Match finds a Match

Match.....My butt and your face. Ok, I got it over with now on to Atlanta's best/only community advertising blog.

Atlanta's super friendly ad agency Match Inc. has found a match in Scharbo and Co. Just months after Match made big changes at the creative and account leadership positions, they saw an opportunity and brought on the crew at Schabo and Co.

B.A. started Match in 1996, and as a friendly competitor, she has done a great job nurturing the Match mystique. While we were still in suits and ties, they were some of the first to throw on the jeans, rent out a factory, and allow their dogs to piss in the office. In addition she definately gets the nice person award. She is always available and I think believes in a community.

Scharbo started Scharbo & Co in 1990 with a little steak house down peachtree called Long Horn. Eventually, they were running $25mm of media through there with that account. Long Horn's current management decided they really liked the cheesy Applebee's ads and wanted to go that direction. It's been screwed up since. Scharbo & Co. continued to forge ahead landing restaurant brands like Ted's Montana Grill and Atlanta Bread Company. This kind of business takes someone who has superb instincts, challenges the client when necessary, and is willing to step out on a limb. All praises for that style of business, but the $64,000 question is will it fit in with the Utopian style associated with Match.

Mergers are a scary proposition in this business. Clients choose you on look feel and general atmosphere more than anything else. When you merge, you really have the opportunity the screw that up. Let's hope this is a merger meant to build the independent agency size in Atlanta and not another attempt to push up the billings and sell our to a mega agency.


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