In the midst of a transition from a distributor of paper directories to a diversified media company that now includes online information and, as of last week, magazines, Yellow Pages has selected Jungle Media as its new media agency of record.
The Montreal-based company awarded the account to Jungle following a formal review that launched in January. The account was previously with Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG).
Sherri Metcalfe, senior vice-president, co-managing director with Jungle in Toronto, said digital acumen – particularly in the mobile space – was one of Yellow Pages’ key areas of focus in the review.
“One of the things they wanted to understand was our knowledge of the mobile space and the digital space in particular,” said Metcalfe. “It’s definitely a company and a brand that’s in transition.”
Metcalfe described digital as one of the cornerstones of the Jungle offering. “We have lots of exposure and involvement in performance digital and social digital, as well as how to best activate against mobile,” she said. “It was something we definitely connected on.”
While media represents a new category for Jungle, Metcalfe said the agency’s digital credentials helped compensate for its lack of experience in the sector. “It really is a brand that crosses over into a lot of different categories,” she said. “Media is a good way to describe it, but it’s not just that.”
The Yellow Pages account will be led out of Jungle’s Montreal office by vice-president, media director Danick Archambault, with local-market support provided by its offices in Vancouver, Toronto, Quebec City and Halifax.
Metcalfe said orientation meetings with Yellow Pages have already begun, with the agency’s first work expected in the summer.
Yellow Pages recently launched the latest in a series of “local market attacks” that relies heavily on out-of-home and digital. Metcalfe said Jungle’s preliminary involvement would likely focus on digital before the agency begins ramping up in other areas.
Metcalfe said Jungle has been pitching “non-stop” as it comes up on its fifth anniversary next week. The agency, which employs nearly 50 people across its five offices, recently expanded its existing purview with wine and spirits distributor Peter Mielzynski Agencies, and added the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada assignment.
“There’s been lots of pitching and lots of success,” said Metcalfe. “Things are ticking along.”
