Founded by Dan Wieden and David Kennedy, and headquartered in Portland, Oregon, Wieden & Kennedy is one of the largest independent advertising agencies in the world. All major holding companies are invited to submit their proposals. In another oft-cited example, Dan Wieden managed to get Secretary Janet Champ to work in the creative department; she later became senior editor at Nike and founded her own agency. The result was a campaign that recruited 17 fans per second on Facebook and contributed to global sales growth of 7% after the campaign, according to the agency.
Exploring data, marketing agencies and design firms, and creative work related to these important companies is essential. Marriott's push to sell more digital advertising marked a first for the hospitality industry, but marketers shouldn't be surprised if vertical markets, from airlines to financial services, follow suit. Halfway around the world, executive creative director Ian Toombs, who heads the agency's Shanghai operations, said he's trying to achieve a bilingual office by hiring locals and expats willing to relocate to China. Agency Spotter's goal is to improve the search, selection and management of marketing and design agencies for companies of all sizes. For advertising folks, Wieden & Kennedy is one of the most sought-after workplaces.
The agency has created award-winning ads for brands like Nike, Old Spice and McDonald's. Wieden & Kennedy Shanghai's splendid new film for Nike China looks a bit like a sports version of Guy Ritchie's movie “Snatch”. The coronavirus pandemic has only increased pressure on sellers to reduce costs, suggesting that more brands will seek internally some of their marketing functions that were previously handled by agencies. As the company turns to adapt to a more digital program, it also seeks to reduce costs, and eliminating its digital media agency could help with the bottom line if it creates an internal team, as it is said to be doing. Mindshare was responsible for Nike's Soccer Facebook page, which generated more than 1.9 online campaign impressions and more than 40 million online views of the film.
Branded pages can help employees of prominent companies start their own search by looking at agencies that have already worked with them. The abandonment of its digital media agency comes at a time when Nike has seen the success of its digital marketing. John Jay, now global president of creatives at the parent company of Japanese retailer Uniqlo, Fast Retailing, had no agency experience when he came to Wieden from Bloomingdale's marketing department. Agency Spotter is changing that with brand pages and a suite of agency management products for large companies, as well as a lighter product for small teams, Agency Management for Teams. This platform helps companies find the right advertising agency for their needs.
