Natives pole vault to top ad agency spots
Not a bad start for Zebinski, 33, who this March took over the reins from Ed Russell, a U.S. native who had been with the agency since 1994.
Russell wasn't keen to leave Poland for his native Chicago, where he will work in Leo Burnett's headquarters. "I don't want to go," Russell confessed. But his time, and perhaps that for many other expat advertising executives, appears to be coming to an end.
Leo Burnett and Young & Rubicam (Y&R) Poland, among the first multinational agencies to set up shop here in 1991, were from the start led by Western managers with international experience. But now that the Polish market is maturing both agencies have replaced their Western managers with native Poles, signaling perhaps the dawn of a new era for the Polish advertising industry.
"The time has come for locals to take over," said Nina Kowalewska, who became Y&R's general manager in January, replacing German-born Ulrike Walther, who had been with the agency for two and a half years. Out of the agency's 58 employees, only three are expats.
"The market is just expanding dramatically, particularly in terms of local business," said Ian Ferguson-Brown, executive vice president and general manager for Y&R's Central and Eastern European division. "Also our international clients are demanding that we have the best possible knowledge of the local market. I think that in the not too distant future all of the multinational agencies will be managed entirely by locals."
While reflecting changes in the agencies, the switch-over is also matching that of international clients who are replacing expats with native Poles in key marketing positions.
Such moves are the future of the industry, Zebinski said.
"I will be thinking long-term," said Zebinski. "I am not a sprinter, like an expat working here for two or three years and having to run in 10 seconds. I am a marathon man. I have to run long-distance."
While perhaps lacking the experience of their Western counterparts, locals do have the advantage of knowing the history, the market and the culture, Kowalewska said. This is something many foreigners need years of research to learn, she noted.
But while going increasingly local, an agency has to offer the same Western standards to remain competitive, Kowalewska cautioned. "Our clients don't want inexperienced people dealing with them," she said. "They don't want to be a learning curve for the young."
It is still hard to find native Poles for certain positions, she added. Currently, Y&R is scouring the country for a new creative director. Within the industry, there are only four who are qualified, said Kowalewska. If they can't get one of those four, the agency will bring in an experienced person from a foreign Y&R office, Kowalewska said. But only as a last resort.
Great Scots
"They may take our lives, but they'll never take our ... wolno�"
Poles wishing to hear Mel Gibson's battle-inspiring words in their original Scottish-accented English or with a Polish voice-over can now pick up "Braveheart" at their local video store.
Imperial Entertainment recently released more than 6,000 voice-over versions of the Oscar-winning film about William Wallace, the 13th Century Scotsman who leads his rather uncivilized army in a bloody victory over the English.
Simultaneously, Imperial released a wide-screen, full-sound version with the English soundtrack and Polish subtitles.
"We're getting a lot of consumers out there who have acquired the hi-fi systems where they can play with full sound and we started on this particular title," said Sunil Shah, an executive with Imperial Entertainment, a U.S.-owned firm on the Polish market for five years.
"When you have the narration of the pictures, you lose a lot of the music and effects," Shah added.
Shah expects sales to do well despite the fact that "Braveheart" is still being shown in Warsaw theaters, especially following Gibson's wins at the U.S. Academy Awards.
In fact, Imperial is working with film distributor Syrena Entertainment Group, including commercials on the "Braveheart" tapes for films Syrena will distribute in Poland. And in Imperial's favor, Shah noted, more than 55% of all Poles own video cassette recorders.
Altogether, 470,000 people have seen Mel Gibson on the wide screen, bringing revenues to zl. 2.6 million ($1 million), said Slawomir Salamon, Syrena's vice president.
"This is a hard product to sell," said Salamon. "It's long and it's historical."
But since Gibson's Oscar wins, sales have risen. Of the 470,000 who have seen the film so far, 100,000 went after the Oscars, Salamon said.
What's your number?
New York-based trade magazine Advertising Age has released its list of local ad agencies. But unlike Warsaw-based Businessman magazine, which based its 1996 rankings on revenues from the first half of 1995, Advertising Age ranks agencies according to gross income throughout the whole year. Ammirati Puris Lintas Warszawa tops the list, followed by Bates Saatchi & Saatchi, ITI-McCann-Erickson, Young & Rubicam and DMB&B. No big changes in the top five on both lists, except for Leo Burnett Advertising. The agency, third on Businessman's list, came in twelfth in the Advertising Age survey.
Keep your eyes open for the Warsaw Business Journal's ranking to be published next month.
Sweet victory
Two new clients have sweetened Young & Rubicam Poland's portfolio. The agency will be handling advertising for Kesz fruit juices and Sweetex artificial sweetener.
Kesz Sp. z o.o., a Warsaw-based producer of fruit juices and nectars, has signed Y&R on to do its upcoming brand-launch campaign, which will include below-the-line activities. Y&R will also handle production adaptation and media planning and buying for a two-year advertising campaign for Sweetex, an artificial sweetener. Y&R will be working for an undisclosed client which is finalizing a deal to acquire the rights to Sweetex, a leading brand in its category.
Insider out
The Warsaw Insider, a new English-language guide to Warsaw happenings, hit the streets last week. The first 52-page issue provides a road map to Warsaw entertainment, as well as essentials such as embassies and medical and dental services. The publication is the brainchild of Stefan A. Bielski, former reporter with the Warsaw Business Journal, and Kevin Leech, previously editor of The Warsaw Voice's arts and entertainment section. The company distributed 10,000 copies at zl. 2 ($0.78) apiece and plans a second issue in June. Beginning in May, the company will publish "Insider FilmFax," an English-language film listing for Warsaw, to be distributed by fax or e-mail to subscribers.
