In the News: PEP a “business on the move”

Promotion Execution Partners (PEP) today is featured as a “business on the move” in the Cincinnati Enquirer business section. The article highlights PEP’s recent growth, its acquisition of creative and marketing strategy agency Blue Whitespace, and its upcoming move to the Fourth & Elm building, nearly doubling its office space downtown.

Read the full article below, view it online at http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20081010/BIZ01/810100388/1076/BIZ or in the Cincinnati Enquirer Oct. 10 print edition, page A17.

ABOUT PROMOTION EXECUTION PARTNERS

Promotion Execution Partners, (PEP), is a Cincinnati-based company that specializes in promotion services for its clients.  Founded in 2004, PEP, through its principals, provides more than 40 years experience and a track record of meeting project management performance goals and exceeding client expectations.  With a staff of more than 50 employees and five offices nationwide, PEP and its creative team Blue Whitespace bring not only proven, innovative approaches to marketing and promotions but as an MBE, also helps companies who have adopted supplier diversity initiatives meet their tier one spending objectives.  For more information about PEP visit http://www.peppromotions.com.

SOURCE: Promotion Execution Partners, 2008

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Cincinnati Enquirer – October 10, 2008
Print Edition: Page A17
Online Edition Link: http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20081010/BIZ01/810100388/1076/BIZ

Firm’s specialty:
Reaching consumers

By Jeff McKinney
jmckinney@enquirer.com • October 10, 2008

DOWNTOWN - Dave Kroeger gets excited when he chats about his company’s rapid growth.

The co-owner and president of Promotion Execution Partners said his company has set itself apart from competitors by making sure its customers’ promotions are delivered as planned, on time and within budget.

We’ve been able to grow by listening to customers and providing innovative solutions to meeting their challenges," Kroeger says.

Kroeger said the firm that specializes in helping clients manage and execute promotions - including direct mail, Web-based initiatives and event marketing - will target new customers in businesses PEP is not serving now, consider acquisitions and mainly continue to use the fundamentals the company now has in place to drive its growth.

Kroeger said the minority-owned firm, started four years ago, projects revenue to rise 30 percent this year compared with last year, though he declined to give total sales figures.

He said PEP expects to handle 1,395 promotions this year, up nearly 40 percent from last year.

Kroeger said a big piece of PEP’s growth has come from expanding into the financial-services sector and adding customers including Fifth Third Bank.

Larry Magnesen, chief marketing officer at Cincinnati-based Fifth Third, said the bank hired PEP to help open new branches, particularly in Florida and Chicago, over the last 12-15 months.

They save us time, money and give us greater consistency of how our brand is represented as we open new locations," Magnesen said.

Local consultant John Gleason said he’s not surprised by PEP’s continued growth.

He said PEP is different from other creative advertising and promotion management firms because of the processes and disciplines by which it operates.

One of those tools is PEP Connect, a metrics-driven online system that allows PEP and its clients to track the costs of a promotion, among other things.

"They provide unique and value-oriented services for companies that are looking to use programs to reach consumers," said Gleason.

The 20-year veteran of Procter & Gamble left the company 1½ years ago to launch A Better View Strategic Consulting, an Anderson Township-based firm.

Darian Richardson, co-owner and sales manager at PEP, said being a certified minority business enterprise has opened additional doors and helped PEP grow. "It has given us greater exposure in the business community," he said.

PEP has signed a five-year lease to move into the space formerly occupied by the Northlich agency at 151 W. Fourth St. The move, which PEP will begin in November, will nearly double its office space downtown to 12,900 square feet from the 7,500-square-foot space it occupies at the Chiquita Center.

PEP plans to initially move about eight employees from downtown and seven from Mount Lookout into the new office. It picked up the Mount Lookout employees from its recent acquisition of Blue Whitespace (BWS). Kroeger said PEP plans to complete its move from the Chiquita Center by next November. It has 51 employees in Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Detroit and Boston.

Kroeger says PEP looked at 20 different local agencies before it acquired BWS, a creative agency that provides Web design, marketing and branding services. He said the acquisition will allow PEP to target customers from the Internet who need Web design services and offer new services to customers it did not offer before.

"We’ve combined the best-in-class in execution and creative and strategy, and that’s how we’re going to continue to grow our organization," Kroeger says.

He said the firm - which counts Procter & Gamble, Heinz and Dugan & Meyers among its clients - also plans to go after new customers in the franchised foods and pharmaceuticals industries - new areas for PEP.

PEP has helped Heinz promote its ketchup, Smart Ones frozen entrees and Boston Market frozen meals, says Kimber Shray, customer co-marketing senior manager at Heinz North America in Pittsburgh. "The partnership we’ve developed with the team at PEP has made a significant impact on our ability to execute promotional programs efficiently and effectively," she said.

Photo Credit: The Enquirer/ Ernest Coleman 

Photo Caption: Promotion Execution Partners’ Dave Kroeger (from left), Darian Richardson and Tim Drost look over some work for their client, Fifth Third Bank, at Berman Printing in the West End.