McMillan (agency)
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| Private | |
| Industry | Integrated Marketing Communications |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Headquarters | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
Key people |
Gordon McMillan, CEO & Chief Creative Officer Robert Hyams, President |
| Website | mcmillan.com |
McMillan is a creative business-to-business (B2B) agency with 69 staff members based in Ottawa, Canada. McMillan has worked with international clients including Atos, Cognizant, Commvault, HUB International, Intuit, Schneider Electric, Trend Micro, and United Rentals. The agency’s integrated services include brand strategy, identity, design, and launch, as well as campaign planning, creative, media, and analytics.
Company history
Early achievements
Founded in 1996 by Gordon McMillan, the agency has grown to service accounts throughout North America and around the world. Within six months of opening, McMillan landed accounts with Microsoft and Cognos. The following year it added several clients in the high-tech industry, including Oracle University, PeopleSoft, and Nortel Networks.
D&B (Dun & Bradstreet) selected McMillan as a preferred marketing vendor in 2003 and McMillan became D&B's lead agency until 2010. McMillan was named agency of record for the Forest Products Association of Canada in 2004 and for Bridgewater Systems in 2005. McMillan also was named agency of record for Sophos PLC, a U.K.-based company specializing in email, web, and computer threat protection. The agency also began relationships with Getty Images and American Greetings.
Additional achievements
- In 2006, McMillan was ranked 21st among Canadian marketing services companies by Marketing Magazine. That same year the agency inaugurated the $1,000 McMillan Award for Academic Excellence given annually to an outstanding advertising student at Ottawa’s Algonquin College. The scholarship was renamed the Nancy Henry Award and increased to $2,000 when longstanding employee Nancy Henry retired in 2015.
- In 2007, McMillan deepened its relationship with Canada Post, becoming the crown corporation's primary source for interactive and web services. The agency also became a principle marketing partner for the Canadian Medical Association that year.
- Company founder Gordon McMillan was inducted into the Algonquin College School of Media and Design Hall of Fame in March 2009.
- In April 2009, McMillan was placed atop the list of Intuit’s preferred direct response agencies, the culmination of a two-year-long relationship.
- McMillan earned agency of record status with the Ontario Medical Association in December 2009.
- In December 2010, McMillan is ranked 15th in the list of 50 Best Small and Medium Employers in Canada compiled the Globe and Mail and PROFIT Magazine. That same month, McMillan was named Global Preferred Marketing Agency for Siemens Enterprise Communications (now Unify).
- In September 2013, the agency unveiled its global rebranding of MOSAID Technologies as Conversant, one of the world’s largest intellectual property management companies.
- After serving for eight years as Vice President of Strategic Services, Robert Hyams is named President of McMillan in September 2014.
2015
- In August, McMillan completed a comprehensive rebranding of Commvault, a publicly traded leader in data protection and information management.
- Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management and automation, began rolling out a significant brand refresh in September 2015, a collaboration with McMillan and other marketing partners.
- McMillan served as guest editor for the November issue of Applied Arts magazine, contributing design, writing, and cover illustration reflecting change within the graphic design industry.
2016
- In May, McMillan celebrated 20 years in business by rebranding and focusing exclusively on global business-to-business enterprise clientele.
- In June, H’Art of Ottawa was selected from among 28 regional charity applicants to receive a free brand overhaul in the agency’s “Betterful” pro bono initiative.
- The agency promoted two longstanding employees to executive positions in July: Theresa Forman was named Vice President of Strategic Services and Dawn Kadlec was named Vice President of Operations.
Leadership
Gordon McMillan, CEO and Chief Creative Officer
Robert Hyams, President
Theresa Forman, Vice President, Strategic Services
Dawn Kaldec, Vice President, Operations
Selected industry awards
McMillan’s 2006 Annual Report for the Forest Products Association of Canada was honored in both the 2007 Applied Arts and Communication Arts annuals.
In the 2008 Applied Arts annual, McMillan’s work on a Catalyst Paper magazine about the paper and printing industry was awarded in the Newsletter, Journal or House Publication Design category.
In 2009, the agency won a total of 11 Summit Creative Awards, which honor outstanding work by mid-sized agencies from around the world. The wins came in categories including TV and radio, interactive media, and direct marketing.
In the 2010 Summit Awards, McMillan took home eight awards, including gold for its self-promo holiday card and Evening in the Maritimes poster campaign.
In 2011, the agency's "Give Your Head a Shake" campaign received a Certificate of Excellence award from Hypertension Canada, recognizing it as an “early and exemplary community sodium reduction awareness program.”
The agency captured top honors for its Megaphono logo design in the 2011 Creative Quarterly Magazine awards.
In the 2012 IABC awards, the agency earned an award of excellence for its Canada Dermatology Association “Indoor Tanning Isn’t Pretty” video.
In 2013, the agency won gold in the W3 Awards for its K2 Partnering Solutions website, a platinum Summit Marketing Effectiveness Award for its Canada Post “Bounce Me” direct mail piece, and gold in the Communicator Awards for its CA Technologies Innovation Smart Paper infographic.
In 2014, award highlights included:
- Transform Awards North America gold for rebranding of Unify (formerly Siemens Enterprise Communications)
- Davey Awards gold for Innovapost brand refresh print collateral
- Canadian Regional Design Awards gold for Ottawa International Animation Festival – Free Your Mind poster design
In 2015, McMillan earned honorable mention at the Ad Age BtoB Best Awards (Direct Mail: Multi category) for its Canada Post “Bounce Me” campaign.
In 2016, the agency took home silver in the Transform North America Awards for Eastwick’s (now Hotwire PR) brand overhaul. In October 2016, the agency’s self-promotion video game “McMillan Interns” was honored in the Applied Arts magazine interactive awards.