Irvine-based online marketing company Capita Technologies Inc. is looking to build its staff.
The company plans to hire up to 15 workers this year, said Chief Executive Charles Granville.
The company has about 30 workers.
Capita builds Web sites, handles online promotions, banners, loyalty programs and wireless promotions, among other services. The company also sells software that monitors the effectiveness of marketing campaigns.
Granville said there’s a big shift going on.
“Historically, television advertising received the majority of marketing dollars, and now with all the video recorders, commercials are getting tapped and eliminated,” he said.
The youth market spends more time on the Internet and their cell phones, he said.
So more companies are shifting to online marketing campaigns, which cost less than TV, Granville said.
Capita has seen an uptick in Web marketing business from clients, including Mars Inc., Kraft Foods Inc., Motorola Inc., Altria Group Inc.’s Philip Morris USA Inc., Coca-Cola Bottling Co. and General Mills Inc.
Other clients need more convincing.
“The shift from traditional marketing into e-marketing is still in its early stages,” Granville said. “It will take some education of our clients and prospects to ensure they stay in front of their competition in the marketing area.”
Capita formerly was owned by Interpublic Group of Cos.
Granville, who has been with Capita since 1994, recently bought the company from Interpublic, which acquired Capita in 2000. Interpublic still has a stake in Capita. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.
Capita shares office space with Interpublic’s Foote, Cone & Belding Southern California unit.
Capita’s other unit, which makes criminal justice software, has been hot since the terrorist attacks in 2001, he said.
Granville said the shop is working with Los Angeles County to build criminal, crime and probation management systems, which manage fingerprints, photos and DNA to help solve crimes.
Granville said Capita is going after state and federal contracts.
The Word
Newport Beach-based O’Leary and Partners beat out several shops to pick up a public relations client, Long Beach-based Lexico Publishing Group LLC.
The shop said it recently won public relations work from Long Beach-based Lexico, which operates online reference and learning services. Its businesses include Web sites Dictionary.com, Thesaurus.com and Reference.com.
The 11-year-old company tapped O’Leary after being impressed with its “strategic approach, integrated ideas and enthusiasm” for Lexico’s sites, said Jasper Chou, the company’s director of marketing.
O’Leary spent the past year staffing up to handle recent wins.
The shop, which opened a Dallas office last year, hired six workers and now has about 67 employees.
Other recent O’Leary signings include La Habra-based Paul’s TV and Appliance Center Inc., Mexico’s Grupo Bimbo SA and its Oroweat and Francisco brands, and San Diego’s WD-40 Co.
O’Leary’s is working on WD-40 campaigns for its Spot Shot, Carpet Fresh and WD-40 brands.
The shop is looking to grow its billings 10% this year, a slightly faster pace than last year’s gains, said Jim Harrington, O’Leary president.
O’Leary posted $85 million in billings last year, up 8% from a year earlier.
In other news, Scott Montgomery, a former creative executive at O’Leary, recently joined Irvine-based Johnson-Ukropina Creative Marketing as executive creative director.
Good Health
Aliso Viejo-based Epic Brand Communications recently landed two healthcare accounts.
The shop picked up work from Compressus Inc. in Washington, D.C., and Sunnyvale-based Eklin Medical Systems Inc., according to Paul Shortley, an Epic Brand vice president.
Epic Brand will help Compressus launch a product and build brand awareness. It’s set to give sales support to Eklin, Shortley said.
Shortley’s expecting a big 2006.
“Our business plan is based on a 25% growth, but we are shooting for 50%,” Shortley said. “Our clients’ market positions are strong and budgets are growing.”
The shop’s billings last year jumped 29% to $12.5 million, while its staff spiked 50% to 15 workers.
Shortley said the shop grew work with current clients, including Cambridge, Mass.-based Biogen Idec Inc., Fullerton-based Beckman Coulter Inc. and Vest Medical LLC’s Vestara unit in Tustin.
Epic Brand also had some wins last year, including Los Angeles-based Clearant Inc., Philips Medical Systems, part of Royal Philips Electronics NV and Boulder, Colo.-based Pharmion Corp.
