Bob Schmetterer

Bob Schmetterer
Born Bob Schmetterer
Alma mater Fairleigh Dickinson University
Occupation Advertising Executive

Bob Schmetterer (New York City, 23 November 1943) is an American business executive[1] and author. He is past chairman and CEO of Euro RSCG Worldwide and past president and COO of communications group Havas.[2]

Background

Bob Schmetterer graduated from Pascack Valley High School in 1961.[3] Shortly afterward, he married Tara Deppert with whom he had two sons.[4] Schmetterer completed his BS in psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1967, and completed an MBA at the same school in 1970.[5] While attending university, he worked for the British Motor Corporation, where he originated the idea for branding and marketing accessories for their MG and Austin-Healy sports cars as part of the company's overall marketing strategy.[6] Then in 1968 he was hired by Volvo of America as marketing research director.[7]

Advertising career

Schmetterer joined creative advertising agency Scali McCabe Sloves in 1971 where his first client assignment was Perdue chicken,[8] which would be named number 67 on Advertising Age's top 100 advertising campaigns of the 20th Century.[9] In 1980 Schmetterer was appointed Managing Director and Chief operating officer of the New York-based Scali McCabe Sloves firm.[10]

In 1984 Bob Schmetterer became President and Chief Executive Officer of an international joint venture with Young & Rubicam of New York and Eurocom S.A. of Paris, France: HCM Advertising Worldwide (Havas Conseil Marsteller).[11] In 1987 Schmetterer then became a founding partner and president of the agency to become known as Messner, Vetere, Berger, McNamee, Schmetterer (MVBMS).[11] Under Schmetterer's leadership the company was an early innovator in digital advertising and marketing, website creation, and in the first Internet "banner ads."[12] As a result of these kinds of innovations and progressively growing client base, MVBMS became the fastest growing agency in the United States in the early 1990s.[13]

In 1992, after being acquired by publicly owned French group Euro RSCG, Messner, Vetere, Berger, McNamee, Schmetterer became their New York office and Schmetterer was asked to join their Board of Directors. Five years later, he was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Euro RSCG Worldwide.[14] Schmetterer remained at the helm for seven years, as the agency grew to 233 offices in 75 countries[15] and billing grew to $13 billion.[16] Under Schmetterer's leadership Euro RSCG became the largest digital agency worldwide.[17] By 2000, Scott Donaton (Publisher of Advertising Age and Entertainment Weekly) called Schmetterer a "visionary for new creativity".[18] In 2002, in addition to his Chief Executive role at Euro RSCG, Schmetterer was named President and Chief Operating Officer of French advertising and communications holding company Havas.[19] Early in 2004, Schmetterer announced his retirement after thirty-three years in the ad industry.[20]

Schmetterer has managed the strategy and advertising for clients including Volvo cars in North America as well as globally,[21] Pioneer Electronics, Maxell Tape, MCI, Dannon Yogurt and Intel.[22] His advertising campaigns for Volvo also made the Advertising Age top 100 campaigns of the 20th Century list, coming in at number 90.[9]

Author and speaker

In 2003, Schmetterer wrote the book Leap! A Revolution in Creative Business Strategy,[23] which was published by John Wiley & Sons and eventually translated into six additional languages: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and Chinese. The book was based upon the concept of "Creative Business Ideas": a concept developed by Schmetterer for use at Euro RSCG (that later trademarked the idea), whereby advertising agencies would go beyond pure advertising and communications strategy, and use non-linear creative thinking to develop ideas that could become central to companies products, services, and business strategy.[24] Schmetterer has been keynote speaker at industry conferences sponsored by the American Association of Advertising Agencies and the Cannes International Advertising Festival.[25] In 2010 he also participated in The Future of Television Conference at New York University Stern School of Business.[26]

Personal

Schmetterer has been married to Stacy Chiarello Schmetterer since 1987. Together they pursue philanthropic interests in the arts, education, animals, nature, and the sea.[27] The two are also long-time yacht enthusiasts. Schmetterer's current yacht is an 80-foot Marlow Explorer named the Blue Moon.[28]

