May 31, 2001
By Cara Beardi
CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- Impiric Worldwide, the marketing services arm of WPP Group-owned Young & Rubicam, on Friday is
The company abandoned its original moniker -- Wunderman Cato Johnson -- in 1998 to reposition itself as a customer relationship marketing specialist.
By changing its name, the world's No. 3 marketing services shop is trying to re-connect with its direct marketing heritage, laid out by founder and direct marketing pioneer Lester Wunderman 43 years ago.
Never lost touch with roots
But Wunderman executives don't see it as a big alteration, because all of Impiric's marketing and press materials have always included a reference to Wunderman with the phrase "the art + science of customer relationships from WCJ," said David Sable, president of Wunderman New York.
The return to the name "is a recognition of the core of our business," Mr. Sable said. "The heritage and the equity of our business is in Wunderman and the Wunderman tradition."
The agency will launch its new name and logo -- an arrow -- Friday with a new Web site.
All Wunderman-owned shops will now include the words "a Wunderman company" after their names, such as KnowledgBase Marketing, a Wunderman company, Mr. Sable explained.
"Wunderman is the name that really says it all," Mr. Sable said. "It is who we are. I don't think anyone's going to be surprised."
Copyright May 2001, Crain Communications Inc.
