e welcome you back to the pages of The Buntin

Group POV. Of the many points-of-view we publish each day on behalf of

clients, this represents one of the few instances where we offer you a POV on

what’s going on here among the 110+ of us at The Buntin Group and Buntin

Out-of-Home Media. And has it ever been a time of focus, opportunity,

depth and results for our clients and their consumers out in the now radically

changed marketplace.

We have often been asked, over the past two years, about our views on

the economy and the impact it has had on consumers…those with whom

brands seek to drive engagement, trust, purchase behavior and ideally,

loyalty. Our view is this: we celebrate the restoration of frugality, pragmatism

and control to the consumer. Having been preyed upon to the point of

personal and global economic meltdown, the consumer is now a human

being again. Possessions as indicators of worth are out. Self worth is in. And

the implications for corporations and brands are resounding.

“What does this brand say about me to me?” vs. “What does this brand say

about me to others?” This is but one of the many new questions that can

be found at the heart of transformational business shifts in which challengers

are threatening leadership positions…note Audi’s record sales vs. BMW,

Mercedes-Benz and Lexus. And, at the middle of the category, Hyundai’s

momentum, as well.

This cultural reframing is also creating opportunities for our clients – and,

together, we are seizing those with good success. What’s helping this is

Brand Fluency. Never before have the fundamentals of this strategic approach

been so relevant. Deeper insights into human beings, the care to craft strategy

around the language and values of real people – and the sensibility to link

those insights with smart client business ideas. There is both a timelessness

and also a revolutionary newness about it converging in what has been

described as a Moment, rarely seen.

We thank you for taking your own moment to flip through these few, hopefully

enjoyable pages. If we can share anything further, please let us know.

Warmly,

Jeffrey Buntin, Jr.

“POSSESSIONS AS INDICATORS OF WORTH ARE OUT. SELF WORTH IS IN.

AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR CORPORATIONS AND BRANDS ARE RESOUNDING.”

W

What does it take to clean up in the cleanup and

restoration business? The answer lies in a 60,000

square-foot building in Gallatin, Tennessee. That’s where

you’ll find the headquarters for the 1,500 franchises

of SERVPRO Industries.

A company whose 40 years

of experience in helping to

make it “like it never even

happened” has helped them

post 2x revenue growth in

just four years.

In addition to the record-setting benchmark, the

company also recently ranked among the “best of the best”

from two highly coveted franchise rankings. Entrepreneur

Magazine listed SERVPRO as the no.1 restoration services

f ranch ise sys tem fo r the s i x th consecut i ve year

in its 2010 Franchise 500 ranking. The company jumped

19 p laces f rom no. 28 in 2009 to no . 9 in the 2010

overall rankings. In addition, allbusiness.com – a Dun &

Bradstreet subsidiary – ranked SERVPRO as the no. 9

franchising opportunity,

a 15-position jump over

its 2009 ranking. Both

l ists cited SERVPRO as

a g row ing f ranch ise

despite an economy that

over the past 18 months

has taken a serious toll on so many businesses.

And, on a similar note, we’d like to thank our good

friends at SERVPRO for allowing us the privilege to play a

part in their continued success. We’re looking forward to

continuing to help them clean up in the years ahead.

“WE THANK OUR TEAM; WE COULDN’T HAVE

ACCOMPLISHED THESE RESULTS WITHOUT

OUR FRANCHISES. THEY HAVE EARNED THIS HONOR.

WE ALSO WANT TO THANK OUR CUSTOMERS

FOR THEIR CONTINUED SUPPORT.”

– Rick Isaacson, Executive Vice President of SERVPRO

HAVING RAISED

NEARLY $300,000

OVER 20-PLUS YEARS,

THE AGENCY

MAINTAINS

OUR OWN

COMMUNITY

OUTREACH PROGRAM,

APPROPRIATELY

CALLED ADHOPE.

Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.– Robert Louis Stevenson

Status meetings, strategy sessions, creative reviews, bake sales. Just another day at the office here at The Buntin Group. No, really. It actually started 20 years ago, as a group of Buntinites began to organize fund-raisers to help support St. Luke’s Community House, then a small volunteer-run center aiding children-in-need in the Nashville area. Jeffrey Buntin, Sr., recognizing their selfless efforts, declared that the agency would match every employee-raised dollar. Over a quarter-of-a-million dollars raised later, the people of Buntin are still putting forth time, talent and resources to better the Nashville community, only it’s done under the AdHope banner. “From the very beginning, the goal of what is now AdHope has been to provide an outlet for the agency and its employees to improve some part of the world around us,” notes John Carney, EVP and Director of Operations. “Over time, we’ve found that many of our people appreciate the opportunity to carve out some of the energy we typically put toward ourselves and our Clients and direct it to those less fortunate.” Each year, an AdHope steering committee is formed to determine how funds will be raised, and what organizations will receive support. A few guidelines exist. For instance, geographic priorities are set forth as our neighborhood, our city, our county, our world. Also, an opportunity to be “hands-on” in charitable efforts takes priority over check writing. Nancy Crutcher, director of the Brighter Days Community Center, cherishes the support the center receives from AdHope. “The kids in our after-school program come from families who are unable to provide much beyond the basic necessities. With the support of Buntin and AdHope, they now can go back to school every year with new backpacks and school supplies, and have packages to open up on Christmas morning. It’s really a blessing.” Today, it is a point of pride to know that giving back to our community is as tightly woven into our cultural tapestry as generating business-building ideas for clients. We wouldn’t have it any other way.

Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.– Robert Louis Stevenson

What do 6 professional golfers, 4 global business units,

18 million clients, 500 actors and an entire sport have in common?

They all play a part in

RBC Royal Bank of Canada’s recently

unveiled PGAA activation strategy.

And our role at the heart of it is nothing short

of a 350-yard drive, right down the fairway.

In a bold move, RBC recently stepped forward as one of golf’s leading brands, securing a multi-year deal with the PGA of America as Official Patron of the PGA of America, including designations as Official Bank of The PGAA; Official Patron of the PGA Championship, Senior PGA Championship, PGA Grand Slam of Golf; Official Bank of the PGA Championship, Senior PGA Championship, PGA Grand Slam of Golf; Proud Supporter of the 2010 and 2012 Ryder Cup; and co-presenting Sponsor of PGA Play Golf America Days. Additionally, the global business has secured multi-year branded Golf Bag sponsorship of tour professionals Fred Couples, Anthony Kim, Luke Donald, Stephen Ames, Morgan Pressel and Mike Weir; as well as deep integrated brand initiatives across event marketing, database tie-ins, online/fan socialization, print and both national network and network cable television media assets on multiple continents. Anchored in two new television spots,

“World’s Bag” and “Trading Course” set to break at the Sr. PGA Championship on May 25, 2010, our role is lead strategy, creative development and media activation agency for the worldwide effort. You might think of us as the designated caddy for one of golf’s newest, biggest names.

Photos from top to bottom: 1 Jim Little (RBC), Michael Karbelnikoff (Director),

Anthony Kim 2 Jim Little, Fred Couples, Penny Rahe, Anthony Kim, Luke Donald

3 Erin Rose (RBC), Tom Gibney, Jeffrey Buntin, Jr. 4 Fred Saunders shaking hands with

Anthony Kim 5 Matt Horton, Jim Little, Jeffrey Buntin, Jr., Anthony Kim

And the marriage is no accident. Providing strong linkage into RBC’s burgeoning global business units, where the Company has experienced significant overall vitality amid times of strain for larger peers, golf’s fit with the Global Banking, Wealth Management, Capital Markets and Investment Banking assets is without question. Add to that the efficiencies made possible by the pullback of automotive and other financial companies from the sport in 2009 – and the effort became the natural avenue for RBC to extend its longstanding RBC Canadian Open sponsorship to increasing numbers of clients on the global stage. “The voice of the RBC brand has awoken in the U.S. and world – and has a differentiated ring of relevance, progressiveness, stability and client-first freshness that people are certainly noticing,” said our own Jeffrey Buntin, Jr. in a recent interview. “The game of golf will see few brands over the next few years as committed as RBC. It is an enormous joy to represent such a strong, global brand in such a dynamic time.”

