BEST WESTERN COMPLETES SEARCH
By Adnews Staff
Best Western International of Phoenix, Arizona completed its five-month long agency search this week, selecting BBDO West of Los Angeles to handle its $19-million (U.S.) account. When Best Western began its search in late 1996, the company tapped 12 agencies for its review, including Vancouver-based Cossette Communication-Marketing. Cossette was dropped from consideration when the first round of cuts pared the list of competing agencies to four. The Persuasion Group of Venice, California was the only other agency making the final short list of two. Although Persuasion had not made Best Western's initial agency list, it was added late in the review process after the agency approached the company. Wayne W. Wielgus, Best Western's vice-president of worldwide marketing and sales, said in a release that the company's primary requirement was that its agency be able to handle all of Best Western's "corporate, international, field marketing and partnership marketing needs." In an earlier interview, Gillian Silver, Best Western's public relations director, told Adnews the company probably wouldn't look for a Canadian agency to handle its media buying north of the border. Any decisions on Canadian advertising would be made by Best Western and its agency, she added. Best Western is an international hotel chain with nearly 3,700 independently-owned and operated hotel properties in 69 countries.