Growth in interactive marketing campaigns has been driving some hires at W. B. Doner & Co. in Newport Beach.
Erik Glassen, account director, said the advertising shop last year “slightly increased” its workforce “to expand our operations, including (in) interactive and new and emerging media groups.”
The shop “continues to invest strategically” to give clients more services, Glassen said.
“Billings were flat in 2007,” Glassen said. “In spite of the current economic challenges, we continue to bring new solutions to our clients.”
Doner’s Orange County capitalized billings were $350 million last year. It has about 120 workers.
The shop has a “positive” outlook for the rest of 2008, despite the current economy, Glassen said.
“Great ideas don’t always require large budgets to drive our clients’ business,” he said.
Team Offense
Blue C Advertising in Newport Beach plans to keep up the momentum it built last year.
The shop grew its OC capitalized billings 38% to $18 million and hired four workers in 2007. The staff is now at 22 people.
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Clippers ads: created by HeilBrice |
The shop said it got a boost from new business and hired some folks to help with the work.
Executives said clients also liked the way the shop was reorganized in teams. Each team has expertise and a background in specific industries so the teams can better understand their clients’ needs, the shop said.
Recent work: Blue C designed an annual report for the Children’s Hospital of Orange County and created a print and online campaign for Quantum Corp.
Digital Boost
Irvine-based HeilBrice Inc. advertising shop grew its staff after bringing in some new clients.
Chief Executive Hal Brice said recent wins include Orange-based Boot Barn Inc., which sells Western-style apparel in more than 30 stores across California and the Southwest, and David August, a custom men’s clothier.
The OC shop hired a handful of people and now counts about 38 workers.
This year, HeilBrice is also boosting its digital services and working on a new e-commerce application, Brice said.
“The advertising industry is rapidly changing, and we’re changing with it,” Brice said. “We’re seeing more and more options for our clients to reach their customers with the continued growth of new media.”
Brice said there’s an increased focus on having campaigns that create ongoing dialogues with people through blogs and more.
Last year, HeilBrice celebrated its 20th year in business and moved to a new office in the Irvine Spectrum.
The shop’s OC capitalized billings decreased slightly last year to $90.5 million after some current clients reduced their ad budgets, according to the company.
New projects helped offset the drop, including some for Shelly Automotive Group and San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino. The shop also created a Spanish in-store program for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
Discounted Reports
Trabuco Canyon-based Board-Trac, which tracks lifestyle trends and buying patterns of surfers, skateboarders and snowboarders, is giving a discount on reports for its 10th anniversary.
Angelo Ponzi, Board-Trac cofounder, said it’s a way for the shop to give back. People will get 30% off any report, including annual reports and market reports, available in Board-Trac’s online store.
“We wanted to make our data available because it’s so essential for strategic planning, design and distribution planning and simply to grow a business,” Ponzi said. “Since day one our strategy was to help this industry really understand its consumer.”
The action sports industry, which includes surf, skate and snow sports, has changed during the past decade, with Wall Street playing a bigger role. Some brands, such as Costa Mesa-based Volcom Inc., have gone public and others have been bought by publicly traded companies, such as Costa Mesa-based Hurley Inc., which was bought by Nike Inc. several years back.
This year will bring more changes to Board-Trac, said Marie Case, managing director.
Demands have prompted the shop to expand its services to include business and strategic plan development, more focus groups and secondary research services and expansion of media planning and buying services.
Growing Ranks
O’Leary and Partners Advertising and Public Relations Firm in Irvine plans to hire some workers this year, according to President Jim Harrington.
“We expect to add staff across all disciplines in 2008,” Harrington said.
That includes creative, account planning, account management and print and digital production.
O’Leary and Partners said it will need the hands to help with an expected increase in work.
“Many clients are increasing spending in the online/digital areas,” Harrington said. “As a result, many agencies are adding staff in the digital production area” to help produce the work.
Last year, O’Leary and Partners hired two people and now counts 63 employees.
