Momentum Shift: Louis London renamed as McCann-Erickson integrates.
Louis London, Inc. took on the name Momentum-St. Louis in a reorganization of parent McCann-Erickson Worldwide’s Momentum group, where promotional disciplines will work more closely together.
promo’s Agency of the Year in 1995, the agency formerly known as Louis London was placed in the Momentum group after it was purchased by McCann owner Interpublic Group of Companies in April 1998. President Mark Shapiro was named to the newly created title of chairman and ceo of Momentum North America, working in St. Louis and reporting to Mark Dowley, chairman and ceo of Momentum Worldwide.
In a new management structure for North America, responsibility for the agency’s clients is organized into four product portfolios: packaged goods/automotive, technology, financial, and retail. Four execs are being promoted from senior vice presidents to executive veeps to oversee the product groups.
“This means our management team will be practicing all of the disciplines that reside within the organization,” says Shapiro. “We are fully integrating our capabilities, so hopefully we will be able to demonstrate to our clients [that] we will continue to be tactically neutral brand builders.”
Purchased by Interpublic in 1996, New York City-based Momentum Worldwide has billings of $570 million and provides services in sponsor consulting, events, and sports and entertainment marketing for clients including General Motors, Coca-Cola, and Motorola. Momentum North America has $200 million in billings.
The Momentum unit is one of seven discipline “corridors” McCann has designated for global branding. St. Louis will be “headquarters of the sales promotion skill set for the entire North American organization,” says Shapiro.
