Cossette restructures under holding company Vision7 International
By Adnews Staff
Cossette of Quebec City is being restructured into two separate entities that will operate under a new holding company called Vision7 International. Vision7 International will be a Canadian-based holding company headed by chairman and CEO Claude Lessard. Each sub-entity will maintain its own business model, intended to allow the company to expand in Canada and in international markets. "This evolution is designed to better meet the needs of our clients and to remain at the forefront of an industry that is experiencing a major reshuffling of its global business landscape," said Lessard. "Our entrepreneurial culture constantly drives us to challenge ourselves to adapt and to evolve."
The first entity will operate as Cossette. It will offer a range of marketing communications services including strategic planning, research, interactive communications, mass advertising, channel planning, media buying, sales promotion, direct marketing, customer relationship management, social marketing activities, interactive marketing, branding and design as well as print and video production. The new Cossette will be headed by president and recently-appointed CEO Brett Marchand. "Cossette remains true to its rich heritage," said Marchand. "We are focused on creativity and innovation and we aim to be considered the model agency of the future. We are convinced that this model will bring higher results for our clients."
The other entity, to be called Esprit de Corps Communications, will comprise a group of marketing agencies operating in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada. This group will be jointly led by Gregor Angus as president of Esprit de Corps Europe and by Colin Schleining as president of Esprit de Corps North America. The participating agencies will offer services in five areas. Interactive communications and mass advertising will be handled by Dare and MCBD. Sales promotion, direct marketing and customer relationship management will be conducted by UK-based Elvis. Public relations and social media work will be handled by Paine PR in the US, Optimum PR in Canada and Band & Brown in the UK. Online marketing will be conducted by Rocket XL. Channel planning and media buying will be handled by Jungle Media.
Additional senior staff at Vision7 include media president Pierre Delagrave, vice-president and chief financial officer Martin Faucher, vice-president of corporate strategy Marcel Barthe and Kimberley Okell, vice-president of legal affairs.