Brand advertising leader Deutsch Inc. this week announced the opening of a satellite office, Deutsch Boston, along with its first account win for the new office, a creative services procurement agency dubbed Bullhorn.com, Boston.
Kathy Kiely and Kristin Volk head Deutsch’s Boston office. Volk, who will serve as Deutsch’s director of account planning, said it is important which clients the new office chooses to work with “in the early going,” adding, “It defines us as a firm moving forward.
“We saw a solid product concept in Bullhorn and, after meeting with the founders, we felt they had a great instinctive feel about what they are about.”
Using viral marketing, Bullhorn attracts creative talent in the advertising, media and graphic arts industries and then provides its roster of associates with a place to register and post portfolios on its site. With Deutsch’s help, the company hopes to capitalize on its strategic position as on online-oriented creative services agency that can streamline the procurement of creative services for clients on both sides of the supply and demand chain. All creatives – from writers and art directors to photographers, graphic designers and musicians around the world – can post samples of their work with Bullhorn.com.
Kiely said the agency’s No. 1 focus is strengthening the demand side of Bullhorn’s site.
“We have to tap into the small-business markets, which are a different target group, ones not always easy to reach, but we’ll do it with very targeted online efforts and direct mail,” she said.
According to Barry Hinckley, Bullhorn’s co-founder/CEO, his company is ultimately about “creating a global business that empowers artists and corporate buyers.” He said the company is primarily competing in the broad services marketplace with companies such as US Creative, Austin, TX, and Elance, San Francisco.
“Communicating this through a solid Bullhorn brand has been key for us,” he said, “and so we had to look for the best in an ad firm.” He chose the Deutsch Boston office because of the Deutsch reputation and because he regards Kiely and Volk “as two of the most respected advertising women in Boston.”
Other dot-com clients for Deutsch Inc., a $1 billion agency also with offices in New York and Los Angeles, include Britannica.com, Ashford.com, Expedia and Reflect.com, a unit of Procter & Gamble.
