
Principal Melinda Morgan said a new hire starts this month after moving to the area from New York. The shop has about 10 workers.
“Our biggest challenge continues to be finding talented PR practitioners to hire,” Morgan said. “We have learned to be patient.”
Morgan Marketing also taps freelancers to “supplement work overloads” and has declined “new business opportunities so we focus on servicing our loyal and existing client base,” Morgan said.
In the past few months, the OC shop picked up several new accounts, including Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament, Tustin-based Mimi’s Cafe and It’s a Grind Coffee Franchise LLC in Long Beach.
Morgan said the shop also has “several strong new clients we are close to signing.”
Earlier this year, the shop hired someone to help bring in accounts and moved to bigger digs in Irvine.
Morgan said she’s optimistic about next year.
“Although home sales are in limbo and gas prices are high, our clients continue to excel in their markets throughout the country,” Morgan said.
Years ago PR was “the first to go,” she said.
But more clients “realize the importance of public relations” and “have reduced ad budgets so they can put more money into their PR stream,” Morgan said.
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Banner: part of Amies San Bernardino County work |
County Work
Irvine-based Amies Communications just started a marketing campaign for the county of San Bernardino.
The work included handling promotions and public relations for the California Speedway in Fontana. The county is a sponsor of the event.
Amies said it rebranded the track’s entertainment area the “Opportunity California FanZone” and created a giant banner that hangs on the fence surrounding the zone.
The shop hired three workers in the last year, bringing its count to 17.
Bits and Pieces:
Mission Viejo-based Keena Communica-tions recently changed its name to Keena-Thomas Communications LLC to reflect principals and sisters Barbara Thomas and Kate Keena Cara Good, president of Tustin-based Wundermarx Inc., said the shop hired three workers this year to help with existing and new clients, including UCI Medical Center’s Diabetes Center and Newport Beach-based GloNav Inc. Wundermarx has seven workers.
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