Marketing With Cost-Control ‘Guerillas’

The Rogovin Group, launched in 1987 in Newton, MA delivers big advertising agency results minus the big costs. Owner David Rogovin worked for 25 years in the advertising business before deciding to form his own company

His first step with any client is diagnostic—Rogovin spends about 25 percent of his time locating a client's problem. He then recommends a solution and finds the needed people (copywriters, artists, printers) who work as independent contractors to implement each job. In addition, Rogovin negotiates their fees and oversees the work. Specialists are retained for only as long as they are needed, and in this way the client pays no overhead, commissions or markup.

This entire service is completed for one flat fee that can be 30-50 percent lower than going rates at large ad firms.

Says Rogovin, "We call our support people 'marketing guerrillas' to differentiate them from the expensive 'standing armies' of people that in most cases big agencies and consulting firms build into their enormous overheads."

Rogovin's clients include retailers, manufacturers and healthcare providers. The Rogovin Group's sixfold sales increase since opening seems to be proving that bigger is not necessarily better.