Lake Forest-based The Johnny Rockets Group Inc. has selected incumbent Lake Forest-based Northten Inc. to continue its marketing duties.
The Americana burger chain launched the review in early January and met with more than 30 local advertising shops.
The advertising agencies were reviewed based on location, fees and restaurant experience.
The chain was purposely seeking out ad shops within Orange County.
“It’s very important for us to keep it in OC,” said Cozette Phifer, a spokeswoman for Johnny Rockets.
Johnny Rockets has worked with Northten for the past five years.
The company hasn’t spent a lot of money on national television and radio ads, zeroing in on local marketing initiatives and in-store advertising instead.
“We really focus our marketing on the community outreach programs and building the brand from the local level out,” said Tim Gorman, executive director of national marketing.
The chain does some national marketing in partnership deals with New York-based Six Flags Inc. and Miami’s Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
Johnny Rockets has 217 U.S. restaurants, including seven in OC and 35 in nine other countries including Canada, Turkey and Qatar.
The burger chain has yearly revenue of about $250 million.
Virginia-based Red Zone Capital Management Group LLC, a private equity firm, acquired the chain in 2007.
The private equity firm also owns Six Flags, where Johnny Rockets operates at the company’s theme parks.
The chain still plans on opening 60 restaurants in 2009, including several global locations.
Printer Closes Costa Mesa Plant
Costa Mesa-based Creel Printing of California Inc. has been acquired by Las Vegas-based Creel Printing LLC for an undisclosed amount.
As part of the acquisition, the Costa Mesa plant is shutting down local operations and moving to Las Vegas.
Prior to the acquisition, the Costa Mesa printer had a working relationship with the Las Vegas operation, sharing marketing collateral and salespeople, but operating independently.
“The Costa Mesa plant was a separate entity,” said Lisa Manasse, director of marketing and business development at Creel Printing LLC, “but the transition will be seamless from a marketing standpoint.”
Creel Printing said it might transfer the local plant’s production equipment to its Las Vegas sites.
“We will be moving equipment, but it’s yet to be decided if it will be all of it or most of it,” Manasse said.
The move is to centralize and streamline operations for the printer, who has seen a drop off in business.
“Moving production to Las Vegas will reduce our cost structure and give customers the access to expertise across our organization,” said Allan Creel, president of Creel Printing, in a release.
Creel Printing of California was the fourth largest commercial printer here, according to the Business Journal’s annual commercial printers list in May, with $27 million in sales last year.
The Costa Mesa plant employed about 60 workers here.
No word on how many, if any, could move to Las Vegas.
“Everything is still being decided, but everyone at the plant has been notified of the consolidation,” Manasse said.
The OC plant had many regional and local accounts that will now be transferred to the Las Vegas operation.
“We have carefully planned the transition to bring our best assets together, while ensuring minimal disruption to workflow,” Creel said.
Bits and Pieces:
Irvine-based The Skiver Group has launched a Web site designed to serve as a portal for the $30 million Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center, an outdoor learning facility adjacent to Irvine Regional Park. The Web site, built by Corona-based web developer Studio 34, features an illustrated cartoon-like map showing the activities available at the center. Morgan Hill-based St. Conti Communications is handling the outdoor center’s public relations. The education center opens this week Irvine-based financial services Waveland Capital Partners LLC has hired Irvine-based RiechesBaird to develop a brand strategy for the company. The business-to-business branding firm looks to help the company with investments in the oil and gas space. Plans are in the works for the shop to pick up the integrated marketing portion of the campaign after completion of the branding work San Juan Capistrano-based White Barn Group is coordinating a cross promotional sweepstakes for the Glendora-based National Hot Rod Association, Milwaukee-based Harley-Davidson Inc. and Indianapolis-based The Steak n Shake Co. restaurants. The ad shop is handling the radio ads, media buying and the merchandising printing as well at the final grand prize giveaway of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle Irvine-based chipmaker Teridian Semiconductor Corp. has hired Irvine-based Lages & Associates Inc. as its agency of record to handle its public relations Irvine-based Brower, Miller & Cole has been hired by Laguna Niguel-based Raintree Partners LLC to handle the public relations for the private real estate investment’s first acquisition of a $38 million apartment community in Sunnyvale.
