Irvine-based RiechesBaird isn’t waiting for business to knock on its door in these tight times.
The agency recently pursued Pacific Life & Annuity and landed the insurance provider’s account,a major coup for the shop.
“Pacific Life & Annuity is one RiechesBaird’s top 10 clients in regard to billings, and the top client as far as building brand awareness,” said agency president Ray Baird, who declined to put a dollar value on the account.
The OC shop will handle advertising, public relations and e-business work for Pacific Life, which is looking to expand its brand nationwide. RiechesBaird will help the company focus on the business-to-business marketplace.
The agency already has created the first campaign, which includes print advertising, direct marketing and public relations. The PR work is under way, advertising is slated to begin in November and the direct marketing campaign will launch in the first quarter.
Baird said his agency is strongly urging other clients, as well as Pacific Life, to have a “focused, integrated strategy that aggressively promotes their brands during these trying times.”
“When the economic pendulum inevitably swings the other direction, those companies that invested in and implemented challenger branding will have already captured market share and will come out on top,” Baird said.
Hyundai Carries Bates
Bates USA West, Irvine, has been holding its course in the choppy economy, according to Mark Weinfeld, the agency’s senior vice president of strategic planning.
“We’ve been able to be absolutely fine, but I think it’s because Hyundai is doing very, very well,” Weinfeld said.
The automotive company is Bates’ biggest client, and has been faring well in these tight times. Chris Hosford, Hyundai Motor America Inc.’s spokesman, said Hyundai’s sales in the U.S. were up 49% for the 2000 calendar year. Consequently, the South Korean car importer increased its staff 50% to 475 people this year vs. last.
And Hyundai has been moving on its advertising.
Bates launched Hyundai’s 2002-model ad campaign Oct. 11 on network and cable TV. The redesigned Sonata sedan is featured in the first spots. Commercials for the new Santa Fe sport utility vehicle will follow.
In the meantime, Weinfeld said, Bates has seen an up-tick in new business inquiries lately.
“This has been a very slow year in the ad business. There hasn’t been any major accounts shifting,” Weinfeld said. “All of a sudden, in the last 60 days, there seems to be a lot of people saying, ‘Uh-oh, we had a bad year, we better plan on what we’re going to do next year so this doesn’t happen again.’ ”
But Weinfeld said inquiries are “coming from non-traditional areas,” meaning companies that haven’t used an ad agency before, or that don’t switch from one agency to another.
The reason?
Weinfeld said many companies are realizing that if they don’t do something they’re “going to die on the vine” because there’s not a lot of business to go around.
Winchell’s Switches to Morgan
Bob Zanolli, president of Santa Ana-based Winchell’s Donut House, recently told the Business Journal that the company wants to get the “Winchell’s brand name back in the mouth of the consumer” as part of the company’s overall push to revamp its stores, expand the chain and perk up its image.
Enter a new publicity partner.
The company recently plucked its public relations account from Laer Pearce & Associates, Laguna Hills, and handed it to Irvine-based Melinda Morgan Marketing & Public Relations. There wasn’t a formal review process.
Ron Roberts, Winchell’s senior manager of sales and marketing, said the company had a great relationship with Laer Pearce, and the shop represented the company well.
But Roberts said Kristin Brocoff, who had handled the Winchell’s account, recently joined Morgan’s staff from Laer Pearce, and Morgan Marketing had held the doughnut chain’s account prior to Laer Pearce.
“Strategically, we felt we were in a better position to achieve those objectives with Morgan Marketing,” he said.
Winchell’s also has made some other changes.
The company recently tapped Wasserman & Partners Advertising Inc. in Vancouver, British Columbia, after its longtime consultant joined the agency. Winchell’s also uses Wasserman’s Detroit Creative division. LA-based Initiative Media will continue to handle the chain’s media buying.
El Pollo Loco Launches Ads
At a time when others are stalling campaigns, Irvine-based El Pollo Loco is moving on one.
The Mexican fast-food chain specializing in flame-broiled chicken kicked off a campaign promoting its new spicy chicken that is being offered for a limited time in stores.
Julie Weeks, spokeswoman for El Pollo Loco, said the company had formulated its spicy marinade and decided to launch the product as scheduled.
The company hasn’t altered any of its advertising plans due to the Sept. 11 attacks, she said.
The multimedia campaign, which launched Oct. 8 and will run through Dec. 2, features 15- and 30-second television spots in several West Coast markets. There are also 60-second radio commercials targeting the Hispanic and general markets, and store merchandising.
Billings for the campaign were not disclosed.
