Digitas

Sources confirm that Digitas has lost a piece of Pfizer's Viagra business, leaving CRM (digital and print) with the agency. We've heard that R/GA won the work, possibly in a review, but an R/GA source claims the agency pulled out of the pitch. So, no word on where it's landed.

The work lost: "a small piece" says a source familiar with the business. It includes iPhone apps (erection alerts?) and a Web component — nothing to write home about for Digitas, which is currently understaffed.

How small is the business lost? Probably in the half-a-million range, we hear. No word from the agencies.

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In March, Liz Ross left Tribal DDB (or whatever), an agency that's seen its share of issues in recent weeks. Now she's at Digitas, an agency that apparently likes to invent titles like Ross's. As Chief Growth Officer, a nameplate they concocted for her, she'll be helping her new boss, a lot. Every company needs sales people, people.

Seth Solomons, Global CMO, recently had his role expanded to include new business. Naturally, he hired someone to fill the spot. Cue Ross, whose title is a glorified sales position. She's covering the US, yadig?

More: "Digitas Ranked #3 in Top Companies to Work for in New York"

Update: According to two anonymous sources, employees were asked to respond positively on the surveys. Take it to mean what you will. Wa waaa.

Best Companies NY named Digitas the #3 company to work for in New York (with more than 250 employees). It came in just behind Edward Jones (2) and Nokia (1). The rankings are based on policies, practices and demographics; an employee survey that including 72 statements that employees respond to on a five point agreement scale. A random group of 400 company employees are surveyed.

Which agency has been your favorite to work in?

More: "Digitas NY No Longer Hiring"

In passing, we mentioned that Miller has shaken up its roster. Here are the details: Bartle Bogle Hegarty, Young & Rubicam and Upshot have all lost their seat at the Miller table.

- Miller Lite is now at Interpublic's DraftFCB Chicago. They lost Killian's Red to Jacobson Rost and Keystone, too.
- Miller Genuine Draft, Keystone and MG64 are now with the New York office of Saatchi & Saatchi, which also holds Miller High Life and Miller Chill.
- Upshot's, a retail agency, has seen their account distributed across Omincom including The Integer, Digitas in Chicago and Arc in Chicago.

Got it?

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For all of those people who say that Digitas is just a machine churning out advertising and not creative - this one is for you. Healthcare company Kaiser Permanente has chosen Digitas Chicago, as its online creative and offline direct marketing agency. Campbell-Ewald will continue to be Kaiser Permanente's advertising agency of record.

Digitas is also in the pitch for the Delta Airlines account. Adweek has them partnering with Saatchi against BBDO, Ogilvy & Mather, Deutsch and Wieden + Kennedy, Portland. Can't wait to see how that turns out. SS+K was the agency of record and has not been tapped to defend.

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AgencySpy has learned that former Tribal DDB Dallas creative Tom Tafuto has joined up with Digitas NY, where he's slated to lead the creative department. We're hearing he'll pick up a few projects, including Samsung.

Tafuto joined the Tribal DDB Dallas team in summer 2007 and semi-quietly left a few months ago. This is a tumultuous time at Tribal DDB friends, troubling and tough.

More: "Liz Ross Bails On Tribal DDB"

You know the drill... Each year, Adweek assigns a grade to advertising agencies of note. It's kind of like Bloomberg's grading system for the New York Public Schools. This year, the magazine cut their list from 10 agencies to just 8. They arrived at their final mark by considering several factors: "global revenue percentage gain (taking into account the size of the shop), revenue/staff ratio and how well a shop did at accelerating revenue growth faster than staff expansion." The shops were also graded on their management practices, creativity, strategy and their use of social networks, mobile and smart use of technology tools. Here's the final report card:

AKQA: B+

TRIBAL DDB: B-

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Yup. The rumors are true. Digitas has frozen raises. Lots of you wrote us saying that this policy would be in effect for all of 2009. Maybe that's what they told you, but they told us that Digitas is "postponing merit-based increases until the second half of this year, but they are not canceling them altogether." So, print that out. You got it on the record in case they change their tune.

Still, what about what The Lox and Lil' Kim said? "What's the key to life? Money, power and respect. What you need in life? Money, power and respect." Okay, well... Digitas has got a little power and you staffers have our respect. So, two out of three?

More: Digitas On Bell Biv Devoe

The latest in healthcare news - Athenahealth, a web based medical services company, has moved their media and planning account from TrafficBuyer in New York to Digitas Health.

Now how did it happen that Athenahealth shifted hands? Just how everything else happens. It's who you know. Robert L. Cosinuke is the company's new Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. Mr. Cosinuke also happens to be one of the co-founders of Digitas. Nice. Nice.

Aethnahealth says that they are looking for the best people to handle their very interactive business and also said they haven't inked a deal. BUT, we know that Beam and Digitas Health have been notified of this news, so just hold on for the official announcement. You know how brands like to wait for just the right second to drop their bombs (see: Starbucks and BBDO).

Meanwhile, Beam in Boston will continue to handle creative. Beam also just went live with their Virgin Mobile campaign called Gingerhead.

Interesting side note, Aethnahealth's CEO, Jonathan Bush, is the first cousin of President Bush and a lifelong Republican. He recently told The Wall Street Journal that he voted for President-ElectBarack Obama. Why? Obama has said he's interested in digitizing patient records and duh, Aethanahealth makes it money on medical technology services. That is their whole she-bang. It's why the company is growing at a rapid clip and also explains why Aethnaheath is looking around for the right people to do their job. It's their time to shine.

More: Digitas On Bell Biv Devoe

Digitas Client Services in London has decided to put their foot down. The video above is meant to help their compatriots understand exactly they client services does and does not do.

I can only say three things: the use of gobshite is wonderful. The man with the plastic tits? Scary. Lastly, the problem with this video (other than the off key, but well intentioned singing) is that this psychedelic crew doesn't actually explain what they do. If you're not a boozer and schmoozer, than what is your actual role? Little help?