Kirshenbaum Bond & Partners Spins Off Interactive Agency

The traditional agency combines its direct marketing and interactive units into a new entity.

At a time when the dreams of sky-high IPOs arising from interactive agency spin-offs are officially dead, New York-based Kirshenbaum Bond & Partners is taking that route all the same, combining its direct marketing and interactive groups into a stand-alone company called Dotglu.

Founding a separate company, says KB co-chairman Jon Bond, has allowed the operation to attract talent that wouldn’t be satisfied simply working in a department of an agency.

But keeping Dotglu integrated with the agency — it’s in the same building and will remain so — will allow it to work on integrated online and offline campaigns. At least that’s the idea. Attracting bricks-and-mortar businesses that will be reassured by its traditional agency ties is also part of the plan.

“It’s about delivering first-class service to clients sick of dealing with the 24-year-old with the earring,” said Bond.

So far Dotglu — which has been operating in “stealth” mode for around four months — has won accounts like Citibank, Wyndham Hotels, Credit Suisse First Boston, Liberty Mutual, and Olympus Cameras. Around half of those clients are executing cross-platform efforts in which Dotglu works with the traditional agency, according to Bond.

The company, majority-owned by KB but also staked by individual investors and clients, is headed up by Tina Cohoe, who hails from FCBi, the direct marketing unit of FCB Worldwide. She had been president of that operation since 1994.

All of the leadership of the new division — save Jon Bond and Richard Kirshenbaum, who will act as co-chairmen — have been brought in from elsewhere, in hopes that they will nurture an entrepreneurial culture at Dotglu. The rest of the 40 person staff is made up of existing employees of KB’s direct marketing and interactive groups.

Dotglu will focus on customer relationship management, and will offer services such as: database marketing; media planning, buying and optimization; online branding; business consulting; and Web design.

Although Dotglu will be a spin-off of the agency, KB has no plans for hyper-growth or an IPO. It’s a good thing, given the current climate, in which Internet advertising concerns have been left out in the cold. Start-ups have had artificial pressure to grow, said Bond, and the rapid pace of change — both in hiring, and now downsizing — has caused instability. That’s a trap Dotglu is aiming to avoid.

Subscribe to get your daily business insights

Whitepapers

US Mobile Streaming Behavior

Whitepaper | Mobile US Mobile Streaming Behavior

5y

US Mobile Streaming Behavior

Streaming has become a staple of US media-viewing habits. Streaming video, however, still comes with a variety of pesky frustrations that viewers are ...

View resource
Winning the Data Game: Digital Analytics Tactics for Media Groups

Whitepaper | Analyzing Customer Data Winning the Data Game: Digital Analytics Tactics for Media Groups

5y

Winning the Data Game: Digital Analytics Tactics f...

Data is the lifeblood of so many companies today. You need more of it, all of which at higher quality, and all the meanwhile being compliant with data...

View resource
Learning to win the talent war: how digital marketing can develop its people

Whitepaper | Digital Marketing Learning to win the talent war: how digital marketing can develop its people

2y

Learning to win the talent war: how digital market...

This report documents the findings of a Fireside chat held by ClickZ in the first quarter of 2022. It provides expert insight on how companies can ret...

View resource
Engagement To Empowerment - Winning in Today's Experience Economy

Report | Digital Transformation Engagement To Empowerment - Winning in Today's Experience Economy

4w

Engagement To Empowerment - Winning in Today's Exp...

Customers decide fast, influenced by only 2.5 touchpoints – globally! Make sure your brand shines in those critical moments. Read More...

View resource