Nicole Pointon has returned to Top Drawer Creative, this time, to lead the agency’s new Vancouver office. Pointon and her team will work with TDC’s national clients that have offices in Western Canada, and develop new business in the region.
Pointon will return to her role as director of communications, which she left in 2012, and plans to hire one to two staff by the end of the year. In addition to supervising Western Canada business development, she will oversee all of the agency’s PR, social and content marketing.
“It wasn’t any particular Vancouver clientele [that brought TDC to Vancouver], it’s more that they’re starting to spread out across North America, and they realized a communications director could really be anywhere,” said Pointon. “At the same time there is definitely a plan for growth in Vancouver.”
Pointon left the agency two years ago to move home to Vancouver, and since then worked briefly for Thought Shop Creative. When she left the agency earlier this year, TDC approached her to launch a new B.C. office.
The agency’s clients with West Coast offices include Bullfrog Power and Edmonton-based Liquor Stores North America. Pointon said the agency is also close to a few wins with regional B.C. businesses.
During her absence from TDC, the agency’s social and content strategy was largely handled by Megan Siegel. Siegel, one of Marketing’s 30 Under 30 alumna, left in May last year to join Proximity, and since then, the agency has not had a dedicated communications lead.
“Nicole was amazing,” said TDC founder and president Howard Chang. Though the agency has been looking for a social and content lead since last year, there’s been a shortage of qualified candidates, he said. “It was really about chasing talent. At the same time we were talking to clients out west — we thought, maybe we can kill two birds with one stone here, get Nicole back and open a Vancouver shop.”
“Content is obviously a huge part of the mix of any campaign these days,” said Pointon. “Right now it’s heavily on me to bring everyone up to speed with the content, and make sure the campaigns are flowing through social strategy. That’s going to require some hiring, and a larger team out here, and that’s exciting.”
The agency plans to have its next hire finalized this week, and will begin looking for physical office space in Vancouver in December. TDC soft launched a redesigned website last week.
