More MarketSmart hi-jinx

Man, I thought i was done posting about this craptastic company, but they keep making the news! There is an article in the N and O today talking about how MarketSmart ADVERTISING just had its two heads removed by their parent company THK. To summarize the article, THK removed the two people in charge and is putting their own people in their positions. Sounds vaguely familiar huh? This should be a warning sign to all those at MSA, don’t follow the same fate that other poor loyal MS* folks did.

MarketSmart Advertising, which recently absorbed the last vestiges of its sister company, is going through more changes with the recent departures of its top two executives.

Co-founder and CEO Steve Thanhauser and Greg Cox, vice president and also a co-founder, exited the Morrisville ad agency this month.

The two executives and a spokeswoman for MarketSmart’s corporate parent, Florida-based Think Partnership, described the departures as amicable.

“It was something that was worked out between them and the company,” said spokeswoman Rachel Honoway. “It was a good time for the company and a good time for them.”

Thanhauser and Cox said they initiated the idea of an exit.

“You know, we don’t want to do this forever,” said Thanhauser. He added that the agency has a senior management team “that can absolutely support the client base we have.”

Lewis Finch, another co-founder of the agency, has resumed running the business. Finch was promoted from co-president of MarketSmart to president of Think Partnership’s advertising division in January.

Also in January, the remaining nine staffers of MarketSmart Interactive — a one-time high-flying company that fell into a downward spiral — were integrated into MarketSmart Advertising. MarketSmart Interactive, a search-engine marketing company, had downsized from 176 employees in 2005 after failing to adapt to intensifying competition.

[Link to N and O]

*hat tip to Clay for the link

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4 Responses to “More MarketSmart hi-jinx”

1

MarketSmart Interactive, a search-engine marketing company, had downsized from 176 employees in 2005 after failing to adapt to intensifying competition.

well, that’s one way to put it…

2

Let’s think back to some of the good times for the company, we went through some great times, and made some great friends.

3

Paul, there is no need to glorify it, THK is still run by idiots. sure we had fun and made friends but the truth is that its a poorly run company.

4

I’m torn on this. On one hand, it’s kind of amusing to watch these crooked snake oil salesmen spin layoffs and poor business decisions into something they think is good PR.

On the other hand, their lies are hurting good people.

It is comforting to know that anyone with half a brain at MarketSmart has been looking for a job for the last 3 months.

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