Anyone who thinks Al DiGuido has forgotten about his experience with marketing services agency Epsilon need only look at the new name of the company he heads, Zeta Interactive, to be disabused of that notion.
Herman Melville couldn’t have set this scenario up any better.
Last week Zustek, the e-mail service provider DiGuido recently took over as CEO, announced it had acquired online marketing services agency Adverb Media.
Adverb consists of DigitalGrit, a direct response and search marketing firm; Termel, a brand strategy and creative agency; and RelevantNoise, a social technology firm.
The combined firm—Zeta Interactive—aims to offer a complete set of online marketing services so clients don’t have to go to multiple providers, DiGuido said. These services include search optimization and campaign management, social media services, Web site design and creative development.
“Adverb was an organization that had all of these different elements and had done the integration,” he said. “Most of the marketers I talk to are saying: 'Right now I've got to deal with four or five different vendors to get something done.'"
As for the new name, zeta comes immediately after epsilon in the Greek alphabet.
DiGuido was let go from Epsilon in 2006.
The firing came after Epsilon acquired the company DiGuido headed, Bigfoot Interactive, and then online advertising concern DoubleClick’s e-mail unit. The acquisitions reportedly resulted in culture clash between DoubleClick and Bigfoot executives, and an exodus of DoubleClick staffers.
While some Bigfoot employees were reportedly loyal to Diguido, according to sources, his management style alienated many of those who came from DoubleClick. DiGuido has a reputation for passion but not one of inspiring neutrality.
The name Zeta means “after epsilon” as literally as it can without actually saying it.
At Epsilon, DiGuido had a vision of creating a full-service interactive agency where e-mail was just a small, but integral part of its offerings. He was never able to carry it through to completion, though.
The brass at Epsilon’s parent, Alliance Data Services, also envisioned a full-service marketing firm. But apparently, they envisioned it without DiGuido.
So now after a year on the sidelines, DiGuido’s got a new gig in which he’s running the show.
According to multiple sources who did not want to be named, Zustek was an extremely loosely run company before DiGuido entered the picture. It’s safe to assume he aims to change that.
DiGuido’s got a strong personality, a serious competitive streak, and big aspirations, all of which have come out loud and clear in communications with employees.
For example, in a long e-mail to employees obtained by this newsletter just after Epsilon acquired DoubleClick’s e-mail unit, DiGuido wrote: “The only hurdle that we will face in achieving dominant market leadership around the world will be our ability to work together as one team. Working together with all of the great minds, passion and focus in the room last week, it is pretty evident that there is no greater group of professionals assembled anywhere in our industry.”
He closed the e-mail with: “Our competitors should be worried...very worried. We are here to win. We will not be stopped.”
Adverb adds about 150 employees to Zustek’s approximately 150, making Zeta a 300-person firm with its headquarters in New York, and offices in Tampa, FL, San Francisco, Dallas, Los Angeles, Boise, ID, Boonton, NJ and India, said DiGuido. He added there will be no layoffs or consolidation of facilities.
In an interview last week, DiGuido never mentioned Epsilon by name. Rather, he called it “that other place.” He also never explicitly said the name Zeta Interactive has anything to do with his old firm.
However, though he isn’t speaking publicly about Epsilon, it’s clear he thinks about Epsilon.
Grab the popcorn, folks. This is gonna be fun to watch.
