Costa Mesa-based Casanova Pendrill Inc.’s chairman, Dan Nance, will be leaving his post this month.
As part of an expected transition plan, Nance will turn over the reins to Chief Executive Ingrid Otero-Smart and newly appointed Vice President of Finance Enrily Levy.
Nance was tapped for the top spot seven years ago by founder Paul Casanova and has seen the Hispanic ad agency double its billings.
Casanova Pendrill, a unit of New York-based Interpublic Group of Cos., is the largest Hispanic ad agency in Orange County and the 10th largest of any type here in terms of billings, according to the Business Journal’s 2008 list.
Nance isn’t getting out of the game. He plans to start a consulting practice in Los Angeles to appeal to entertainment studios after a bout of traveling, according to Otero-Smart.
Otero-Smart, who was brought on in August, will oversee the daily operations at the agency as well as work on relations with Casanova parent Interpublic.
The Hispanic shop is looking forward to a positive start for the first quarter with two new assignments from Switzerland’s Nestl & #233; SA for its Nescaf & #233; and Juicy Juice brands.
Casanova also is working on three television spots for undisclosed clients that should start shooting in February.
“Our clients are really benefiting from the Hispanic segment, which made a significant dent in their sales in 2008,” Otero-Smart said.
Hispanic ad agencies are faring better than some of their less niche counterparts because many companies are focusing on the Hispanic market as a place for growth, according to Otero-Smart.
“It’s a really rewarding time to not see our Hispanic budgets cut first,” she said.
Pet Magazine Upgrades Web
Mission Viejo-based BowTie Inc., formerly Fancy Publications Inc., has added interactive video to its pet enthusiast Web sites.
“It was the next natural step for the social networking element for the Web sites,” said Michelle Williams, Internet marketing director at BowTie.
The privately owned publisher produces 50 publications for pet aficionados and owners including flagship titles Cat Fancy and Dog Fancy as well as several Web sites.
“We started an overhaul of the Web sites two years ago and social networking was a large part of being a pet owner,” Williams said.
The Web sites have offered Web forums and the ability to share pictures of owners and their pets.
Users will now be able to upload video to share with others as well as view other users’ videos.
“Our members will now be able to share videos of their pets with others like a virtual dog park,” Williams said.
BowTie is expecting several more additions to its Web sites in the first half of 2009, attempting to further foster its community of pet enthusiasts.
“We’ve seen that the people who subscribe to our magazines don’t cut back in a down economy when it comes to their pets,” Williams said.
BowTie is expecting revenue of about $30 million for 2008, according to New Jersey-based Dun & Bradstreet Inc.
The publisher and Nestl & #233; Purina PetCare Co. are working together in a traditional and online marketing campaign.
Purina will be buying ad space on both the Web site and in the print magazines as part of the ongoing campaign.
Benefits of Bundle
Costa Mesa-based MegaPath Inc. hired Newport Beach-based Estey-Hoover Inc. to do a series of print ads designed to target resellers of the company’s voice over Internet protocol products.
MegaPath, a technology services outsourcing company, helps clients set up wide-area networks that connect computers at multiple offices. It also manages phone services and network security for businesses.
The ads will promote its Duet phone and Internet program, which bundles the two for small to midsize businesses.
MegaPath originally hired Estey-Hoover to do radio commercials a year ago, but the economy took a nose dive before the plans were finalized. So the agency is retooling the ads for today’s economy.
“It’s interesting how it morphed from a consumer-targeted radio campaign into a more business-to-business print campaign aimed at a specific market,” said Dave Gyurina, the agency’s vice president.
The new print ads will launch mid-February in high-tech magazines to reach technology resellers.
The ad shop also plans to start on several campaigns for MegaPath’s other products.
“We’re looking to expand quite a bit with them and help come up with a coherent brand,” Gyurina said.
The advertising agency signed several clients in 2008 including Newport Beach-based Nu Image MedSpa Inc., Los Angeles-based WSS Warehouse Shoe Sale LLC and Irvine law firm Kasdan Simonds Riley & Vaughan LLP.
