Arment Dietrich Creates Partnership with Thornley Fallis

You know how you plan and plan and plan for something so things fall into place one big event at a time and then it never goes that way?

Kind of like when you get married and suddenly you’re also moving to a new city, buying a new house, and starting a new job. Lots of changes at once that, if handled separately, aren’t so overwhelming.

Well, it turns out nothing ever goes according to plan.

We were supposed to launch Spin Sucks Pro last year (still in private beta), then Marketing in the Round was to come out, then my speaking was to pick up so our business development increased substantially, and then we’d create a partnership to give us international capabilities.

Well, it turns out all of that is destined to happen at once instead over a two year period, as planned.

The partnership to give us international capabilities? It’s happening now!

We have created a partnership with Thornley Fallis in order to expand our reach to Canada and the U.K., as well as give us the resources to do video and design and development.

Most of you know I’ve been working on Inside PR with Martin Waxman and Joe Thornley for a couple of years now. Martin officially joined Thornley Fallis in October and then Joe and I began talking about what it would look like if we also worked together. Bringing the team together in more ways than one.

For the past five years, I’ve been growing Arment Dietrich in a direction that stays ahead of trends for clients, helps them understand how to incorporate technology in order to stay competitive, and allows us to compete with the global firms. Because of my vision of how the web can help companies grow, being able to design and develop web properties is as important as the content creation, but we’ve always outsourced that piece of it.

And, in order to compete with the global firms (I mean really compete), we have to have ”feet on the ground.” While we have a strong North American presence with clients in 14 states and Canada, going across the pond has been difficult for us, no matter how many friends we have around the globe. Some agencies work within an existing network in order to provide international capabilities, but I’ve never been one to do things the way everyone else does them.

Now we have the resources to create complete marketing communication programs internally, as well as do business internationally.

As well, the book, my speaking schedule, and work with clients has me out of the office a lot. For the past five months, my team has been exceptionally patient in working independently, but in order to be a good leader, I have to find them daily coaching and mentorship. Thornley Fallis provides a team from which they can learn from and brainstorm with, but also teach and work on their own leadership skills.

While I’m willing to take risk, I’m doing so in a calculated way with this partnership. We already know Joe, Martin, and I work really well together. But I want to be sure our cultures mesh, that we have the same vision for working with clients, and that our teams like one another. If all goes well, we’ll create a formal merger at the beginning of 2013.

Our clients will still work with us. Their clients will still work with them. Where we’ll integrate is on business we pitch and win together unless, of course, current clients need help in the areas where one of our teams is stronger.

I’m pretty excited about the possibilities so it’ll be fun to work hard with both of our teams and see what happens!

About Gini Dietrich

Gini Dietrich is the founder and CEO of Arment Dietrich, a Chicago-based integrated marketing communications firm. She is the lead blogger here at Spin Sucks and is the founder of Spin Sucks Pro. She is the co-author of Marketing in the Round and co-host of Inside PR. Her second book, Spin Sucks, is due out in November 2013

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