Hires and promotions
Louise Simkin has been promoted to VP of consulting at Noise Digital in Vancouver. As a newly minted partner with the firm, she will lead consulting, business development, strategy and media planning. Simkin joined Noise as a strategic account director in 2013, having worked in New Zealand as a senior planner and marketing manager at Affinity Id and Air New Zealand, respectively. She was made director of strategy and innovation in at Noise in 2015.
Ogilvy has added seven new recruits in Montreal: Noémie Benaudis as English-speaking designer, Camille Lambert as creative coordinator, Laurence Boucher as account coordinator, Chloé Bergeron and Marie-Ly Cormier as content and social media specialists, and Faissa Gustama and Valérie Lemire-Leduc as part of the administrative team.
New business and other news
Montreal-based ecommerce and digital marketing agency Absolunet will lead a redesign of the ecommerce platform for the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ). The assignment follows a competitive search, as the liquor control board of Quebec looks to offer a more personalized experience on its ecommerce platform.
Speed-XM, an experiential marketing agency specializing in lottery events, has been chosen by Loto-Québec to lead the promotion of its lottery products at events, as a part of two-year agreement following a competitive search.
Global marketing and communications firm Williams Lea Tag has acquired THP, a Toronto-based, on-demand digital and social media content agency. THP operates across North America, the U.K. and Europe and works with more than 680 brands across food, beverage and consumer goods. The acquisition is WLT’s second to be made under the ownership of private equity firm Advent International.
Bicom has unveiled a new visual identity and website. Led by agency Human, the rebrand reflects the PR and marketing agency’s growth and new service offerings. Bicom, which specializes in media relations, event planning and management, digital strategy and content creation, now counts more than 40 employees. It recently added to its digital influencer capabilities through the creation of its own database of nano-influences, called “B Nation,” and has doubled the size of its offices in Montreal and Toronto to accommodate for the growth.
Media
McDonald’s is sticking with Omnicom agency OMD as its Canadian media agency of record, following a global review process that began in October 2017. The incumbent has held the account for 14 years (for Media in Canada subscribers).
Tapped Mobile has been acquired by digital marketing company EQ Works. In an exclusive interview, the president of the Toronto-based ad tech provider said the sale was the result of major shifts in the industry (for Media in Canada subscribers).
