Civic Entertainment Group is PROMO’s Agency of the Year for 2005.
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| Civic Entertainment Group co-CEOs Stuart Ruderfer and David Cohn |
This quintessential New York agency has flourished on city smarts, carving a niche as the first agency to specialize in municipal marketing—”promotions with a public spirit.” Civic leverages the political and promotional acumen that co-CEOs Stuart Ruderfer and David Cohn have honed they founded New York City’s Marketing & Special Events division in 1994. Last December, Civic cut a landmark $19.5 million deal between New York City and The History Channel for a heritage tourism push launching this summer. It’s also brokering partnerships for the City of Philadelphia, New York’s Metropolitan Transit Authority and Chicago Public Schools’ athletics program (the latter two with Octagon); Civic starts approaching marketers in late summer/early fall for all three.
Civic ranked No. 9 on the 2005 PROMO 100 list. The six-year-old agency is small—less than $3.2 million in 2004 net revenues—but its reputation is growing fast. Last year Civic won accolades for The History Channel’s Save Our History landmark restoration project (including the 2004 PRO Award for Best Concept, a 2005 EMMA for Best Cable TV campaign and the PMA’s 2004 Super Reggie). Civic’s CNN Diner near the 2004 Republican National Convention in Madison Square Garden served 4,000 guests and earned high marks from political luminaries including White House Communications Director Dan Bartlett.
Nearly 70% of Civic’s business comes from three clients: The History Channel, MBNA and A&E Networks. Its 2004 account wins brought in MBNA, the New York City Library, Sony Pictures, Loews and a project from Grey Global Group’s G2 division.
Civic will help MBNA launch its AAA American Express card later this summer, and is planning events that leverage MBNA’s 5,000 affinity-card relationships to extend its “If you’re into it, we’re into” ad campaign that broke in January.
“The marketing environment has changed drastically in a very short time. Our space—civic marketing, and branded entertainment—is increasingly important to big marketers as they look to create an emotional connection with consumers, employees, shareholders,” Ruderfer said. Meanwhile, “government at all levels is strapped. So government can be progressive and inventive by reaching out to corporations to improve their facilities and services.”
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