Townsman, 1991-04, Page 14parted ways. It was not pleasant, but
few divorces are. The latter remained
in Toronto and kept the name Inte-
grated Graphics. Parson continued to
operate his share of the business out
of a converted house at the corner of
Cambria and Eric streets in Stratford.
That is still the home of David Parson
Associates. Integrated Graphics is
now defunct.
This spring the agency put together
some radio spots for the Festival. Par-
son attended the recording session in
Toronto, which involved Festival
actors. He was amazed at how well
things went, how much was accom-
plished in just four hours. Hc thinks
the ads arc great, but is quick to share
credit with the actors. He says a client
such as the Festival has a way of get-
ting the best out of an agency:
"They're very creative people and they
can be very intense. But they know
what they want. The Festival is a
demanding account but we make it
that way."
Now helping to service that account
is Chris Blake, a relatively -recent
addition to the DPA staff, actually a
company vice-president and director
of marketing. As an actor Blake spent
some timc on the Festival's boards but
then moved to the other side of the
lights and worked a number of years
as its marketing manager, under Cole.
From his new position he says, "I
don't think there ever has been a
client -agency relationship in which
the agency has known thc product so
well. The Festival invented the live
theatre business in Canada, as we now
know it, and Parson Associates has
acquired a particular experience by
being attached to that account.
Through thc years everything has
been tried at one time or another."
Blake says moving from the Festival
to Parson was akin to going from "a
big machine to a small company,"
where an idea in the morning is devel-
oped in the afternoon. In fact, that is
how it often happens. "We're not big -
city types," he says, "and, frankly, that
appeals to many of our clients. We
have a straight -forward approach. The
government appreciates us for a bit of
glitz, a bit of creative flair, but they
also want us to get the message
12 TOWNSMAN/APRIL-MAY 1991
across."
Parson considers Blake a valuable
employee but no more than his dozen
or so others, a staff that has contribut-
ed significantly to the Toronto Sym-
phony's subscription list going from
11,000 to 42,000. And helped sell
Dominion Seed. And fill rooms at the
King Edward Hotel. With the same
kind of enthusiasm and sensitivity
they also have worked on the firm's
smaller accounts. The company's art
director is Deborah Buchanan, who
has been with Parson for 18 years. For
another VP, production manager Paul
Herman, it has been 15 years.
Such loyalty and competence have
prompted the boss to think about
transferring control to a management
team assembled from within. Ideally,
of course, he would remain a part --
but have more time to visit the world's
great art galleries, and travel the north
shore of the St. Lawrence, and build
reproduction furniture. "As far as
design direction goes, younger people
should take the lead," says Parson,
"and I'd like to foster that here."
Among those younger people learn-
ing the craft is 24 -year-old Chris Par-
son, who is enrolled in the three-year
graphic design program at Sheridan
College in Oakville. But his name
does not guarantee him a job at David
Parson Associates. His father hopes
he will first get a job and valuable
experience elsewhere, possibly with
an agency in Toronto.
As far as the other Parson children
go, 19 -year-old Sara is thinking dental
assistant and 16 -year-old Katie is
interested in poetry. Among mother
Joan's current interests is an end-to-
end walk of the Bruce Trail.
The boss rocks back in his chair and
swings both feet onto the corner of his
desk. He smiles approvingly when he
talks about the diverse interests of his
family. And then he says it is proba-
bly because he has been able to
remain in Stratford that he still has a
family. Regularly one Toronto col-
league or another tells him how lucky
he is to be able to operate his business
so successfully in a place without 40 -
floor office towers, big-time leases
and the Gardner Expressway.
The smile broadens.
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