Martin Joins NCG Porter; Ochsner Severs the Knott
Picture a guy named Bill outside Candle City in a mall, marveling about the great aroma coming from the shop. Yep, he says, that smell, among other things, is the reason he loves to shop in person. He’s actually pretty convincing, until he sticks his elbow in a wad of gum.
The comical skit is followed by the words: “Bob sticks to the mall. The rest of us buy.com. Get in. Get great deals. Get out. buy.com: Get in. Get out.”
This is just one of the 30-second TV spots featured in buy.com’s new marketing and advertising campaign. It launched last week and will run through the holiday shopping season,a critical time for Aliso Viejo-based buy.com Inc. and many other Internet retailers.
“We realize this is an important quarter and we are confident that we will emerge as a survivor,” said Greg Hawkins, buy.com chairman and chief executive. “Although talk has been critical of who will survive the etailing holiday season, we see the more important quarters to be Q1 and Q2, when the next generation of e-commerce begins to play out and people begin to gain an understanding of the different business models.”
The campaign seeks to portray the pitfalls of shopping in the mall. The “Get in. Get out,” tagline is aimed at reinforcing the no-nonsense buying experience, according to the company, and is said to position the site as a quick and efficient place to get great deals online.
The campaign was created by Santa Monica-based Rubin Postaer & Associates, buy.com’s advertising and media agency. Rubin Postaer, with billings totaling $660 million, won the account in June, beating out Young & Rubicam in Irvine, Bates USA in Irvine and DDB Needham in Los Angeles, as well as four others.
A national online advertising program, which is being done in-house, supports the TV campaign. Seattle-based Avenue A, a digital marketing company, handles buying.
Buy.com would not disclose the value of the account, but the company reported spending $21.2 million on sales and marketing in its most recent quarter.
Martin Joining NCG Porter
NCG Porter Novelli in Irvine has lured a top executive from a rival firm.
Linda Martin, former vice president at Laguna Hills-based Laer Pearce & Associates, is set to start next week as the firm’s new senior vice president and general manager.
“It’s a personal challenge I’m very excited about,” said Martin, who has worked with Laer Pearce for 13 years. “Having the resources of NCG Porter Novelli in an international network is going to provide me with a lot of new experiences. It is a step up for me.”
Martin is slated to be part of a management team at NCG Porter Novelli and responsible for the day-to-day operations of the agency’s Irvine office.
Donna Lucas, chief executive and president of NCG Porter Novelli, which reported $3.5 million in billings this year, welcomed Martin on board at a time of expansion for the firm. In January, NCG Porter Novelli plans to establish public affairs offices in Seattle and San Francisco.
“We have been looking for the right candidate and Linda’s name consistently came up,” Lucas said.
Meanwhile, Laer Pearce & Associates president Laer Pearce, who split accounts with Martin, said his firm is saddened by Martin’s impending departure. But he said the rest of his staff can step up to fill her shoes. Plus, Laer Pearce, which reported $1.4 million in billings this year, is looking to hire up to three people.
“We’ve spoken with all our clients and they’re sad to see Linda go, but they expressed confidence with (our team) and we don’t anticipate a change,” Pearce said.
With a strong OC market, Martin says there’s ample room in the area for growing agencies. “There’s plenty of work to go around,” she said.
Bits and Pieces:
Bob Ochsner, former director of public relations at Knott’s Berry Farm, left his post on Nov. 3 to join Paine & Associates in Costa Mesa. Ochsner, who spent seven years at Knott’s, has been replaced by Susan Tierney, former marketing manager of the amusement park’s Soak City Water Park … SCDRG Inc. in Irvine has been busy launching campaigns. The firm recently developed a “Magic from Morning ‘Til Night” marketing campaign for Cox Communications Inc. that promotes digital-cable service in OC. Cox in OC teamed up with Disneyland for a consumer promotion that launched last Wednesday. Also, SCDRG recently designed, developed and helped market a new logo and campaign dubbed “Adelphia en Espanol” for Adelphia Communications Corp., which provides cable service to a big part of OC. The move marks Adelphia’s first big effort to target the Hispanic marketplace.
