Friday, July 20, 2012

10331: LifeLock, IHOP Hop Between IPG Shops.

Adweek reported on a minor case of Corporate Cultural Collusion involving accounts transferring between IPG shops sans review. Is it embarrassing for a client when their AOR folds, and they get shuttled to another agency? Of course, it’s not like anyone would view IHOP or LifeLock as showcase clients. And McCann is not exactly a creative powerhouse—it’s closer to an outhouse.

McCann L.A. IHOP, LifeLock Accounts Move to Dailey

Resulting layoffs undetermined

By Noreen O’Leary

IHOP and LifeLock, the remaining accounts at McCann Erickson’s Los Angeles office, have moved over to Interpublic corporate sibling Dailey L.A.

McCann, nonetheless, plans to keep the West Coast location open as a global field office. There were fewer than 50 staffers this spring before the agency lost its Nestlé brands Coffee-Mate and Nesquik in the U.S. Layoffs at the office are still to be determined as some of the McCann employees will move with the accounts to Dailey, sources said.

McCann declined to comment; Dailey execs did not respond to Adweek inquiries.

In 2011, IHOP spent $69.7 million in measured media and LifeLock, $57.8 million, according to Nielsen. Those amounts do not include digital or business-to-business ad spending.

IHOP, which worked with McCann from 2002-2007, returned to the agency in June 2010 after a two-year hiatus when the national restaurant chain worked with MDC Partners’ Vitro. LifeLock hired McCann in April 2010.

In addition to the loss of the Nestlé brands, the shift of business to Dailey comes after the resignation of Cathy Saidiner, president of McCann L.A. Richard Donohoe, group director at McCann N.Y., was named managing director of the L.A. office, replacing Saidiner.

Separately, McCann confirmed Matt Donovan, evp and managing partner of its N.Y. office since October 2010, has left the agency. While sources say he has a new job in the works it could not immediately be determined where he is headed. Donovan joined McCann in October 2010 from Euro RSCG 4D, where he was North American chief strategy officer. Donovan was hired by Thom Gruhler, who was then president of McCann N.Y. A year later Gruhler was moved into a McCann Worldgroup telecommunications role and left the company in March to become vp of Windows phone marketing at Microsoft.

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