Agency Search For Corporate Communications +77%.

AdForum.com reported a 77% increase in searches for advertising agencies and marketing communication companies that have an expertise in Corporate Communications. This was the largest category increase reported for the year.

2004 Agency Search Activity

Corporate Communications +77%

Brand & Product Development +56%

Packaging & Design +18%

Marketing Services – 28%

Interactive – 8%

Media Buying/Planning – 7%

“We believe this reflects a trend among companies to further protect and grow their brand images, both internally with employees, and externally with shareholders”, commented Christopher Wynne, president and ceo of AdForum.com. “The reporting of corporate ethics violations throughout 2004, combined with a less tolerant regulatory environment, has raised awareness of the importance of corporate communications for brand–driven companies.

“While many large companies had well-established communications and ethics programs before the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was signed into law in 2002, companies are continuing to invest in comprehensive communications strategies because building and protecting a good brand is a much better game that restoring a fallen one” said Paul Thurman, professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. “Restoring public trust is a lengthy, expensive process that comes with high mortality rates.”