Modem Media.Poppe Tyson Shortens Name, Starts Branding Campaign

Interactive agency Modem Media.Poppe Tyson, formed in the 1998 merger
between Modem Media and Poppe Tyson, on Monday announced it was simplifying
its name to Modem Media (MMPT), and launching an ad campaign to support the new brand.

The campaign will push the Modem Media brand as well as its recently
introduced “me-business” strategy. The ads will begin appearing at the end
of March in publications like The
Wall Street Journal, The New
York Times, San
Francisco Chronicle, Business
2.0, Forbes
ASAP, Red Herring
and The Industry Standard.

“We are thrilled to be launching our campaign and further communicating why
our me-business strategy makes good business sense for our clients and
their customers,”
said G.M. O’Connell, Modem Media chairman and chief executive officer.

Today’s name change is the latest in a series of developments that
diminished the influence of the 75-year-old Poppe Tyson brand. The agency,
which had suffered management and strategic turmoil before the merger with
Modem Media, played second fiddle in the deal, since G.M. O’Connell, Modem
Media’s CEO took the helm of the merged company. Former Poppe Tyson chief
executive officer, Kevin Clark, was named vice chairman of the combined
company, then jumped ship to take the CEO position at ScreamingMedia back in November.