About TAAN
Collaborative Independence. Inspiring Since 1936.
TAAN Worldwide is an agency growth incubator with a mission that’s stood the test of time.
Our mission, since 1936, has been to constantly collaborate with each other and industry experts to help evolve, innovate and grow our membership — small and mid-size independent agencies — in an ever-changing marketing landscape.
The TAAN Brand Pillars
To fulfill the mission of TAAN, we look for members who bring these brand pillars to life:
Open
Fiercely transparent, genuinely interested, curious, humble, and personable.
Inventive
Eager to create new solutions as a group and as individual agencies.
Connected
To each other, to experts, to the industry, to solutions, and to the world.
Curious
About new methods, new solutions, varying perspectives, different cultures, and each other's business.
Ensuring our Taan culture is supported by agencies who believe in these pillars allows every agency to experience growth of intelligence, through the sharing of best practices, management information, processes and technologies; expertise, through cooperative use of the talents, skills and experience of each member; reach, through hands-on affiliations with local independent agencies around the world; personal effectiveness, through education and close, confidential, “trusted-advisor” relationships with other members, where assistance is provided agency operations, new business, cultural health, performance and overall problem solving.
Meet TAAN Leadership
Brittany Steuer
Governor – North America
Executive Vice President, Client Services, C.O.nxt
Per Kristofer Wahlstedt
Governor – Europe
Board Liaison to the Finance Committee
Partner, Aptum
Gabrielle Shaw
Governor – Europe
Board Liaison to the Marketing Committee
Founder & CEO, Gabrielle Shaw Communications
Emilie Cannamela
Governor – Europe
Board Liaison to the Recruitment Committee
Directrice Générale Adjointe, Angie
Unlock Global Collaboration and Growth with TAAN
TAAN History
2026: The Story Continues
- All-new website designed for the modern age built by member agency Holland Adhaus in coordination with TAAN leadership
- North America Meeting to be held in Charleston, South Carolina in February
- Europe Meeting to be held in Oslo, Norway in May
2024: Global and North America Meetings
- In January, North America Meeting takes place in Santa Fe, New Mexico
- In October, Global Meeting is held in Paris, France
2024: North America Meeting
- In October, North America Meeting takes place in Atlanta, Georgia
2007: Global Growth
- Global meeting in New York City attended by 28 agencies from 16 countries
- TAAN membership now at 46 agencies in 29 countries… and growing
- Pete Gerritsen is new President
- New website designed by DigitalDay, TAAN’s first all-interactive agency, goes online
2006: Mid-east, Africa join
- Pete Gerritsen elected to become TAAN president in 2007
- Dubai, UAE and Lagos, Nigeria join, extending TAAN’s global reach to Middle East and Africa
2005: Global Meeting in NYC
- Members vote to hold global meetings every 2 years
- Argentina, Brazil and Mexico City join, opening TAAN to Latin America
- CFO Workshop held in NY
- US capitalized billings: $314 million ($47 million AGI; Avg member $2.8 million)
2004: Asian Expansion
- India joins – recruits new members in Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok
- Credit card payments for dues, meeting expenses now accepted
2003: New looks
- New TAAN Plan developed: emphasis on improved meeting content, recruitment
- TAAN recruitment video shot at Kiawah Island meeting
- Two workshops held: Media Directors in Memphis, CFOs in NY
2002: Global Meeting in Amsterdam
- Vote to hold global meetings every 3 years rather than 5
- New website goes online
- US meeting schedule changed to 3 half-days
2001: 9/11, Dot.Com Bust
- World Trade Center attack and dot.com bust suppress growth, activity for 3 years
- Agencies struggle to survive, grow, adapt to new technologies
2000: TAAN US & Europe Unite
- At Dusseldorf meeting, Europe members vote to centralize operations with US
- TAAN president Gary Lessner to run united network; US and Europe meetings
- TAAN joins 4 other networks as charter members of Network Summit
1999: Sankosha fails
- Largest TAAN agency ($258-million; 5 offices) collapses amid scandal
- First TAAN website developed by Allen & Gerritsen
- Email becomes dominant mode of network communication
- Most members now have websites
1998: Meet in Sydney
- Members vote to pay for guest speakers
- US meeting schedule changed to one full day, 2 half days
- Side trip to Great Barrier Reef
- At Napa meeting, agency websites discussed (only 2 members have one)
1997: Transition
- Dramatic drop in membership: 3 agencies bought, 2 out of business, 1 no longer viable – only 13 remain
- Gary Lessner assumes presidency
- New members in Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Wilmington recruited
1996: TAAN’s 60th Anniversary!