References

  1. ↑ "Executive Profile". Bloomberg Business Week. Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
  2. ↑ "Bob Schmetterer named Havas COO". Media Daily News. MediaPost Communications. 12 December 2002. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
  3. ↑ "Graduation Exercises, Sixth Commencement". Warrior Yearbook, Class of 1961. Pascack Valley Regional High School. 22 June 1961.
  4. ↑ Leap: A Revolution in Creative Business Strategy. John Wiley & Sons. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  5. ↑ "Alumni Profile: Key to Success is taking 'Creative Leaps'". FDU Magazine Online. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  6. ↑ "To Ad Veteran Bob Schmetterer, Digital Means Dollars". Business Week. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  7. ↑ Jean Halliday (19 June 2009). "Former Volvo, Peugeot Marketer James LaMarre Jr. Dies at 92 Consultant to JWT Helped Form Carl Ally and Scali, McCabe and Sloves". Advertising Age. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
  8. ↑ Leap: A Revolution in Creative Business Strategy. John Wiley & Sons. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Bob Garfield. "TOP 100 ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS OF THE CENTURY". Advertising Age. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  10. ↑ "Bob Schmetterer on Becoming a Powerful Speaker, Advertising by the Decades and Yachting in Key Largo". PersonalLifeMedia Dishy Mix. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Philip H. Dougherty (4 December 1987). "ADVERTISING; Former HCM Chief Is a Messner Partner". The New York Times Company. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  12. ↑ "Reflections on 10 Years at Euro RSCG". RSGC Euro Worldside. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  13. ↑ Stefano Hatfield (28 January 2000). "The Kings Of Madison Avenue: Bob Schmetterer - Stefano Hatfield talks to the New Yorker behind Euro RSCG’s meteoric rise as a network". Haymarket Business Media. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
  14. ↑ "Campaign International: The Decision Makers/Bob Schmetterer". Haymarket Business Media. 17 July 1998. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
  15. ↑ "Euro RSCG Worldwide Named Largest Global Advertising Agency for Fourth Year in a Row". Euro RSCG Worldwide. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  16. ↑ "Winning Idea From Euro RSCG?". The Financial Express. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  17. ↑ Christine Canabou (31 March 2002). "Advertising, Under Review". Fast Company. Mansueto Ventures, LLC. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
  18. ↑ Scott Donaton (7 August 2000). "Bob Schmetterer embraces role as visionary for new creativity". Ad Age Blogs. Advertising Age. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
  19. ↑ Randall Rothenberg (17 January 2001). "Can U.S., French cooperate? Ask Euro's Bob Schmetterer". Advertising Age. Crain Communications. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
  20. ↑ "James R. Heelin is Appointed Chairman and CEO of Euro RSCG Worldwide". PR Newswire Association, LLC. 21 January 2004. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
  21. ↑ Lazarus, George (8 February 1991). "JWT move fuels retirement talk". Chicago Tribune. p. 2. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
  22. ↑ "Alumni Profile: Bob Schmetterer". FDU Magazine Online. Fairleigh Dickinson University. Summer–Fall 2006. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
  23. ↑ "Book Expert: That's Entertaining". Adweek. 14 April 2003. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  24. ↑ Dominic Mills (16 May 2003). WHAT DOES CREATIVE REALLY MEAN THESE DAYS?. Campaign Magazine.
  25. ↑ "HNW Board of Directors". Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  26. ↑ "Content and Commerce: Hollywood Meets Madison Avenue". NYU Stern. 19 November 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
  27. ↑ "Bob & Stacy Schmetterer Foundation a Florida not for profit corp". Implu Corporation. 1 December 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
  28. ↑ Paul Sullivan (August 31, 2012). "Indulging in a Yacht, but Still Minding the Expenses". New York Times. Retrieved September 7, 2012.