Conceptualizing
Who needs three ideas when one strong solution will do? That’s the simple philosophy at Concept One — and it’s working well. The two-year old shop increased net revenues more than 10 times in the past year from $144,000 to $1.6 million.
“Every idea you ever present, concept one is the best idea,” says CEO John Kocis. “It’s not absurd to walk into a meeting with one idea if it’s the best idea.”
Kocis and Chief Creative Officer Bill McBrayer met at Ryan Partnership in 1994. After Kocis left for stints on the client side and at Tracy Locke Partnership, the two formed their own shop, which has 10 staffers.
Revenues are expected to grow even more in 2003 thanks to new client Procter & Gamble. A holiday movie blitz built around P&G’s surface care products is in the works.
“We’re a conceptual marketing agency — a bit broader than promotions,” Kocis says. “We’re not so much full-service as at-your-service.”
“Their detail and execution is unbelievable,” says Laura Monaghan, manager of promotion and retail marketing at Rockport. Through a Men in Black II try-on promotion, the Canton, MA-based company appealed to a younger demographic.
Concept One has work planned for The Hallmark Channel through next Valentine’s Day. “We bring ideas to the client before they ask for them,” McBrayer says. A sweepstakes in fourth quarter 2002 hooked up Hallmark’s cable, retail and online, and spiked ratings 83%. “It’s not just that they deal with us, but that they push us and expect so much out of us,” says Andy Karosky, VP — marketing at the Los Angeles-based Hallmark Channel.
