Campbell Ewald Moving Offices to Ford Field

[Shollin]

I have explained both why it is better for the region and, as importantly, why it makes business sense for CE. Try re-reading the thread.

All you have explained is a bunch of irrelevant companies who aren't headquartered in Detroit, anecdotal rhetoric about strong downtowns with no substance, and a bunch of calling me ignorant for not seeing a point you never made.

[Shollin]

Warren, a city of 134,056 according to the 2010 census, has 100,000 jobs? Could you provide your sources?

I tried to find a source for this on Wikipedia, but instead found these interesting tidbits instead:





[COLOR=#000000][FONT=sans-serif]

http://www.semcog.org/data/Apps/comp....cfm?cpid=3130

[stinkytofu]

All you have explained is a bunch of irrelevant companies who aren't headquartered in Detroit, anecdotal rhetoric about strong downtowns with no substance, and a bunch of calling me ignorant for not seeing a point you never made.

You asked for companies not affiliated with Gilbert located downtown...I listed a ton of huge ones. You did not specify they had headquarters downtown. You are now fabricating crap knowing you have no defense.

I then asked you to say equilvant companies in Warren and you, not shockingly, completely avoided the question.

[Shollin]

You asked for companies not affiliated with Gilbert located downtown...I listed a ton of huge ones. You did not specify they had headquarters downtown. You are now fabricating crap knowing you have no defense.

I then asked you to say equilvant companies in Warren and you, not shockingly, completely avoided the question.

First you're comparing a city a fifth of the size of Detroit. Plus having a corporate office who doesn't make marketing decisions is irrlelvant, but I'll play along. Warren has GM, Comerica, Big Boy, and Art Van. I didn't mention Chrysler because there are only factories in Warren, but I guess if Chrysler moves a couple into the dime building that qualifies for Detroit, it should qualify for Warren.

[JBMcB]

Warren, a city of 134,056 residents according to the 2010 census, has 100,000 jobs? Could you provide your sources?

That makes sense. There's US Manufacturing, the big GM and Chrysler plants along Mound, the TACOM campus, the GM Tech center, all the job shops and freight companies along Groesbeck, the distribution centers and HQs for Big Boy and Art Van, the MCC south campus and a couple of smaller colleges, a few hospitals. Warren is a good sized city, there's a [[kinda weird) assortment of business going on there.

Anyone know if the CE Southfield offices are still open? One of my friends used to work for them, and said they had a really impressive VR cave out there.

[stinkytofu]

That makes sense. There's US Manufacturing, the big GM and Chrysler plants along Mound, the TACOM campus, the GM Tech center, all the job shops and freight companies along Groesbeck, the distribution centers and HQs for Big Boy and Art Van, the MCC south campus and a couple of smaller colleges, a few hospitals. Warren is a good sized city, there's a [[kinda weird) assortment of business going on there.

Anyone know if the CE Southfield offices are still open? One of my friends used to work for them, and said they had a really impressive VR cave out there.

That office off the Lodge closed four years ago.

[Huggybear]

Shollin, you're becoming the lady that doth protest too much. CE was in Warren because it had GM accounts. It lost them and laid off more than a couple of people. Its Warren location, though right across the street from a lovely GM campus, was in a shabby commercial strip. They needed to reinvent, and query what creative types want to work in that location [[I'm sure Team Detroit would be downtown if Ford wasn't, ahem, encouraging it to lease space from Ford Motor's real estate division).

You give us Art Van [[a regional concern that is not buying what CE sells), Comerica [[all of whose decisionmakers are now consolidated in Detroit), and Big Boy [[whose advertising is... subtle). You can still go after those from a Detroit location. But from a Detroit location, you can also have access to business that do a lot more volume and are more plugged into the Detroit image, like:

- BCBS of Michigan
- Compuware
- DTE Energy
- Little Caesars
- The DMC [[9 hospitals)
- Henry Ford Hospital
- Several large law firms
- Three casinos
- The art museum, orchestra, opera, and historical museum
- Three sports teams
- Two universities
- Regional offices of national accounting firm, which probably have authority to spend their own ad budgets

And that is not mentioning Dan Gilbert, whose ad spending has been big. By the way, GM has now has a fair number of its marketing people in the Renaissance Center. Per the NYT article today, Chrysler's regional marketing division is now in the Dime Building.