- Lake Tahoe meeting: something called “the Internet” comes up
- CPA Jerry Langsner named new financial advisor.
- Pete Gerritsen’s Boston agency joins (would become TAAN president in 2007).
1995: Movement
- Members report increasing movement to fee-based compensation
- LA reports failure of re-engineering. Walls rebuilt.
- Two workshops held: Creativity, Productivity
1994: New ideas
- Meetings focus on creativity
- “Re-engineering” concept introduced as LA knocks down all walls in agency
- Other emerging issues: account planning, database marketing
1993: Ongoing improvements
- TAAN Plan 2000 developed
- Upgrading membership and meeting content emphasized
- “Integrated marketing” new buzz phrase
- CFO Workshop held
1992: Recession Worsens
- Many members now at half size
- Dan Wieden (Wieden & Kennedy) guest speaker
- TEAN changes name to TAAN Europe
- Special workshop held: “Managing Mac in Creative & Production”
1991: Recession
- Major meeting topic is survival
- Rampant downsizing
- La Agencia de Orci (Los Angeles) is TAAN’s first (and only) Hispanic agency
- New financial counsel: Dwyne Willis
1990: Agency Merger
- First (and only) TAAN agencies merge: Denver and San Francisco members join to handle Hewlett-Packard business
- Robert Jan Anjema (Netherlands) becomes president of TEAN
1989: New Service
- Dallas-based CPA named as first financial advisor to TAAN
- Average size of members: $17 million capitalized (about $2.4 million AGI)
1988: Managing growth
- By-Laws changed to eliminate territorial protection
- Gentlemen’s Agreement to govern competition; conflicts referred to president and board of governors to arbitrate
- Guest speaker from Apple demonstrates “desktop publishing”
1987: Jack Warner, President
- Bowes-Hanlon declares bankruptcy (The lesson learned: “We believed our own PR.”)
- Bill Ling hosts meeting in Hong Kong.
- First female-run agency joins (Martz, Phoenix)
1986: Legal Counsel Upgrade
- TAAN legal counsel upgraded as Doug Wood is appointed
- Atlanta member, Bowes-Hanlon, is named by Adweek as Southeast’s “hottest agency”
1985: Meeting on Cape Cod in Nor’easter
- New TAAN Plan redefines primary objective: “To promote a vital, confidential, personal resource for the CEO managing his/her agency profitably”
- Now 23 US members; 4 international
1983: First “Graduation”
- Phillips-Ramsey (San Diego) outgrows its membership
- Resigns in order to expand into existing TAAN markets
- New presidents at nearly half of agencies
Sharing & Caring
- Knoxville (Davis Newman Payne) produces TV spots for several members
- Computers now being used for word processing, type-setting, research, media buying, financials
- Collections become a huge problem: Interest rates top 16%!
1982: Joining hands
- 4 TEAN members attend US meeting in Toronto
- Australia, Japan and Hong Kong also attend
- Gary Lessner’s Hartford agency joins (would become TAAN president 1997 – 2007)
1981: Pooling Resources
- Several members share costs of Dun & Bradstreet, Arbitron, Telmar services
- Executive exchanges and seminars
- Morton Simon named legal counsel
1980: TAAN / TEAN Meet in London
- 9 US members now own their own buildings
- First joint venture between US agencies: Atlanta and San Francisco handle National Pecan Marketing account
- Norman Field (London) becomes director of TEAN
1979: Winter Meet in Hawaii
- Schedule changed from 2 day winter and 5 day summer
- New schedule: 2 full days, one half day, twice a year, spanning weekend
Conflict Resolution
- Policy established governing geographic exclusivity and conflicts
- First Workshop held: In Memphis for creative directors
New Services
- Computer co-op formed to create uniform accounting system
- Newsletter begun ($25 fine for not contributing)
- Expertise Audit begun
1978: New Mission Statement
- Focuses on “improvement of management systems and skills.”
