QABy Thomas Haire ( thaire@questex.com)
Netzley Looks Toward ‘Future Response’
Twenty-two years ago, Steve Netzley founded a small DRTV media buying firm near San Diego. Today, Netzley is CEO of that same agency, which has come through
many iterations to be known as Euro RSCG Edge, a part of the Euro RSCG Worldwide
advertising empire. Still based near San Diego — in Carlsbad, Calif., to be precise
— Netzley has created a network of leading direct response agencies with a singular
mission: engage customers and compel them to act. Recently, Response chatted with
Netzley about his years in the business and what’s next for Euro RSCG Edge.
Q: What’s been the most memorable
moment since founding the agency that
has become Euro RSCG Edge?
A: While it is actually not one moment, I
would have to say it is our history of inno-
vating the direct response model over the
past 22 years. We have been so fortunate to
work with great clients who have allowed us
to push the boundaries of direct response in
so many ways: placing the first pure direct
response commercial during the Super
Bowl for Cash4Gold; creating the first 100-
percent drive-to-Web campaign for Astrive
Student Loans; crafting the first multi-
brand spot for Clorox; breaking the $1,000
price point for an item sold with SoloFlex. It
is really these moments of innovation and
partnership that make me proudest.
Q: What’s new at Euro RSCG Edge?
A: We continue to enhance our offering
as the industry’s leading integrated direct
response advertising, marketing and media
agency. Our work with MaxClarity is really a
game changer in many ways, and our abil-
ity to launch a new acne management line
into such an aggressive marketplace and
see such great success is really something
we are all quite proud of. As an agency,
we are also very proud of the launch of
our VantEdge Point database. VantEdge
Point is a real strategic weapon for us as it
contains 22 years and more than $8 billion
worth of DR sales and media buys. This
platform really allows us to have a leg up
on the competition when it comes to know-
ing what is going to perform for a client,
and our latest version is state-of-the-art.
Q: What do you consider the most suc-
cessful campaign you’ve worked on,
and why?
A: I would have to say Astrive Student
Loans is one that really stands out. In close
partnership with our client, we were able to
deliver astounding financial results allow-
ing them to build a $1.5 billion business in
less than two years. The key to our success
was leveraging amazing creative insights
to surround the college students and their
parents online and offline in every relevant
media vehicle with a message that was
unique and really connected them with
the brand. The ROI on that program was
among the highest we have seen, and we
are very proud of the work and our team
that delivered it.
Q: How has the relationship with your
parent company changed the way your
agency has done business? How has
your own business model affected how
the parent company does business?
A: Euro RSCG Worldwide, of which Edge
is a sub-network, has 233 offices glob-
ally and has more global accounts than
any other agency in the world. As direct
response becomes more global in nature,
our ability to leverage the more than
11,000 employees Euro has around the
world becomes a real strategic asset to
us and our clients, fast-cycling cultural
and country-specific learning curves and
speeding market entry. Edge has always
had the fire of entrepreneurialism burning
in its belly and we have played a large role
in bringing more nimble, flexible thinking
and aggressive and unique client/agency
business models to Euro since we were
acquired eight years ago. Our relationship
with our holding company really is a part-
nership that delivers for our employees and
our clients each and every day.
Q: Where would you like to see Euro
RSCG Edge in the next five years?
A: The future of the direct response
industry is taking shape today. The past 10
years have seen unprecedented growth in
the number and adoption of media devices
and platforms and there is seemingly no
end in sight. It is interesting to note that
after all the hoopla subsides, most of these
advances are really just new screens to
connect with consumers on. Mobile phones,
the iPad, digital out-of-home, even online
gaming — all are really just new sizes
of TV screens, and no one knows how to
change consumer behavior via TV better
than we do. At Edge, we believe this new
era of direct response marketing will be
called Future Response™. These are exciting times and we believe that Edge has
more insight about how all of these devices
will work together in a new direct response
model than any other agency. Couple that
with our all-star team of creative, strategic
and media leadership, and I know we will
help our clients get to the future first and
succeed faster than their peers.
