Since they formed it about a year and a half ago, Enfatico, the agency formed by WPP to service Dell, has been a favorite target of many bloggers who deemed it an ill-fated venture.
Well, they were right:
Effective immediately, Enfatico will no longer be a stand-alone company under the WPP banner but part of the Y&R portfolio of agency brands, which include Y&R Advertising, Wunderman, Burson-Marsteller and Landor. Enfatico CEO, Torrence Boone previously reported directly to Mr. Sorrell, but now will report to Y&R Brands CEO Peter Stringham.
For Y&R, the changes mean it once again will have to devote its resources to helping WPP and Dell in its quest for a dedicated ad agency. In the initial days of the venture, Mr. Sorrell called upon the expertise of Y&R, tapping its chief marketing officer, Mitch Caplan, to serve as interim head of the Dell-WPP transition team. At the same time, it could mean a lucrative opportunity for the agency to grab new work from Dell.