- Minimum size established for new members: $4-million capitalized (about $600K AGI)
- Exceptions considered
1977: TAAN / TEAN Meet
- First joint meeting held in Barcelona
- Agree to meet “periodically”
1976: Jay Tallant Elected
- Head of Denver member
- Required to extricate from agency management by end of first 5 year term
- President to be paid salary for first time
1974: Amsterdam Joint Meeting
- TAAN President and Board of Governors attend TEAN meeting in Amsterdam
- Network consists of 19 US members
- 2 international
- Average capitalized billings: $3.6 million (about $500K AGI)
1973: TEAN Formed in Europe
- Trans Europe Advertising Agency Network
- Formed as sister network to US group
- US network changes name to Transworld Advertising Agency Network
- Network runs 3 ads in WSJ
1972: First “shared” client
- Mr. Steak, client of San Diego member
- 4 TAAN members handle regional media buying
- Budgets dry up due to franchisee disagreements
1970: Regional Meetings Discontinued
- Decision to meet twice yearly
- Second Non-US based meeting held in Tokyo
- Jack Warner’s New York agency joins (would become TAAN president 1987-1997)
Consultant Hired
- To determine feasibility of incorporating as a holding company
- Finding: Not feasible due to independence and diverse personalities of members
Benchmarks
- Capitalized billings: $36.4 million
- 19 members
- 283 employees
- Largest member: $4.5 million capitalized
1969: First Non-US Meeting
- Hosted by Howard Panton Agency in London
- Jay Tallant’s Denver agency joins (would become TAAN president 1977 – 1987)
1968: Third International Member
- Sankosha Advertising Agency, Ltd., Tokyo
- Instantly becomes TAAN’s largest member
1967: Second International Member
- Harrison Marketing Counsel, Toronto
1965: Charles “Ram” Ramsey Elected to Lead
- Retired head of Phillips-Ramsey, San Diego member
- First head of network not also operating agency
- Title changed from National Director to President
1963: Mackinac Island Meeting
- Vote to limit membership to 30 US members.
1950–1963: Steady growth
- But nobody takes notes for 13 years
- Six agencies join
- Regular meetings held
1949: Meet in New Orleans
- System of regional governors and regional meetings established
- One network-wide meeting per year
1946: Meetings resume
- Charles Bohlan (St. Louis) named National Director
- Proposes making TAAN a corporation – with him owning controlling shares
- Idea is unanimously rejected
- Bohlan quits
1943–1945: No Meetings
- No meetings during World War II
- Communication and cooperation continue
1941–1942: Annual Meetings
- Annual meetings held in Denver and St. Louis in smoke-filled rooms (ahhh the good old days!)
1940: First Meeting held in Chicago
- Meissner elected “National Director” — no salary
- $50 annual dues
- Name changed to Transamerica Advertising Agency Network (TAAN)
1938: Barlow goes out of business
- NAPG records were locked in a vacated office
- Milwaukee member, Charles Meissner bribes doorman, gets records
- Meissner volunteers to lead the group
- Still no meetings, no dues
1936: It all Started
- In the depths of the Great Depression
- By Mason Barlow, a small agency guy in Chicago
The Goals:
- “To share experience and expertise”
- “To provide branch office services”
- “To help clients expand from regional to national”
A Humble Beginning
- Originally named National Advertising and Promotion Group (NAPG)
- Began with 15 charter members
- There were no dues
- Barlow ran the show
- There were no meetings