AGENCYLINK LAUNCHES ITS UNIQUE MARKETING SEARCH AND PERFORMANCE CONSULTANCY
-- Corriveau & Didzbalis to Help Marketers Optimize Agency Relationships --

Toronto, ON, January 21, 2008 … Marketers in Canadian organizations have a new trusted independent resource to help them select and maximize the performance of their marketing agencies with today’s launch of AgencyLink Inc.

AgencyLink founding partners Sheila Corriveau and Stan Didzbalis, both former agency CEOs and corporate marketers who managed agency relationships, believe their service is necessary to guide client organizations through a growing maze of marketing agency choice. According to industry statistics compiled by Dun & Bradstreet’s Hoovers, the number of marketing agencies operating in Canada that employ more than one person has grown to 5,644 in 2007, from 3,946 in 1990. Research firm MANTA lists 6,496 marketing companies in Canada. The increased choice for marketers is due to specialization, new agency models, demographic shifts and the explosion of digital marketing.

The firm’s thorough search and performance services are designed to help corporations, associations, government and non-profits find and optimize the best agency. AgencyLink will also offer client-agency relationship building services, compensation negotiation, conflict resolution and evaluation programs.

“Two of Canada’s most trusted and savvy marketing communications professionals have come up with a brilliant business model – the provision of truly independent analysis of agency capability and effectiveness,” says Robert Waite, Senior Vice President, Stakeholder Relations and Brand, Canada Post Corporation. “This should not only save their clients time and money, but will also likely lead to better and more valuable partnerships in the long run.”

AgencyLink will work with clients that use one or a variety of external agencies for public relations, government relations, investor relations, branding, promotions, graphic design, interactive, direct marketing, advertising, writing, photography, video, corporate social marketing, media training and marketing strategy.

“AgencyLink boasts talented professionals that understand the nuances of our industry,” says Alix Edmiston, ABC, International Association of Business Communicators Research Foundation. “Finding the right agency to work with your organization takes time. We're all so busy rushing from one project to another and have little time to conduct the due diligence required to find a trusted partner that understands the needs of your organization.”

Didzbalis and Corriveau have almost 50 years of combined experience in marketing and communications. About half their time has been in corporate roles, with leading multinational firms to local associations and non-profits. The other 25 years are in the agency world, from entrepreneurial start-ups to Canadian CEO of a multinational agency, to global network director. Together, they have participated in more than 250 agency searches and reviews, and worked intimately with almost 100 brands and organizations.

For their full biographies and further information, see www.agencylink.ca