Holly Springs Sun

Aaron B. Pryor

Rebels With A Cause

In the highly competitive world of advertising, David Chapman has always seen himself as somewhat of a renegade.

Something was wrong with an industry that charged so much and delivered service from its most junior employees, he thought. So, last September, he struck out on his own, hoping to build a business in the field of marketing.

Chapman’s company drummed up more than a little business. His first few contracts brought in $3 million. A recent contract to market a prepaid phone card for Sports Marketing Enterprises, a subsidiary of RJ Reynolds, generated $12 million in business. The company has recently added four new clients, Catalyst Communications, Lowe’s Home Improvement, Kooler Kraft and Nationwide Homes.

919 Marketing works out of an eclectic office in Holly Springs. The first thing a visitor notices is a giant poster print from the movie “Pulp Fiction” and autographed photo’s of pro athletes from Chapman’s past sports marketing accounts. The second noticeable thing is the music: Jacob Dylan’s Wallflowers and the Counting Crowes pumped into the room.

Chapman engages three other marketing strategists on a full-time basis – and the rest of the work, such as writing and design, gets outsourced out to freelancers. 919’s services include strategic planning, brand development, marketing management, public relations and a full service “Development Center” that pumps out advertising, direct-marketing, sales promotion, websites and sports marketing programs, an area Chapman views as a specialty.

Chapman has done marketing work for many national companies, including Caterpillar, Nabisco Brands, Andes Candies, Central Carolina Bank, RJ Reynolds, Planters-Lifesavers, Sara Lee and Champion Sports Apparel.

Chapman’s concept for 919 Marketing is based on the idea that the low-overhead, low-bureaucracy and task-oriented approach is more efficient and more effective than the standard marketing shop. 919 Marketing works on a fee basis, instead of charging commissions as traditional ad agencies do.

“For years I worked in a senior management role for the largest marketing communications network in the world. Oddly enough, the better you were, the farther removed from the client you became, managing people and budgets versus solving problems. I’ve found that clients are increasingly unhappy with what a traditional advertising agency and public relations firm can offer. This company is an attempt to change that,” he said.

The $12 million contract was for the company to market the Close Call prepaid phone card, which are sold in convenience stores and charge $5.99 for 15 minutes of long distance. The cards are named after close calls made in NASCAR racing and have scratch-and-win sweepstakes for prizes from $5 to $250,000.

919 picked up its second phone card account with Catalyst Communications, a Sarasota-based firm. Their “Cruisin’ America” Phone Cards are similar, featuring 15 minutes of service for $5.99 and a sweepstakes for vintage Corvettes and $250,000 in cash.

Lowe’s Home Improvement is working with the company to better leverage its sports marketing program, including work with the Carolina Panthers and NASCAR Winston Cup driver Mike Skinner.