Mindshare restructures with eye on integration

The four units -- Client Leadership, concern Planning, innovation and Exchange -- will help the federal agency move "beyond the realm of media solution," the company said in a statement, to fully integrate content creative activity and consumer engagement into all facet of operation.

This is the first restructuring of Mindshare since its initiation in 1997.The shift will be phased in end-to-end 2008 to affect all 97 Mindshare offices in 67 state by the end of the year.

The Client Leadership group will consist of senior agency executive director charged with development "C-level human relationship" with clients and apprehension their concern objectives. These executive director will have duty over P&Ls, integrating and all deliverables.

The sec group will use marketplace insight and analysis to go beyond communications planning to provide business planning services. The team will help clients develop go-to-market strategies using real time market data.

The innovation group is the agency's de facto creative hub, integration staff from amusement, retail, events, digital and sponsorship creation. This group will also be responsible for the development of content.

The final group, Exchange, will be responsible for energizing a client's strategy in the market, as well as overseeing budget and quality control.

In add-on to the new construction, Mindshare has debuted a new tool called The Value Exchange, a real time gauge of a client's brand in the market based on consumer interaction and sales data. The federal agency describes it as a National Association of Securities Dealers Automat for trade name.

"Our vision is that we can really map these consumer exchanges and assign a value to it, so we can tell clients where they stand in relation to other brands," said North American CEO Scott Neslund.

Mindshare Interaction will cease to exist effective immediately, with all its staff and resources absorbed into the main agency. Neslund said there would be layoffs related to the closing of the shop.

Earlier this week, digital shop AKQA announced it was integrating its search engine marketing services into its marketing and advertising services. Scott Symonds, AKQA's executive media director, also described that move as one born of necessity thanks to changes in consumer behavior and the media landscape.