Look, I know it burns you up that a relatively small employer is leaving Warren for Detroit - but put it in context. Warren was going to be part of Detroit, incorporated to prevent that, redlined, and did its level best to suck businesses and people out of the city and made no attempt to hide it [[including Jim Fouts' kicking Detroit when GM was going under). Times change, fashions change, and things move. Campbell-Ewald decided to move. Trying to rationalize why they should not [have] do[ne] it seems like a waste of time. If you are emotionally invested in Warren and have a lot of time on your hands, work on cracking how to attract businesses to inner-ring suburbs - especially on the east side.

HB

[Wingnatic]

Great news for Detroit ! Warren shouldn't bitch because the former Walmart location on 12 Mile and Van Dyke , has been purchased by ...... Walmart which will open at that location again soon , the may have bought the whole shopping center not sure .

[stinkytofu]

The search for a new headquarters for the 102-year-old agency, Ludwig said, was driven by a need for culture change because of the explosion of technology and social media, along with Campbell Ewald's need to diversify its client base as the auto industry struggled through the crisis of 2008-09.

http://www.freep.com/article/2013030...text|FRONTPAGE

[gnome]

Does anyone remember where the original Campbell-Ewald offices were located? My guess would be on West Grand Blvd at Cass, ... There is a large empty lot at that corner and I have to think something was there once upon a time.

[dmike76]

First of all, I am thrilled with this move. However, that isn't really the best location in my mind. They must be getting the space really cheap because of the lack of tenants in there. When I look at that area, I don't see a ton of amenities for the employees. The Elwood should see an uptick in customers which is especially great for the offseason. Obviously no shopping either. Not a great space to me. That being said I hope that the increase in employees will spur some business development over there on Brush. Now I can definitely see an advantage when it comes to schmoozing clients. You just walk down the hall and you're at a Lions game or across the street and you're at a Tigers game. Well played in that respect and some of the employees will probably appreciate that too.

[casscorridor]

You have to look at this from the perspective of the company's management. They are in a transition period, after loosing a major client [[Chevy), and diversifying their client base. They are looking for a new jolt of energy and inspiration and moving to Detroit can deliver that. Just look at the office renderings... seems like a breath of fresh air compared to the bland dilapidated office in Warren [[although who knows, maybe the inside is great). It really looks the way a major ad agency's office should look like... modern, urban and displaying, architecturally, what the firm is about. Advertising is all about being on the cutting-edge, and people who say this is a bad move are just failing to realize that Downtown Detroit is on the cutting-edge, despite the city as a whole continuing on its downward spiral. Someone mentioned New York City in the 70's as being the only bigger municipal failure than Detroit... well, look at New York now.

[Shollin]

Look, I know it burns you up that a relatively small employer is leaving Warren for Detroit - but put it in context. Warren was going to be part of Detroit, incorporated to prevent that, redlined, and did its level best to suck businesses and people out of the city and made no attempt to hide it [[including Jim Fouts' kicking Detroit when GM was going under). Times change, fashions change, and things move. Campbell-Ewald decided to move. Trying to rationalize why they should not [have] do[ne] it seems like a waste of time. If you are emotionally invested in Warren and have a lot of time on your hands, work on cracking how to attract businesses to inner-ring suburbs - especially on the east side.

HB

It doesn't "burn me up." I just don't get the excitement of moving jobs to Detroit and then giving a line of bullshit how it will help the suburbs. You're robbing Peter to pay Paul. The hypocrisy is amusing. When the suburbs do it their racist and trying to kick Detroit etc. I really don't care about CE leaving since the company was downsizing and according to Fouts were trying to get subsidies from Warren before they left. As stated earlier, Warren has over 100k jobs and has a pretty large economy relative to its population. I also trust Warren more than Detroit with the vacant CE building.

