In a world where online and offline advertising are being recognized for what they are – synergistic parts of the whole, few agencies have been able to successfully travel both paths. What I hope to do is learn and share how some agencies and in-house advertising groups have been able to bridge these two areas. In addition to keeping up with news and articles, I like to speak with people who have made this work.

My first conversation was with Stuart McKelvey, CEO of TMPDM.

TMPDM has a long history in local marketing. Starting in 1967 in what might be called the first “search engine”, yellow pages, TMPDM has held to its core of managing local marketing for corporate and dealer / franchise based accounts while helping their partners adapt new media to core marketing principles. As early as 1994, TMPDM was venturing into the local online advertising space (and you thought online local advertising was a recent phenomenon). J . .I know this because I had the good fortune to be one of the Marketing Managers who took the first steps while at TMP. From Prodigy and Bell Atlantic online yellow pages, to dealer pages and dealer locators, TMPDM was helping clients navigate this field.

Fast forward 13 years, and we have a growth in online Yellow Pages, Search engines developing local search experiences and a world of people realizing that consumers mix online and off-line behavior, all related to a single sale (or multiple sales). In the past, I have championed two things related to this. 1) Search and other advertising create synergy and 2) when developing your ROI model you need to incorporate as many of the marketing / advertising inputs as possible.

The second point is motivated by the need to have a true handle on your value and, just as importantly, to develop acceptance and co-operation between online and off-line marketing people. So, what does this have to do with TMPDM? Stuart McKelvey, TMPDM CEO heads a company that has, arguably, one of the toughest client services jobs: Managing the perceived value of an old, yet vital medium of Yellow Pages, while simultaneously having to demonstrate an expertise in the leading edge vehicle of Interactive. Compound this with managing the knee-jerk reaction of some clients to just drop print and move everything to online (yes, some have tried this) and you have a challenge from which most agency would run.

Recently, TMPDM commissioned a study on the interaction of online and offline behavior. I had an opportunity to speak with Stuart and focused on two areas: 1) How does TMPDM manage what appears to be a dichotomy, client perceptions of the two media, and 2) cover some of the results they found in the study.

So, how does an offline agency get to be a leader in local online search? Well, it was a process. I asked Stuart how TMPDM evolved its online work with the 400 or so clients (that’s 400 interactive clients out of a client roster of 1,400).

SM--- TMPDM began with local dealer web pages for clients like Midas, Ryder and Service Master. This also extended to locator services. This was the entrée. Once in with the clients, TMPDM understood the scope of needs, including reporting and purchased INTO in 1999 to help provide a closed-loop process.

SM---Creating the site moving.com, TMPDM developed in house SEO expertise, which they were also able to take to their clients.

SM---in 2002 they started growing their local search and later supported expansion of capabilities with the infusion of private equity.

This was great, but how did an agency that had been focused in the offline media get the attention of the online teams?

SM---Ask for the meeting. Executive selling at the VP or higher level.

Okay, so my take away here is two-fold: 1) begin with trusted clients with whom you can grow and 2) don’t be bashful. Develop what you can do for them, and then ask to do it at as high a level as makes sense for the client. Too often, we are not ready to pursue the opportunity because we are not confident in what we know or whom we know. If you want to break out of the off-line only cage, you have to be aggressive.

“Based on the study, how did your clients approach change?”

SM---The results of the study reinvigorated testing. But you have to look at the data. Past SEMPO data showed a big shift in online ad dollars coming from print. However, if you look at the market, that does not always make sense. Take a look at a major paint client… 20% of the customers use print. It’s the quality of the magazine print. You can’t just move that over.

What parts of the study motivated the change?

SM---Walk-in traffic was 40% for online, 17% offline. But there was big difference in the numbers between products and services.

SM---surprised by how much people still value print yellow pages.

SM---The decisions have to be driven by the data. It is different for each client.

Each agency has some core things they can offer their clients that sets them apart. What is it that TMPDM offers?

SM---Even though TMPDM has off-line and online offerings, the P & L is agnostic. It is what’s best for the client. The online media has 70 dedicated people across the country with a mix of online and offline marketing & research being used to make recommendations.

Now, two more take-a-ways: 1) let the data drive the recommendations. 2) create a process whereby the offline and online are not set up to compete, but rather compliment each other. This is not, nor should it be an either / or situation for the clients.