Principals: Michael Nyman, co-chairman and CEO (pictured); Cindi Berger, co-chairman and CEO; Chris Robichaud, CEO
Ownership: Interpublic Group (but operates outside of Constituency Management Group)
Offices: Los Angeles, New York, and London
Revenue: $50 million to $60 million
Headcount: Global: 228; US: 226
PMK-BNC followed a lucrative 2012 – when revenue grew by 31% – with another double-digit increase in 2013 as the agency recorded an 18% uptick in revenue.
Two-thirds of the growth was organic, with the remainder coming from new business, including several clients in the entertainment sector. Key wins included Diageo, Showtime Networks, and World Wrestling Entertainment.
Account losses included Jenny Craig, Amazon’s Endless.com, and UNICEF.
On the staffing front, the firm welcomed Rebecca Waits, EVP of people services, and Bill Sanders, head of personal brand management. Waits’ hiring was a key part of the agency’s "investment in themselves," as it also held the first PMK-BNC Camp Week in its Los Angeles office.
Rick Jennings, SVP of brand communications, was the sole senior-level departure.
The business has changed dramatically, says CEO Michael Nyman, which he attributes in part to the challenge of finding quality staff. Many universities are struggling to catch up as skills are taught "in a very siloed way" across different schools, he adds, while companies need various attributes wrapped up in one candidate.
"We need people that understand the machinations of the various verticals of entertainment," he explains.
PMK-BNC added consulting to its practice areas in 2013, while growing its measurement and analysis unit, as well as continuing to "dig deep" into the science behind pop culture in order to provide hard data to clients.
Top services and offerings leveraged by clients are media, experiential marketing, and influencer outreach. No practice areas were phased out in 2013.
Constantly evolving
As the agency and the industry evolve with digital marketing, it becomes increasingly crucial to figure out how to "keep doing what you’re doing and, at the same time, change," Nyman adds.
"You still must be able to tell a story," he explains, "and make people understand who you are, what you stand for, what you need to know, why you are relevant, and how you go about doing that."
As a result, the agency – which exceeded its expectations for 2013 – is creating more content for clients with a focus on work that is relevant to social media.
