Technology agency head says integration is the way to go

August 2, 1999

BY MICHAEL KRAUSS

This is one of an ongoing series of articles on interactive marketing leaders who are doing things other marketers could learn from.

Name, rank and serial number: Sean Bisceglia, 33, CEO, TFA. Earned a bachelor's degree from College of Wooster (Ohio), double-majored in business economics and communications. Worked at Grey Advertising, then moved to Alberto-Culver Co. Joined a small agency. Borrowed $7,000 from his father. Bought the company to start TFA Communications LLC, now TFA/Leo Burnett Technology Group.

Mantra: "You will not find a tennis shoe company, cigarette company or industrial bowling pin company in our portfolio. It's all technology."

Who hires the agency: "Venture capitalists after they invest $10 million dollars in a start-up. It needs an identity, it needs a brand, it needs demand."

Big challenge for techie start-ups: "No internal marketing expertise. Usually, the CEO is a code writer, (and) management is overextended. And they don't have a marketing person. The days of 'Build it, and they will come' are numbered; buyers are more educated on technology today. You need marketing."

Why TFA positions clients as 'media-neutral': "In technology, the budgets are smaller and more shrewdly defined. Advertising is only one part of the mix. For technology companies, integrated marketing is key; 60% of our revenue comes from media other than advertising.

TFA's biggest challenge: "Finding talented people. We need creatives who want to work across media, advertising, direct mail and sales-promotion tools."

Whether marketers should jump ship for a technology company today: "Depends on where you are in the food chain. If you have enough experience, go for it. Remember, marketing Pampers and cereal is much different than marketing technology. You have to be flexible."

Michael Krauss is a partner with Diamond Technology Partners in Chicago.
He can be reached at news@ama.org.