An entrepreneur from Chibougamau, in Nord-du-Québec, has succeeded in building a small advertising empire after opening an office on the mythical 5th Avenue in New York to seduce the Pfizers and GSKs of this world.
“For a beautiful two years, there was just one green plant in the office. This allowed us to say that we have an office in New York. Then it took off, ”says Marc Lanouette, co-founder and CEO of Tank.
Thanks to his address on 5th Avenue, Tank landed in quick succession in 2012 juicy contracts with two giants like Pfizer and GSK.
At the end of the line, the businessman confesses that he has always preferred to stay away from the limelight and the media, but that he wants to speak up now because he badly needs brains for his growth.
“We’re looking for talent, so people need to know who we are! “, Continues the one who hired a hundred people last year.
Pharmaceutical giants
Marc Lanouette has his niche. The Pfizer, GSK, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Eli Lilly & Co call on its expertise in healthcare communication.
“It’s a source of pride because we work from here with global brands. We create and produce campaigns here that go to 30 countries, ”he says.
Founded in 2007, Tank employs over 300 people, primarily at its head office in Montreal, but also at its offices in Toronto, New York, London and Tokyo. China is also in his sights this year.
“We are 220 in Montreal. We would like to double this number to 500 within two years to have a global center of excellence in health communication, ”he said.
With an average salary of $ 79,000 last year, the box seeks creative profiles with bachelor’s degrees in communication or people with knowledge of the world of health.
“We have zero tax credits. We have zero subsidies, ”continues the businessman, who is proud to stand on his own feet.
When asked why the pharmaceutical giants choose a firm from here, he replies that Quebeckers have a good grasp of both North American and European issues.
“If you watch CNN, there’s a good chance the health ads you see on TV were produced and created here,” he points out.
At Journal, Marc Lanouette explains that he left his corner of Nord-du-Québec at the age of 15 to move closer to the city for studies.
“I still have an attachment. I no longer have a family there, but I go back there once a year to go fishing, ”he says, recalling good childhood memories there with the children of mining workers and screams.
▶ Producers, managers, videographers, account managers, communications managers, medical writers, designers … Tank is looking for dozens of candidates at the moment.
Working with a future princess
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Before having seduced the big names in the pharmaceutical industry, the boss of Tank, Marc Lanouette, competed in daring by going to seek the future princess Meghan Markle as ambassador for Reitmans.
“I went to see her in a hotel in Toronto with models to show her what we wanted to do with her, and she said, ‘I’m going on board’. It was a great victory, ”he says on the phone.
Today, Meghan Markle, 39, is the wife of Prince Harry, grandson of Queen Elizabeth II.
Not impressed
Unlike others, Marc Lanouette does not dot his sentences with the names of stars. He also doesn’t flaunt his celebrity friendships and is even rather low-key.
The entrepreneur says that when Meghan Markle’s name came out around the table during a brainstorm, no one around him believed him capable of convincing her to lend his image to the Quebec banner Reitmans.
So Tank’s boss decided to take care of it himself. After many calls, he managed to get in touch with her.
“We relaunched the Reitmans brand with it. At the time, she was the star of the show Suits », Continues the advertiser, who was able to work with her for many years, before she became a princess.
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