[Honky Tonk]

First of all, I am thrilled with this move. However, that isn't really the best location in my mind. They must be getting the space really cheap because of the lack of tenants in there. When I look at that area, I don't see a ton of amenities for the employees. The Elwood should see an uptick in customers which is especially great for the offseason. Obviously no shopping either. Not a great space to me. That being said I hope that the increase in employees will spur some business development over there on Brush. Now I can definitely see an advantage when it comes to schmoozing clients. You just walk down the hall and you're at a Lions game or across the street and you're at a Tigers game. Well played in that respect and some of the employees will probably appreciate that too.

That, and buying and giving away tickets as perks. All part of doing biz. How's the parking situation @ their new locale? Plenty of space with easy in & out? Not everyone shares the enthusiasm for paid parking, or hiking and mass transit. As far as Warren goes, it's a great little 'burb, but even 10 years ago when I was a regular in those parts, it was chock full of empty machine shops either for sale or lease. CE, in the spirit of survival, merely went where they thought they could earn a living.

[Hypestyles]

is campbell-ewald hiring?

[stinkytofu]

That, and buying and giving away tickets as perks. All part of doing biz. How's the parking situation @ their new locale? Plenty of space with easy in & out? Not everyone shares the enthusiasm for paid parking, or hiking and mass transit. As far as Warren goes, it's a great little 'burb, but even 10 years ago when I was a regular in those parts, it was chock full of empty machine shops either for sale or lease. CE, in the spirit of survival, merely went where they thought they could earn a living.

I'm guessing their parking situation will be perfectly fine. PwC just moved out of the office building that was built just east of Ford Field and utilized the nice structure attached to Ford Field. I'm sure CE will basically just take those spots over. It has instant access to 75.

[Honky Tonk]

is campbell-ewald hiring?

http://www.c-e.com/careers.html

[the rock]

If I were a 9 to 5 employee of CE with a 45 minute lunch break, I am not sure I would want to be housed in this new location. In addition to now paying a city income tax and perhaps having a more stressful commute to and from work, what is there to do at lunch hour? Campus Martius is a good hike as is a walk to RenCen. Take in a few minutes of a Tiger game on a rare afternoon when they are playing? I'd say this location is a tad removed from the action on or closer to Woodward. Certainly nothing happening North or East of their new digs. I know of a couple of Bodman employees who are quite disenchanted with this location. or has Bodman now left that area?

[Honky Tonk]

I'm guessing their parking situation will be perfectly fine. PwC just moved out of the office building that was built just east of Ford Field and utilized the nice structure attached to Ford Field. I'm sure CE will basically just take those spots over. It has instant access to 75.

Now THAT'S interesting. They still do a lot of biz with FoMoCo.

[dmike76]

I'm with you on that front, Rock. There is really nothing walkable except Elwood, right? Like I said, having more people there MIGHT entice some new businesses/restaurants to open. I don't know if maybe Slow's in Ford Field would open up during the week for employees. How much BBQ can you eat, though?

[Patrick]

CE is busing all their Warren employees over this AM for some sort of event/tour. Anyways, will this start a trend with all the other agencies in Southfield? Will Doner and Mars move?

[Honky Tonk]

I'm with you on that front, Rock. There is really nothing walkable except Elwood, right? Like I said, having more people there MIGHT entice some new businesses/restaurants to open. I don't know if maybe Slow's in Ford Field would open up during the week for employees. How much BBQ can you eat, though?

Why not walk accross the street, [[IF you have that light of a work load) to Eastern Mark-Up? Plenty of lunchtime opportunities there.

[dmike76]

Eastern Mark-up. Nice.

[stinkytofu]

I'm with you on that front, Rock. There is really nothing walkable except Elwood, right? Like I said, having more people there MIGHT entice some new businesses/restaurants to open. I don't know if maybe Slow's in Ford Field would open up during the week for employees. How much BBQ can you eat, though?

I basically agree with these sentiments - that location is not all that great in terms of access to cool things downtown.

Nonetheless, one of the things with ad agencies is being cool and hip - having the ability to work within an old warehouse and keep that old Detroit feel will be very cool...a lot more interesting than just taking a few floors in the RenCen or One Woodward or something.

Here are some renderings about what I'm talking about...

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/g...3050809&Ref=PH

[dmike76]

Those renderings look friggin sweet!