BENSIMON FLYING HIGH ON NEW ACCOUNT WINS
By Adnews Staff
Just over six months after Bensimon Byrne merged with D'Arcy, Masius, Benton & Bowles, both of Toronto, the agency has one five new major accounts and plans to have over $12 million in billings in 1998. In addition, the agency plans to strengthen its database and direct response marketing activities this year. The agency, which is now known as Bensimon Byrne/DMB&B, recently picked up the Canadian TV media buying account of Procter & Gamble, as well as Leon's furniture retailer and the Toronto Blue Jays. The agency also won the North American account for New York-based Turkish Tourism and the business of a global company that it isn't quite ready to announce yet. The new wins don't account for the projects the agency has picked up, or additional work from existing clients. Bensimon recently resigned from the Spectrum United Mutual Funds account, which was originally a DMB&B client. Spectrum has gone through some management changes and it became clear that the new management had "a different philosophical approach to advertising," agency president Jack Bensimon told Adnews in a recent interview. Spectrum is currently seeking a new agency.
Bensimon began offering database and direct response marketing over the past six months so that it could offer more integrated campaigns, Bensimon said. Previously, neither agency offered the service. Bensimon says database and direct response marketing is as important as TV, radio, print and outdoor advertising. It isn't just an add on to a campaign.
Bensimon announced its merger with D'Arcy, Masius, Benton & Bowles last May, with the two agencies being housed under one roof in July. It decided to merge with DMB&B because it wanted to "work on a world stage," Bensimon says.
"We were growing. We gained 16 clients in just over three years. We saw this as an opportunity to continue what we're doing on a larger scale. Bensimon chose DMB&B because Bensimon was known for its "creative and strategic strength. DMB&B was missing the creative strength." In addition, the merger offered Bensimon an international network of services that you can't get operating an independent agency.
As for the combined new name, Bensimon says it's here to stay. The agency wants to show the "Bensimon philosophy still exists, its just part of DMB&B," he says. It's important that clients know the management works in the office in Canada. "We take responsibility for our work, we don't shift between international offices. Too often, he says, agency presidents of a multi-national agency are only there for a year.
Other Bensimon clients include Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Blockbuster Video, Philips Electronics and Black's Photography.