Sponsor (Oct-Dec 1962)

'BUYER'S VIEWPOINT By S. Champion Titus Advertising and sales promotion manager Ampex Corp. What we looked for in a new agency When most advertisers start looking for a new agency, it's because they are dissatisfied with their present agency. Not so with the Ampex Company. We had a unique need for a new agency. A year ago the company was completely decentralized into five autonomous operating product divisions. We had five of everything — all going in different directions. The results were horrible. Few people knew what business we were in and practically no one knew the full scope of our business. Management consultants were called in. Their recommendations for reorganization called for centralization in many areas, including advertising and sales promotion. So our unique need for a new agency was that we needed one to replace five. We invited agencies to make presentations. We heard eight half-hour preliminary presentations in two days and selected three finalists. Two weeks later we made our selection, 23 working days after beginning the search. So, finally, what were we looking for? In general, we were guided by the corporate reorganization direction of the consultants and new management. We were moving from product orientation to marketing orientation— from divisional direction to corporate direction. Our first requirement was for a marketing-oriented agency. At that stage we needed at least the skeleton of a corporate marketing plan as a base for a sound corporate advertising plan, and we needed the help of a strong agency to help us pull it together. We looked carefully at the importance of the Ampex account to the agency. But the most important single requirement was people— the right people. We wanted a team that could work with our team with complete and mutual confidence particularly since our team was new. Here's what we found in the final presentations. In the area of marketing we saw too many advertising proofs, they didn't show us what the problem was, how they approached it and how advertising was contributing to the solution. We saw too many unrelated examples of their work. They were HHHHI S. CJuunpion ("Champ") Titus, advcrtisi>ig and sales promotion manager for the Ampex Corporation, has worked with Ampex in various capacities since 1960. Previously he served at BBDO, Buffalo. In his talk before the San Francisco Ad Club, he describes the criteria used in selecting an agency for an account that is primarily industrial rather than consumer. very heavy on consumer advertising, not industrial. Because the agencies knew us for our consumer products I don't think they bothered to find out that less than 10% of our business is in consume? products. We saw too much on space advertising alone, without proper relation to the total marketing job to be done. They overemphasized the importance and function of advertising in the total marketing picture and end sale of the product, to the point that some of our people, particularly technical, didn't believe anything that was said. They devoted too much time to advertising alone with little or nothing on supporting materials, so important to an industrial advertiser. There were many weak areas in the presentation of people. Some said that if they got the account they had the perfect account man lined up, and they would hire him or bring him in from another office—they didn't even have him there. The principals talked too much. We knew we weren't going to work with them on a day-to-day basis and we didn't hear enough from those we would be working with. In general, there was a lack of industrial experience and background, both in the agencies themselves, and the people presented. An industrial advertiser feels his business is entirely different than consumer and wants to work with someone who talks his language. It is a matter of record today that the San Francisco office of Cunningham and Walsh is the new single agency for all Ampex advertising. They showed us case histories on a problem-approachsolution-results format. They had the best industrial consumer balance. The full team was present, and they all participated with thei account executive handling the major share. The West Coast vice' president and the president had five minutes each. The appearance, of the president from New York was the clincher in proving thai the Ampex account would be oil major importance to them. It i; too early for facts to prove results but I can say their performance ha; exceeded their promises. 66 SPONSOR/ 1 October 196:1