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WWAV Rapp Collins has launched a consultancy offshoot that aims to

bridge the gap between management consultancies and communications

agencies.

Called Zalpha, the company will house WWAV’s existing planning

department, as well as other specialists from outside. Chris Gordon, who

remains WWAV’s group operating officer, will take on the chairman’s role

at Zalpha and in the short term will act as caretaker managing director

until a permanent one is recruited.

Bill Portlock, WWAV’s planning director, will be Zalpha’s deputy

managing director and below him Tony Masters, formerly the data

development director, will be the senior strategic partner.

Existing clients will be able to continue using the planning resource as

before, while new ones can choose to work on either a project or

long-term basis.

The services offered by Zalpha include strategic business development,

strategic communications research and development, new media, database

valuation and customer relationship marketing - one of the

fastest-growing areas in direct marketing.

Zalpha will officially launch once a managing director is on board. It

is likely that the candidate will have extensive experience on the

client side, as well as knowledge of customer relationship

marketing.

Gordon said: ’Unlike management consultancies, we will deliver solutions

in the context of understanding how all of our strategies can be

implemented and in the knowledge that they must generate both short- and

long-term return on investment. And, unlike communications agencies, we

will look at business solutions in which promotion is only part of the

mix.’