Las Vegas Business Press :: News : Longtime ad agency stays on message

Longtime ad agency stays on message

BY BEN TINSLEY

Tom Letizia has successfully navigated the changing landscape of advertising here in the valley since the 1970s, surviving competition, growth, and ever-present change.

"Things have changed so dramatically over the years," the 57-year-old said. "It's a different playing field now than it ever was. Things shift every day and because of that we are always tweaking our operation to meet current trends and means of business. It's a daily challenge."

Letizia started his own company in 1974 at the age of 24, when there were fewer than a dozen advertising agencies in Las Vegas.

COURTESY LETIZIA AD TEAM
Tom Letizia operates one of the oldest advertising and marketing firms in the city. He ran Oscar Goodman's first campaign.

Back then, he often tells friends and colleagues, he could park his car on Fremont Street downtown -- now the Fremont Street Experience -- and walk door-to-door trying to drum up advertising from merchants.

Now his firm represents some of the most successful businesses in Las Vegas. It is the largest firm representing auto dealers in the state and one of the 10 largest in the country.

One client, Planet Hyundai in Las Vegas, is the largest Hyundai dealer in the world.

The Letizia Ad Team's clients range from the fields of gaming, real estate, retail and politics. Despite his success, he said he tries to keep that "door-to-door" approach with his customers.

Letizia estimates hundreds of Las Vegas businesses have learned how to utilize the media through his company.

He said one of the highlights of his career was managing Mayor Oscar Goodman's first campaign.

Goodman said Letizia worked hard to get him elected.

"That was the first campaign, where I was an underdog, and we worked everybody to death," Goodman said. "He was right there by my side. The next two campaigns were a piece of cake compared to that."

The mayor said Letizia gave the campaign everything he had.

"He is almost as energetic as I am," Goodman said. "He was trying to keep up with me as I was campaigning and he was just half a step behind. But he is a good fella and a nice person and I think that's the best thing you can say about anybody."

Letizia also was hired as a communications consultant for the defense team in the Binion murder trial about seven years ago. The trial was publicized around the world.

U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., is a good friend of Letizia's and a big fan of his career. She's longtime friends with his wife of 27 years, mobile billboard advertising company owner Marla Letizia. The congresswoman had some surprises coming when she first met the intrepid entrepreneur.

"In those days I knew him by reputation only, and, of course, had watched him on TV with his amazing commercials that they now show when he's being roasted," she said with a laugh. "When my girlfriend Marla -- who he married and had two children with -- told me she was dating Tom Letizia, and I met him, I realized his personal persona was so different from his public image."

For one thing, the congresswoman said, she immediately noticed that Letizia is supremely loyal to friends, family and his customers. "I realized this was a 'mensch' -- he was good to his parents, a wonderful family man and a dear friend," she said. "He's so loyal. If you are his client he will go to the mat for you and if you are his friend he will defend you to the death."

Despite the numerous technological advances of Letizia's business -- his is one of the few agencies in Las Vegas with its own production facilities for television -- Letizia said he stays vigilant for change at all times. He said advertising is changing now more than ever before.

"What worked back then won't necessarily work today," he said. "I have to reinvent myself every day. Advertising has not gotten easier. It's much tougher to get results for clients. Advertisers who think they are going to follow the old rules are going to fail."

Letizia's start in the broadcasting field actually predates Las Vegas. In 1970, he started working as a disc jockey, moved to newscaster and then became a play by play sports announcer at a 50,000-watt radio station in Anchorage, Alaska.

In 1971 he moved to Las Vegas to further his radio career before shifting to the TV side of the industry as an advertising consultant, TV host and creative adviser.

His experience taught him a lot about keeping fresh approaches when it comes to marketing.

"You have to be different from ever before each time," he said. "It takes more knowledge and expertise than ever before to break through the clutter of this market."

btinsley@lvbusinesspress.com

387-5290

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