Martin and MediaVest Win the Wal-Mart Account
Wal-Mart has now purged itself of the Julie Roehm taint. At least that’s probably what they are hoping. From the AdAge article:
In announcing its new agency roster Jan. 12, the retailer did a 180-degree turn from the direction Ms. Roehm, the renegade marketer ousted in December amid murky circumstances, was trying to take the staid company’s marketing operation. Wal-Mart ditched both her media shop of choice and the creative-agency model she thought would help the retailer rebound from its woes…
“It’s pretty clear that Wal-Mart wanted to set fire to everything that Julie touched.”
One of the comments in the article I think was interesting was from Arthur Anderson, co-founder and principal at Morgan Anderson Consulting, “These days, you tend to think large marketers would go for large agencies, but the exception is proving to be the rule.” More and more large accounts are going to smaller shops, which I believe is a sign of clients looking for better service and more emphasis on creative thinking — which is too often put in a position of low priority for the larger agencies as a result of cost cutting measures.
But I don’t know what I think about Martin and Wal-Mart. Martin is a great shop. There’s no doubt about that. They’ve done wonderful, high-profile work for companies like Geico, Quizno’s and Miller Genuine Draft. But I question whether or not Wal-Mart wants a real change and if they understand what that really even means. And if they have the stomach for it. Much less the patience. It’s certainly not something that’s going to happen after the first TV flight or even in one quarter. I’d sure hate to see Martin put in a vise that forces them to lose what made them great.
This post was written by: Kim Mickelsen