LIVERMORE, CA: The Fannie & John Hertz Foundation has named McGrath/Power as its AOR.
The San Jose, California-based firm began working with the organization earlier this month. The agency is handling communications messaging, donor journey, marketing, earned media, social media, and content development for the group.
The account team at McGrath/Power will range from three to five staffers and include CEO and founding partner Jonathan Bloom, senior partner Kate Walker, and account supervisor Allyson Scott.
"We will be architecting their communications program from the ground up," Bloom said. "The Hertz Foundation has been around for many years, and over the years, they have not always communicated with a consistent drumbeat."
McGrath/Power is aiming to change that by raising awareness for the group’s Hertz Fellowship, which provides funds to doctoral students in the physical, biological, and engineering sciences and draws attention to the innovations made by Hertz Fellows. The agency also wants to attract donors to fund its work.
"It’s hard not to get excited about working with people who are fundamentally changing the world," Bloom said.
There was not a formal RFP for the account; a mutual contact referred Hertz Foundation president Robbee Baker Kosak to McGrath/Power after she expressed interest in finding an agency partner.
"It was important to us that we find a partner that felt like an extension of our internal team and one with deep roots in Silicon Valley and New England as we look to expand both our network of donors and fellows," Kosak said. "Many of the great universities with which we partner—such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and the University of California at Berkeley—are located in these two regions. It was crucial that our agency partner have a track record of success and an understanding what makes these areas tick."
