Montreal-based media shop Touché, part of Omnicom Media Group, has opened a new Toronto office headed by Terry Horton, former vice-president, media director with Cossette Media.
Horton will report to Touché president Karine Courtemanche while working closely with other units of the Omnicom Media Group (OMG) led by CEO Fred Forster. OMG’s business units include OMD Canada and PHD Canada.
Touché has experienced double-digit growth in media billings every year for the past five years, said Courtemanche. After previously handling several Toronto-based accounts from its Montreal headquarters, Touché had already determined that it would need to open an office in the company’s biggest media market at some point.
That process was accelerated by agency’s recent win of the entire Canadian Tire Corporation media business. Touché had previously handled media for the Forzani Group (which includes the Sport Chek and National Sports banners), but added the Mark’s assignment in March and the entire Canadian Tire portfolio in early June.
“We felt there was an opportunity to build the Touché brand nationally and really turn it into the third brand of the [OMG] network, whereas before we were the Montreal office of PHD,” said Courtemanche.
The 15-person Toronto office will work exclusively on the Canadian Tire business for now, said Courtemanche. However, she said it hopes to add new clients if recent pitches yield positive results. “The vision is not to have a Toronto agency dedicated to only one client,” she said. “We want to grow the business and add to staff.”
While Courtemanche said there is an opportunity to grow the Touché brand in Canada, she admitted that she was unsure what impact the recent merger between Omnicom Group and Publicis Groupe SA would have on its long-term plans.
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“I cannot talk for Omnicom, but we as an agency are dedicated to helping the Touché brand grow in Canada,” she said.
Courtemanche said that Horton shares Touché’s belief in the role of media in the overall communications strategy. Both Touché and Cossette have been regular winners at the annual Media Innovation Awards, she said.
“When the opportunity to open in Toronto came up, Terry was the first person we thought of,” she said. “We knew we shared a common vision that media shouldn’t be a commodity, it should be something that brings added value.
“We were lucky enough that he agreed to join us on this adventure.”
