HQ: Toronto

Major clients: Unilever, Pepsi/Frito Lay, Microsoft

It may have a new home, further east on Toronto’s burgeoning King Street, but Capital C’s head office still houses the agency’s unique Harvest, Inspiration, Imagination, Distillery and Servery rooms for staff and clients to brainstorm, play, think, and eat.

The agency, which holds the unique distinction of being named both Marketing’s promotional and overall agency of the year in 2006, puts a heavy focus on interacting with consumers and, more importantly, it delivers sales results. It scored big earlier this year for its viral effort, ‘Bride Has Massive Hair Wig Out,’ for Sunsilk, which landed a ton of media attention and over two million viewers.

While many traditional agencies have had to restructure themselves to compete in today’s new media landscape, Capital C already had expertise in many consumer touchpoint areas such as retail, event and experiential marketing. So the shop’s focus has been on expanding its one-to-one marketing capabilities in the digital realm. Last year, it bought Mississauga, Ont.-based database marketing firm Kenna Group and, most recently, Toronto-based digital agency Adeo. ‘We’re interested in where the consumer can touch the brand – in-store, packaging, grassroots, digital, mobile,’ explains CEO/partner Tony Chapman.

Cap C’s direct prowess helped it boost the agriculture database for BASF Canada, a Mississauga, Ont.-based chemical tech company. The agency developed a precision-marketing effort targeting farmers, and set up www.agsolutions.com and a call line, with content of interest to the target. ‘It bridges the gap between mass and mine,’ says Chapman.

And on the mass consumer side, it also just did a big NHL promo for Frito-Lay called Take Home the Cup, featuring spokesperson Mark Messier.

The agency is 10 times larger than

it was five years ago, and boasts a low turnover rate. Chapman attributes that

to the approachable, collaborative

work environment.

‘There’s not a sense of a caste system or a hierarchy. We have such low turnover because we trust each other,’ he says. ‘And we have great parties.’