Honda content with one partner

I read with interest your article on Integrated Marketing, “Positive Linking” (MW March 15). However, I was disappointed to see that it contained a significant inaccuracy.

The article states that Honda forced its agencies to co-operate with running work linked to the TV campaign. The fact is that the entire campaign was produced by one creative agency – ourselves, and not by a group of smaller agencies, bludgeoned into conformity.

The article also goes on to imply that the move towards an integrated service has been purely driven by clients. With Honda we have developed our integrated marketing relationship as a partnership, we have learned together, and I would like to think that our “ad agency ego” hasn’t hindered us on the way.

For several years now CDP has been providing a truly integrated product, not just a bolt-on service. For Honda, our biggest client, we produce everything from TV, press and poster advertising, through to direct mail, sales promotion, showroom point of sale, dealer communications and customer database management – by one account team, incorporating experts from many disciplines, all under one roof.

This possibly makes us the only top 20 agency to offer such a full service. We believe we are also proof that one agency is not allowing any Eighties egos to stand in the way of offering the services that today’s competitive markets demand.

Given CDP and Honda UK gave Marketing Week an exclusive to this unique integrated approach and prepared an extensive – we hoped informative – presentation, I hope you can understand why I am disappointed.

Johnny Hornby

Head of account management

CDP

London W1

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