Interpublic will play ball
Co. aims to promote projects created by owned shingles
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Now marketing giant Interpublic wants to get in the game. The conglom has established a sports and entertainment marketing unit, to be called Interpublic Sports Entertainment Group.
New unit, to be headed by chairman and CEO Mark Dowley along with industry PR mavens Pat Kingsley and Michael Nyman, will enable Interpublic to better create brand marketing for Interpublic clients, whether they are involved with sports or entertainment.
Kingsley's PMK/HBH reps clients including Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks and Jodie Foster. Nyman, via Bragman Nyman Cafarelli, reps such clients as Sony PlayStation, Cameron Diaz and Maxim magazine.
Interpublic also is believed to be considering acquisitions of content companies, which could include lit agencies, production shingles or talent agencies. The probability of transactions involving tenpercenteries has risen due to April's expiration of SAG's master franchise agreement, which contains limits on agency ownership by producers and distributors .
ISEG want to play an active role in promoting films, TV shows or other entertainment created by Interpublic-owned shingles. Like Omnicom, Publicis and WPP Group, Interpublic has its eye on content providers for a number of reasons, including the opportunity to use product from its blue-chip ad clients, such as Coco-Cola and General Motors, within a piece of entertainment.
Added to the mix
Kingsley, CEO of Interpublic-owned PMK/HBH and Nyman, CEO of Bragman Nyman Cafarelli, will serve as vice chairmen of ISEG. Reps from Interpublic companies Octagon, the global sports marketing agency, and Amster Yard, the marketing communications boutique, will join the unit.
"Combining our promotional awareness creates additional awareness for sporting events and events in the entertainment business," Kingsley told Daily Variety. "It presents an opportunity for us to expand our business."
Added Nyman: "It's all about creating the ultimate value chain for our clients. We think with the creation of this new unit, we're off to an excellent start."
Kingsley and Nyman will continue in their CEO roles at their respective shingles.
Leveraging services
John Dooner, Interpublic's chairman and CEO, said: "We've been involved in this area of the business for several years, and we understand the leverage these services can create for our clients in an increasingly cluttered and competitive media environment.
"By bringing these four complementary companies together under Mark's capable leadership, we believe we can better help clients build their brands."
Reporting structure
In his new role, Dowley will report directly to Dooner and work with Larry Weber, chairman and CEO of Interpublic's advanced marketing services group. There will be no other changes in the senior management at Octagon or Amster Yard.
The Interpublic sports and entertainment group also will work closely with Magna Global, Interpublic's media negotiation unit, which recently launched an entertainment division to create television programming.
As vice chairman of the McCann-Erickson WorldGroup, Dowley was responsible for all of the agency's non-advertising units, with 2001 billings of approximately $7 billion. Prior to that, he founded Momentum Worldwide, the event and experiential marketing unit of McCann that was the fastest-growing for four years running, beginning in 1996.
Octagon is the world's second-largest sports marketing agency, with 70 offices in 23 countries. The company is the global leader in the production and distribution of soccer, rugby and cricket programming.
PMK/HBH is one of the largest entertainment PR companies in the world, with offices in Los Angeles and New York. Bragman Nyman Cafarelli specializes in merging consumer lifestyle with entertainment and sports marketing and public relations. Amster Yard provides universal communications solutions across marketing disciplines.
The Interpublic Group of companies is among the world's largest advertising and marketing organizations. Its four global operating groups are the McCann-Erickson WorldGroup, the Partnership, FCB Group and Advanced Marketing Services.
