Interactive marketing veterans Tim McHale and Tom Hespos are launching a new integrated marketing services company, called Underscore Marketing.
McHale, former chief media officer at Tribal DDB, and Hespos, former chief Internet strategist at Mezzina Brown & Partners, said they are launching Underscore Marketing in response to the marketing community’s demand for cross-platform strategy and services.
Underscore will also offer full-service media planning and buying services, strategic consulting, customer relationship management (CRM) planning and execution, business development, ad technology consulting and event marketing. Its clients include the IAB, regional Internet service provider OpCenter.net, two small advertising agencies (whose names were undisclosed) and one media company.
“We’re seeing an increase in demand for communications work that goes beyond merely maintaining a consistent look and feel across several media,” said McHale, who will serve as CEO. “The demand is for work that results in a cross-platform experience for the consumer – one that leverages the unique advantages of each medium contributing to the effort.”
Responsys has appointed legendary direct marketer Lester Wunderman to its board of advisors.
“There’s a sense of urgency today among Global 2000 enterprises to migrate their traditional customers onto the Web to build a strong online channel as part of a multi-channel strategy,” Wunderman said. “It will be fascinating for me to participate in the evolution of Responsys’ technology over the next few years as it sets new standards for online, interactive direct marketing.”
Wunderman is a consultant, professor, author, founder and chairman emeritus of Wunderman, which is the largest integrated marketing company in the world. He is considered a founding father of the direct marketing industry, credited with naming and defining the field and leading its growth.
“Lester Wunderman is an industry icon who has contributed to the success of companies such as L.L. Bean, American Express and the Columbia Record Club. We’re fortunate to have him join our extended team,” said George Wiedemann, president and CEO of Responsys.
Aptimus, an online direct response company, has entered an agreement with DoubleClick for e-mail delivery services. Under the terms of the deal, Aptimus will use DoubleClick’s DARTmail service to send direct response e-mail ads to its database of approximately 50 million addresses.
“DoubleClick’s delivery platform is an ideal complement for our e-mail channel,” said Tim Choate, CEO of Aptimus.
Pay-for-performance ad network Commission Junction has hired Elizabeth Cholawsky as vice president of marketing and product development. Cholawsky was most recently vice president of marketing at Clarent Corporation, a voice-over IP company.
“Elizabeth brings experience in managing the rapid growth of successful organizations,” said Jeff Pullen, president of Commission Junction. “She plays a pivotal role in our management team by applying her skills in strategy and execution, major assets to the company as we continue to grow and achieve consistent profitability.”
Cholawsky’s role is to define the strategic direction of Commission Junction’s product offering and insure that the company’s product development maintains a strong market focus and business purpose.
Workflow management and marketing firm Relizon has elected Arthur Levitt to its board of directors. As a member of Relizon’s board, Levitt, who served as the chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from July 1993 through February 2001, will provide guidance to the company.
Relizon President and Chief Executive Officer Rodney Hedeen said, “Mr. Levitt will provide our company with sound, expert guidance. His counsel will be instrumental as we continue to expand our vision into the business process outsourcing arena.”
Levitt was the 25th chairman of the SEC, first appointed by President Clinton in 1993 and reappointed in 1998. During that term, he was known for his strong commitment to investor protection and education — promoting aggressive enforcement of securities laws and a proponent of tough accounting standards for companies. Since leaving the SEC, Levitt has been a senior advisor to The Carlyle Group, a private global investment firm with a majority interest in Relizon.
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