Toronto agency Bensimon Byrne has acquired real estate marketing firm Payne + Associates, at the same time bringing back the first client it ever had – Mattamy Homes.
Bruce Payne
Jack Bensimon, president of the 20-year-old Bensimon Byrne, says the acquisition brings old friends and colleagues back together. Bruce Payne left Bensimon Byrne amicably in 1997 to start Payne + Associates. Its sole client is Mattamy Homes.
Payne will remain with his company as it is folded into Bensimon’s operations and brand. He will continue to oversee the Mattamy account.
Over the years, Mattamy has grown into one of the largest privately owned builders in North America, Bensimon said, so it makes sense that, in a highly competitive market, it would look to an agency offering a full suite of services.
Bensimon said as Mattamy’s needs have grown, his agency can help push it forward even more.
“Mattamy has grown into a real North American force. Being a larger organization, we can offer more in terms of digital, PR… a wide range of services and skills to further build the brand. It’s a win win for everyone,” he said.
Laura Di Paolo, SVP of corporate marketing & strategic market planning for Mattamy Homes, said the resources of Bensimon Byrne are crucial for the future, pointing to “tremendous changes” in consumer behaviour, the media landscape and technology.
“There could not be a better time for our long-standing agency partner to access the resources of a leading agency like Bensimon Byrne. The fact we have a relationship with both teams stretching back over two decades is a terrific benefit,” she said.
Payne + Associates is Bensimon Byrne’s second acquisition in the past two years. In 2012 the agency acquired OneMethod.
Bensimon says this year has been “big” for the agency, and it seems like an appropriate time to once again work with a company (Mattamy) that originally hired the firm back in 1994
“We are having a great year. We rebranded, threw a huge party celebrating 20 years in business, and now this. To be able to have Bruce and Mattamy return feels very comfortable for us, it’s like coming full circle.”
Including subsidiaries – OneMethod and Narrative PR – the agency employs 160 people. Clients include: Scotiabank, Nestle, Constellation Brands, Metrolinx, Intuit and the CFL.