Russell wasn't keen to leave Poland for his native Chicago, where he will work in Leo Burnett's headquarters. "I don't want to go," Russell confessed. But his time, and perhaps that for many other expat advertising executives, appears to be coming to an end.
Leo Burnett and Young & Rubicam (Y&R) Poland, among the first multinational agencies to set up shop here in 1991, were from the start led by Western managers with international experience. But now that the Polish market is maturing both agencies have replaced their Western managers with native Poles, signaling perhaps the dawn of a new era for the Polish advertising industry.
"The time has come for locals to take over," said Nina Kowalewska, who became Y&R's general manager in January, replacing German-born Ulrike Walther, who had been with the agency for two and a half years. Out of the agency's 58 employees, only three are expats.
"The market is just expanding dramatically, particularly in terms of local business," said Ian Ferguson-Brown, executive vice president and general manager for Y&R's Central and Eastern European division. "Also our international clients are demanding that we have the best possible knowledge of the local market. I think that in the not too distant future all of the multinational agencies will be managed entirely by locals."
While reflecting changes in the agencies, the switch-over is also matching that of international clients who are replacing expats with native Poles in key marketing positions.
Such moves are the future of the industry, Zebinski said.
"I will be thinking long-term," said Zebinski. "I am not a sprinter, like an expat working here for two or three years and having to run in 10 seconds. I am a marathon man. I have to run long-distance."
While perhaps lacking the experience of their Western counterparts, locals do have the advantage of knowing the history, the market and the culture, Kowalewska said. This is something many foreigners need years of research to learn, she noted.
But while going increasingly local, an agency has to offer the same Western standards to remain competitive, Kowalewska cautioned. "Our clients don't want inexperienced people dealing with them," she said. "They don't want to be a learning curve for the young."
It is still hard to find native Poles for certain positions, she added. Currently, Y&R is scouring the country for a new creative director. Within the industry, there are only four who are qualified, said Kowalewska. If they can't get one of those four, the agency will bring in an experienced person from a foreign Y&R office, Kowalewska said. But only as a last resort.
Great Scots
"They may take our lives, but they'll never take our ... wolno�"
Poles wishing to hear Mel Gibson's battle-inspiring words in their original Scottish-accented English or with a Polish voice-over can now pick up "Braveheart" at their local video store.
Imperial Entertainment recently released more than 6,000 voice-over versions of the Oscar-winning film about William Wallace, the 13th Century Scotsman who leads his rather uncivilized army in a bloody victory over the English.
Simultaneously, Imperial released a wide-screen, full-sound version with the English soundtrack and Polish subtitles.
"We're getting a lot of consumers out there who have acquired the hi-fi systems where they can play with full sound and we started on this particular title," said Sunil Shah, an executive with Imperial Entertainment, a U.S.-owned firm on the Polish market for five years.
"When you have the narration of the pictures, you lose a lot of the music and effects," Shah added.
Shah expects sales to do well despite the fact that "Braveheart" is still being shown in Warsaw theaters, especially following Gibson's wins at the U.S. Academy Awards.
In fact, Imperial is working with film distributor Syrena Entertainment Group, including commercials on the "Braveheart" tapes for films Syrena will distribute in Poland. And in Imperial's favor, Shah noted, more than 55% of all Poles own video cassette recorders.
Altogether, 470,000 people have seen Mel Gibson on the wide screen, bringing revenues to zl. 2.6 million ($1 million), said Slawomir Salamon, Syrena's vice president.
"This is a hard product to sell," said Salamon. "It's long and it's historical."
But since Gibson's Oscar wins, sales have risen. Of the 470,000 who have seen the film so far, 100,000 went after the Oscars, Salamon said.
What's your number?
New York-based trade magazine Advertising Age has released its list of local ad agencies. But unlike Warsaw-based Businessman magazine, which based its 1996 rankings on revenues from the first half of 1995, Advertising Age ranks agencies according to gross income throughout the whole year. Ammirati Puris Lintas Warszawa tops the list, followed by Bates Saatchi & Saatchi, ITI-McCann-Erickson, Young & Rubicam and DMB&B. No big changes in the top five on both lists, except for Leo Burnett Advertising. The agency, third on Businessman's list, came in twelfth in the Advertising Age survey.
Keep your eyes open for the Warsaw Business Journal's ranking to be published next month.
Sweet victory
Two new clients have sweetened Young & Rubicam Poland's portfolio. The agency will be handling advertising for Kesz fruit juices and Sweetex artificial sweetener.
Kesz Sp. z o.o., a Warsaw-based producer of fruit juices and nectars, has signed Y&R on to do its upcoming brand-launch campaign, which will include below-the-line activities. Y&R will also handle production adaptation and media planning and buying for a two-year advertising campaign for Sweetex, an artificial sweetener. Y&R will be working for an undisclosed client which is finalizing a deal to acquire the rights to Sweetex, a leading brand in its category.
Insider out
The Warsaw Insider, a new English-language guide to Warsaw happenings, hit the streets last week. The first 52-page issue provides a road map to Warsaw entertainment, as well as essentials such as embassies and medical and dental services. The publication is the brainchild of Stefan A. Bielski, former reporter with the Warsaw Business Journal, and Kevin Leech, previously editor of The Warsaw Voice's arts and entertainment section. The company distributed 10,000 copies at zl. 2 ($0.78) apiece and plans a second issue in June. Beginning in May, the company will publish "Insider FilmFax," an English-language film listing for Warsaw, to be distributed by fax or e-mail to subscribers.
