Mr. Smith Goes to Greenwich
Clarion Marketing is working more closely with sister agency DMB&B to provide “holistic” solutions for clients under the guidance of Lance Smith, Clarion’s new ceo.
Adding momentum to a strategy of offering “communications without prejudice,” the ad agency and Clarion have formed a team composed of DMB&B and Clarion people to work in “a fully-integrated way” with clients seeking media-neutral solutions. “We are visiting our second client this week,” Smith said last month.
Smith joined Clarion without fanfare last year from the post of DMB&B’s regional director for eastern Europe. At Clarion, he replaced Ray Rizzo, who remains chairman.
Smith’s move to Greenwich, CT, reunites him with DMB&B North America president John Farrell. They are both alumni of International Marketing and Promotions (IMP), the London-based promo agency where Farrell was chairman and Smith was ceo.
“We’ve always shared a vision for having an integrated communications company. He asked me to come over to help develop real synergies between DMB&B and Clarion,” Smith says.
DMB&B, Clarion, and IMP are owned by New York-based holding company The MacManus Group, which also owns p.r. firm Manning, Selvage, and Lee, ad agency NW Ayer & Partners, media planner MediaVest, and interactive shop Blue Marble.
Smith joined IMP 18 years ago as an account manager. He worked as chief administrative officer at DMB&B London and as worldwide leader of “The DMB&B Way,” a program to develop consistency in DMB&B operations worldwide.
Clarion is focusing on selling solutions that will involve “bringing all of our unique sets of skills to clients who want it,” says Smith. Plans must be consistent with DMB&B’s “brand optimization strategy,” in which the brand is supported at all points of contact with customers and consumers.
“Most of our clients use only one of Clarion’s services,” which range from sports marketing to sales promotion to direct to business-to-business, he says. “We are talking to them about complete solutions.”
