M5 Marketing Communications

Jim Megann started working for M5 Marketing Communications when he was a student at Memorial University in Newfoundland. Twenty-six years later, he's still around. As the Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Halifax office, he has seen a lot of changes in those years, chiefly in the field of technology. "When I started in this industry we were still doing overlays," says Megann, referring to a manual method of preparing copy for multi-colour printing. "Today, everything is computer based. It's certainly a great thing for our industry because it gives us the ability to do so many things and to do them quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively."

M5 was created by Gary Wadden in St. John's, Newfoundland back in 1981. What began as a small advertising agency engaged in retail advertising for local clients soon grew into something much larger. Today, the company is one of Eastern Canada’s largest full-service agencies. With offices in Halifax and Moncton, in addition to the original St. John's location, M5 employs more than 155 professionals.

Megann believes that the company's focus on what technology can do for their clients has been a major strength. "We've historically been very dedicated to technology," he says. "We've always embraced the leading technological products out there because we believe that investment in technology allows us to provide more cost-effective services to our clients." Combine this with M5's focus on research and strategy, and Megann says it's been a real recipe for success.

The company delivers services in advertising, marketing, public relations, website development, marketing research, and audio/video production to clients in North America and beyond. M5 is able to offer such a broad range of services because they've made the effort to specialize in each of these fields. And they've done that by actually growing separate businesses under the same umbrella.

The M5 group of companies includes MarketQuest Research Group Inc., a full-service marketing research firm offering an integrated range of quantitative and qualitative research services; Wavelight Productions, a television and radio production office; M5i, an internet development firm that specializes in the design, development, and hosting of small and medium-sized business websites and web applications; M5pr, a full-service public relations division; and Podium Digital, an online marketing agency. "By bringing together a series of dedicated companies, we draw from deep experience and extend our reach and expertise into all areas of marketing communications," says Megann.

Quite often, teams in each of the three provinces will work on one account. That's the beauty of the age we live in, says Megann. "Regardless of location, we choose our teams based on who is the best fit. Working with someone from an office in another province is really no different than working with someone across the street because you don't walk across the street anymore, you email them." Megann can remember a time when the boardroom was busy day in and day out with client meetings. "Now a lot of the content of those meetings is done online."

With international clients like General Motors, IMP, Intellivote, and Hollywood Slots; national clients such as Pizza Delight and Mary Brown's Chicken; and regional clients like Farmers Dairy and Oak Island Resort, the company is clearly doing something right. "Our reputation is based on the work that we accomplish for our clients," says Megann, who reports that many of their clients have been with the company for 15 or 20 years. "We have the highest client retention rates in Atlantic Canada," he says. "We are very dedicated to our clients. Every individual in each of our offices is very aware of all of our clients. Loyalty to our clients is a top priority for us."

Megann credits repeat business to the company's emphasis on results. "Our desire is to meet our clients' objectives and so that becomes our mission - to really care about achieving their objectives and getting the results they require." This emphasis on results necessitates a clear strategy. M5 makes a point of doing research, making projections, and including program evaluations in all the work they do. Megann says that ongoing discussion and analysis means further marketing insights for their clients.

"Then we take those insights and bring our creative people in," says Megann. One of M5's innovations is not bringing the creative folks in too soon. "We don't bring creative people to the table very frequently and we do that on purpose," he says. "Our process involves account people gathering information and going through a strategic process. Then the creative starts. Bringing creative people to the initial process is not necessarily productive." According to Megann, the result of this unique approach is highly-focused programs with laser-guided creative that moves audiences to act.

Interestingly, the company has achieved critical praise and repeat business while still maintaining a low profile. "We don't have the same community profile that some of the other agencies do," says Megann. "We keep our heads down and we work hard. We work well with clients who like to post numbers at the end of the month, end of the quarter and end of the year."

Originally from Newfoundland, but having relocated to the Halifax office, Megann is now a die-hard Nova Scotia fan. "It's a great place to live and to ensure that you have a work-life balance," he says. "Our employees believe in working hard and playing hard and there are lots of great areas to play here." And you can't beat it for business. "Nova Scotia is the centre of Atlantic Canada economically. It is the hub of Atlantic Canada," he says. "Having a head office here gives us accessibility to clients and also to all the regions in Atlantic Canada."