Rick Eiserman took the helm of Young & Rubicam Brands at a critical time earlier this year.
The ad agency, one of Orange County’s biggest, had seen management churn and was feeling the pinch from losing some $200 million in billings after Sony Electronics Inc. and Ford Motor Co.’s Jaguar Cars took their business elsewhere. (Y & R;’s Wunderman interactive division still handles Jaguar work.)
Flash forward to today.
Since Eiserman came onboard, Y & R; has expanded work with existing clients, picked up work and revamped its staff, including hiring more workers.
The shop is “in the middle of seven new business pitches,” Eiserman said. “Three of them we’re in negotiations on,” said Eiserman, who replaced David Murphy as head of the Irvine office earlier this year.
Y & R; spent the past year focusing on clients and making sure “we had our house and business in order,” Eiserman said.
The agency recently expanded work with Irvine-based Land Rover North America and Beverly Hills-based Hilton Hotels Corp.
Y & R; used to solely handle Land Rover’s advertising in North America, Eiserman said.
The automaker recently gave Y & R; more responsibility. The Irvine shop now will handle some 12 markets around the world, including Russia, China and India, Eiserman said.
Y & R; plans to hire five to seven people to help with the new work, he said.
“It’s exciting for the Irvine office,” Eiserman said.
Y & R; also recently added assignments with Hilton. It previously handled Hilton’s U.S. marketing, including TV and print ads and online work.
Y & R; now is responsible for the hotel chain’s global advertising, Eiserman said.
Its first assignment: Revamping Hilton’s branding, including its logo and signs, for consistency around the world, Eiserman said.
Two people are set to be hired to help on the expanded account, he said.
Work with Carlsbad-based Callaway Golf Co. also has grown, Eiserman said.
The golf company recently signed on Y & R;’s London office to coordinate product launches with Y & R; in Irvine.
“You don’t have the opportunity to control introductions when you have a staggered launch,” Eiserman said.
“When you’ve had some of the growth we’ve had, it opens up opportunities to give existing staff new opportunities and bring in new people,” Eiserman said.
Recent hires include a vice president/director of digital and a creative director.
“We want to build this into a world class agency, not just a local field office with a focus in Southern California,” Eiserman said.
In the meantime, Y & R;’s New York parent has been trying to mount its own comeback after struggling with account and management churn.
Recent changes: Chris Jacques started as chief executive of Y & R; North America in October.
NetScope Starts Division
Irvine-based NetScope Inc., which handles Web site work and online marketing, started a division in a bid to lure more business.
The shop so far has four people working at the division, called Corporate Search Optimization.
The focus: search engine marketing, which includes tracking how people search the Web and get to a company’s Web site.
NetScope said it expects to grow the division to about eight workers. So far, it’s landed three projects.
Clients include Irvine-based Quartics Inc., Walnut-based J.F. Shea Co.’s Shea Homes and Irvine’s Takagi Industrial Co. USA Inc., part of Japan’s Takagi Industrial Co.
Demand from clients prompted NetScope to start the search engine division, the results of which are used in interactive marketing campaigns.
In other news, NetScope picked up online assignments from three clients: mortgage broker George Smith Partners Inc., Lewis Apartments and accounting firm Windes & McClaughry.
Earlier this year, NetScope hired up to four people. The shop now counts about 20 employees.
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