Ad Agency Truly Does it All

(Note: Click here to see a complete list of the region’s top advertising agencies, ranked by number of employees.)

The New Century Group in Fayetteville continually adds to its media repertoire. Having grossed nearly $2 million last year, the firm operates a traditional advertising agency, a printing press and a publishing company. It also offers graphic design services, political consulting and custom trade show displays.

With an average of seven employees, owners Mary Mann and Holly Smith keep full calendars, but neither sees any boundaries when it comes to marketing and public relations.

The partners recently proved themselves in a new field with New Century ExhibitLink, the division that sells and leases Nimlock-brand trade show booths.

Last year, the University of Arkansas awarded a $500,000 job to ExhibitLink to build steel graphic-display cases for Champion’s Alley, All-American Alley and Bowl Alley in the new Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Smith spearheaded the project that included contracting work, a previously uncharted area for The New Century Group.

In the last few days before the UA stadium opened, Smith said she became a general problem-solver for last-minute snags. ExhibitLink ended up supplying several directional signs and graphics for the opening day.

Both women are UA alumnae, and Mann said ExhibitLink beat Atlanta- and Chicago-based companies to get the job. Now, ExhibitLink is scouting two Southeastern Conference stadiums and one professional football stadium for similar tasks.

The New Century Group is equipped with media divisions that feed off of one another. The company umbrella includes New Century Marketing, New Century Printing and Graphics, New Century Publishing and ExhibitLink.

New Century Marketing began in 1997 as an ad agency. Over the years, Smith and Mann redirected the division’s energy away from traditional advertising and toward political consultation. Although the marketing division still serves standing accounts, it no longer pursues new clients.

New Century Publishing distributes several publications, including NWABride Your Complete Planning Guide.

New Century Printing and Graphics and ExhibitLink were each five-year-old businesses when Smith and Mann acquired them for an undisclosed amount in 1999. They previously were known as Images Printing and Graphics and Exhibits Plus, respectively.

Smith manages all of New Century Group’s finances, and Mann said Smith is the company’s business mind.

“Some people come naturally to business,” Mann said. “I did not. Holly did.”

Smith studied interior design and art at the UA, but she worked in marketing after graduating in 1992.

Political Machine for Hire

Mann said she expects to eventually sell The New Century Group to Smith and pursue her passion for politics. Her career as a political adviser is four years old, and her clients have won 12 out of 17 elections.

As a member of the American Association of Political Consultants, her most recent success came from helping Republican John Boozman win the Third Congressional District seat last fall.

“I am not just Republican, although the majority of my clients have been Republican,” Mann said. “One good thing about this process is how it has educated me to be a more informed voter. Now I don’t call myself a Republican or a Democrat … I reserve the right to vote for the person I deem the best candidate.”

Mann doesn’t insist that her clients affiliate with one party or the other, but she only works with candidates in whom she believes.

“I have turned down a couple of candidates whom I, in good conscious, could not vote for or support personally at the polls,” Mann said. “Most people tell me I’m nuts and I should take the money and run … but I can’t work my heart out for someone in whom I have no faith.”

Mann’s candidates return her loyalty.

This year, Mann’s political calendar includes reelection races for Washington County Juvenile Court Judge Stacey Zimmerman, Arkansas State Senators Ruth Whittaker, D-Cedarville, and David Bisbee, R-Rogers, and U.S. Representative John Boozman, a Republican.

During the 2001 U.S. Representative race — an election for an 11-month term left vacant by Asa Hutchinson — Boozman’s rivals Democrats Gunner DeLay, Mike Hathorn and Republican Jim Hendren hired consultants from Washington, D.C.

But Boozman retained Mann’s media counsel for his $500,000 campaign, even after the National Republican Committee suggested he give the job to more familiar consultants.

“I faced a lot of national people who wanted John to drop me,” Mann said.

Boozman’s campaign manager Phil Schoettlin said, “John was committed to Mary. He trusted her.”

Mann said she generally prefers the relationships and satisfaction found in local elections, because she is often the “go-to” person who solves every problem. Still, she wants to embark on bigger campaigns.

Within the next five years, Mann said, she hopes to consult for U.S. Senate races for out-of-state candidates regularly. Many similar consultants live in Washington, D.C.

However, Mann’s family, including her husband of 23 years — CBS-affiliate KFSM-TV Sports Director Mike Irwin — anchors her to Northwest Arkansas.

While consulting, Mann has been taking notes. It is a dream of hers to become a U.S. Senator. Right now, she said, the timing for a race isn’t right for her family, her finances or The New Century Group.

Mann also wonders if her skin is thick enough to bear the spotlight. Candidates whom Mann helped into office have lamented the public stare.

Political Aspirations

Smith and Mann have always known that a political path could end their business partnership. Ironically, it was Mann’s interest in politics that first helped launch The New Century Group.

Although Mann took an active role in politics during graduate school at the UA, she lost interest for a few years.

In 1996, Mann was vice president at Thompson Earnhart & Associates when she agreed to consult for Bill Pritchard, a Republican running against Democrat Sue Madison for the Eighth District State Representative seat.

Mann was then a yellow-dog Democrat, but she said she respected Pritchard’s reasons for running. Pritchard lost the seat to Madison by about 200 votes, but Mann’s career had changed.

“What came out of that was my future,” Mann said.

A few months later, Pritchard offered Mann a personal loan of $180,000 to launch her own business. Within two years, Pritchard’s investment allowed Mann and Smith to build up The New Century Group enough to get bank loans and repay Pritchard.

Now, Mann and Smith are sole owners of the company, and they share every decision.

Mann said the business became profitable last year, but she and Smith put in long hours to earn it.

During the three months surrounding a campaign — a total of six months in an election year, counting the primary and general elections — Mann and Smith work 80-hour weeks. Until six months ago, they were each averaging 60 hours a week.

Mann said she expects the same level of dedication from her candidates.

“If a candidate’s not willing to bust their ass to win, and they just want to pay someone like me to buy some ads, they might as well just hang it up right now,” she said. “No amount of advertising is going to win if they won’t do what it takes.”