Leo Burnett Acquires TFA Communications, The Country’s Fifth Largest High-Tech Business-To-Business Marketing Firm July 15, 1998 CHICAGO, July 14 /PRNewswire/ via NewsEdge Corporation -- In the latest in a series of acquisitions and mergers designed to broaden its core competencies, the Chicago-based Leo Burnett Company is acquiring TFA Communications, LLC, Chicago’s largest and one of the nation’s top business-to-business integrated marketing firms serving the high technology industry. A newly named entity, TFA/Leo Burnett Technology, is being established as a separate business unit within Leo Burnett U.S.A. Terms of the deal between the two privately held companies were undisclosed. "Leo Burnett’s heritage and brand-building expertise are what we plan to capitalize on as we continue building a powerhouse in the high technology integrated marketing arena," said Sean Bisceglia, 32, founder and chief executive officer of TFA. "We very much wanted to partner with Burnett because they took a long-term view of our business. Even though we will be integrated into the main agency we will still operate as a separate business. Importantly, our philosophies, values and positioning are much in sync." "Burnett has always been a consumer packaged goods powerhouse, but when we looked to the future we saw whole new worlds opening up in terms of growth potential," said Linda Wolf, group president for Leo Burnett North America. "TFA, with its technological expertise, has a skill base that we very much wanted to develop. At the same time, we have the consumer know-how that will allow us to leverage our considerable skills with theirs." "In looking at our undeniably impressive client roster, with the exception of Motorola our technology credentials have been relatively underdeveloped, "said Wolf. By acquiring TFA, Burnett becomes a major player in the technology category, working with such major advertisers as Motorola, Avid Technology, 3M, ADP Dealer Services and Open Market. "This investment is yet another sign of Burnett’s commitment to aggressively change to maintain our leading role in the global ad community." Founded in Chicago in 1991, TFA ® stands for Total Focus Approach ®, which embodies the agency’s integrated marketing philosophy. With full-service offices also in Boston and Dallas, TFA posted billings of $68 million in 1997. It creates marketing communications programs that encompass advertising, direct marketing, print collateral and Internet marketing. TFA is the nation’s fifth largest agency serving high technology clients, and third among business-to-business firms in the high technology category according to Marketing Computers. With a growth rate of over 50 percent, TFA now counts more than 30 nationally and regionally recognized technology companies on its client roster. TFA, with 83 employees nationwide, will relocate its Chicago office to the Leo Burnett Building at 35 West Wacker Drive in Chicago by the end of the year. It will continue to operate separate offices in Boston and Dallas, and will establish a full-service presence in San Francisco by the end of 1998. In 1997, TFA acquired a minority interest in Corporate Technology Communications, Inc. (CTC), a leading public relations, corporate communications and investor relations firm specializing in technology and business-to-business communications. CTC will relocate to the Leo Burnett Building as well. In recent years, the Leo Burnett Company has made several strategic acquisitions and investments to enhance its specialist capabilities. The growing family of Leo Burnett companies, units and subsidiaries now includes Giant Step, an interactive architecture firm; Capps Studio, a state-of-the-art graphic design studio; Williams-Labadie, a medical agency; VIGILANTE, a New York-based urban marketing firm; and The Lab strategic consuItancy. Last year, on the heels of winning more than $800 million in media-only billings in the U.S., Burnett launched Starcom Media Services as a separate division, as well as Starcom Field Marketing Services, which handles Miller Brewing Company’s local marketing needs out of ten U.S. cities. Burnett also invested in 49 percent of London-based Bartle Bogle Hegarty; both agencies continue to operate as separate and distinct global agency brands. Burnett’s restructuring into seven business units in the U.S. was designed to create smaller, more streamlined units that are allowing the agency to get even closer to a client’s business and be more responsive than ever. By grouping its creative, client service, planning and production people together, a more spontaneous idea culture has been established. All business units are empowered to develop the best and most efficient ways to deliver superior advertising and effective marketing communications programs to their clients. Founded in Chicago in 1935, the Leo Burnett Company today operates 84 full-service offices in 75 markets worldwide. Its global network posted billings of $5.98 billion in 1997. Major new business wins over the past 18 months include Motorola, Eli Lilly, G.D. Searle, Tambrands (all global), and Fila U.S.A. The agency currently works on five of the world’s seven most valuable brands, as ranked by Financial World: Marlboro, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Walt Disney and Kellogg. SOURCE Leo Burnett Company /CONTACT: Wally Petersen, 312-220-4186, or Bob Wysocki, 312-220-4073, both of Leo Burnett Company; or Elise Fleischaker of Corporate Technology Communications, 312-832-9300, ext. 203/ [Copyright 1998, PR Newswire] NewsEdge Copyright © 1998, NewsEdge Corporation No redistribution allowed. Next Article Press Archive