Like a sinking ship, the pieces of the Detroit ad community have been breaking off and plunging beneath the waves, in recent months. After losing the Chrysler account, BBDO closed its Detroit office. Chevrolet has pulled a large chunk of business away from its long-time partner Campbell-Ewald and could cut the ties entirely.
What’s left? Well, even the publications that long covered the Detroit ad community in detail seem to be giving up.
At a Detroit Auto Show event, the resident rumor was, “Have you heard that Jean Halliday is no longer with Ad Age?” Dumbfounded I had not. But upon checking learned that the long-time Advertising Age journalist was cut, after 13 years, along with three other reporters.
Prior to her Ad Age gig, Halliday spent eight years with other Crain Communications publications including Detroit Business News and Automotive News, racking up a total of more than 13 years covering the once-powerful Detroit ad community.
Halliday won’t go away, not just yet, it turns out, and will take her notebook over to Automotive News, where she’ll continue her beat work for Automotive News. But considering the steady decline of the Motor City advertising community, it’s not clear how much she and her media colleagues will have to cover going forward.
Marty Bernstein reported on this story.
I am really sad to hear that Jean Halliday will no longer be writing for Ad Age. I have worked with her for virtually her entire career at that publication. She is polite, professional, knows the right questions to ask, has a very sensitive BS detector, and a great sense of humor. I have a much easier time linking the phrase “fair and balanced” to Jean Halliday than I do to Fox News.
I am sure that she will put her considerable reporting skills to good use at Automotive News. But, as Marty has pointed out above, the need to report anything regarding automotive marketing from Detroit may be numbered. And that is sad.
Jean, best of luck and we all enjoy reading your work. Keep those stories flowing.