ADCO

Periodthree, Warthen join to beef up ADCO's capabilities in its 20th year

Nov 23, 2010

COLUMBIA, S.C.

In 2010, ADCO celebrated its 20th anniversary by greatly expanding its capabilities as a full-service advertising and marketing agency.

Two developments loom above all others:

1. Periodthree, a web design and development firm, has joined with ADCO to create ADCO Interactive.

2. Long-time South Carolina newspaperman Brad Warthen is ADCO's new director of communications/public relations.

That means that under one roof (1220 Pickens St. in Columbia, to be precise), you can now find the most comprehensive advertising and marketing services in the Midlands, providing seamlessly integrated strategic messaging, creative design and interactive solutions.

Interactive services were already a key strength of ADCO, along with strategic consulting and an award-winning creative department. This joint move amplifies ADCO's interactive strength at a time when clients need Web services more than ever. And ADCO is a perfect fit for Periodthree, which stands out among Web development companies for its strategic approach, immersing itself in its clients' businesses.

The formation of ADCO Interactive and addition of Warthen bring the in-house team to 15, making ADCO the second-largest full-service agency in the market.

"We want to spearhead the thought process as we lead our clients to the best, most efficient communications positioning for the 21st century," says ADCO President Lanier Jones, one of ADCO's three partners (along with fellow founder and Creative Director Brian Murrell, and Vice President of Marketing Lora Prill). "Commerce is changing; communication is changing; working relationships between vendor and customer are changing. So the pressure for success has never been greater, or more difficult."

Periodthree founder Gene Crawford, now head of ADCO Interactive, says "Working closer with ADCO is going to be an evolution in interactive design and traditional marketing firms that you rarely get to see. Having ADCO and Periodthree work together on the same team could really be the perfect storm for taking on any vision you may have."

While many still see Warthen as a newspaperman, ADCO recognizes his ability to get to the heart of a complex matter and succinctly define it and communicate it. As Jones puts it, "When it comes to communication, Brad "gets it" every time!" That makes him a whiz at developing messages for public consumption, whether it be a creative advertising theme, a brand message, or critical news/public relations item. He is a writer, and particularly a creative one. But more than that, he's a communicator. In our opinion (and just like Brad, we have one) he's probably the best our market has to offer.

About ADCO

ADCO is a full-service marketing, design and interactive media firm in Columbia, SC. Founded in 1990 as The AD Company, the firm is committed to excellence in creativity while harnessing the power of ideas to deliver maximum impact. Learn more at adcoideas.com

About Periodthree

Periodthree is an interactive web design and development services firm, which creates web-based solutions that work -- solutions that are simple, measurable and powerful. Period Three encompasses a comprehensive skill set that allows it to handle every aspect of web development in-house -- from architecture, usability and design, to application development and hosting -- and to build solid, trusting relationships with clients throughout the process. Learn more at ADCO Interactive

About Brad Warthen

Brad Warthen worked as an editor at The State, South Carolina's largest newspaper, for 22 years, the last 12 as Vice President/Editorial page editor. Before that he spent a decade at The Jackson (TN) Sun, and a couple of years at The Wichita Eagle. He started as a copy boy at The Commercial Appeal in 1974. He is a graduate of Memphis State University. He and his wife have five children and four grandchildren. Learn more at his blog, bradwarthen.com