.

The RBC story will hit the airwaves and fairways this spring through both “top down” communications from the Global Brand Group and also via the marketing/communications efforts of multiple distinct RBC business units. The creative work will feature pros from Team RBC performing on the course, interacting with clients and playing through special effects, all carefully brought to life by the capable hands of Director Michael Karbelnikoff from Hello! Productions (Executive Producer: Carl Swan, Producer, Leanne Amos), DTrain Effects (Executive Producer: Dan Connelly, VFX Artist; Casey Price, VFX Artist: Ben Gibbs), Red Car editing in Chicago (Editor: Sean Berringer, Sr. Producer: Jon Desir), Music and Sound design by Q Department, L.A., and Film Transfer at Company 3, Santa Monica (Colorist: Mike Pethel).

“The voice of the RBC brand has awoken

in the U.S. and world – and has a differentiated ring

of relevance, progressiveness, stability and client-

first freshness that people are certainly noticing.” Jeffrey Buntin, Jr.

1

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3

When you’ve got almost 600 stores within a stone’s

throw of an interstate highway, it’s vital to have an extensive

outdoor program. But when you’re recognized as being a

leading outdoor advertiser nationwide, you better have more

than a program. You better have a well-oiled out-of-home

management machine, equipped with proprietary technology

systems and operational infrastructure. And you best staff it with

a dedicated squad of eagle-eyed road warriors to monitor the

ever-changing complexities of over 1,500 boards. In other

words, if your primary message is “Exit Now” – enter Buntin Out-

of-Home Media. A nationally recognized OOH media team with

over 20 years’ experience paving the way for major outdoor

brands like Cracker Barrel Old Country Store®. Now,

riding herd on a billboard system this large doesn’t just mean

making sure the lights are on every night. It involves a complex,

ongoing protocol of practices like constantly monitoring the

market for turnover and availability, in case of opportunity

to upgrade locations and/or negotiate better rates. Then

you have to consider managing the relationships with 438

unique outdoor companies. Plus the documentation process

behind creating and maintaining a photo-catalog inventory

– which at last count was nearly 300,000 digital images.

And don’t forget the never-ending maintenance report

that often numbers in the 150-item range. Plus the periodic

system-wide production process – that sometimes lasts up

to six months – whenever new creative goes into place.

Okay, if all that sounds like a lot to keep track of,

never fear. Buntin Out-of-Home has a secret weapon.

It’s called GEOTRAK – a proprietary online media

management system that uses art-mapping software

with geospatial capabilities to streamline the day-to-day

management process. (Take that, James Cameron.)

So, the next time you see one of those ubiquitous

beige and brown boards, we hope you’ll not only consider

some Good Country Cookin’ but also all the art and

science that go into making sure you got the message.

The uniqueness is that the first area of impact is not on creative

work itself, but on the strategies that ultimately shape all great creative.

Traditionally, strategy has been built on two axes: Rational attributes

and Emotional attributes. Today, with the recent cultural reframing, the

growing technology community and the exploding opportunities that

exist for bringing a BIG IDEA to life, our view is that strategy must be

crafted on four axes: Rational, Emotional, Social and Experiential. In

fact, this new reality has led us to re-tool our own Brand Translation

strategic path.

So what’s this mean for the work? It means the work does

not just come from the creative department anymore. It comes from a

convergence of talented people, including client partners, working from

a clear strategic premise with “legs” into rational, emotional, social and

experiential areas. And, while Social holds immense allure and power,

Rational attributes also have found their own legs again. Today’s

transaction entails the parting of dollars but also trust in heightened ways

– and the selling proposition needs be understood, embodied in the

product or service and well represented in the creative expression.

“We want our creatives to know how to sell something, while

making people feel something at the same time. And we only want ideas

that, in the digital and social space, can equip happy consumers to do

some opinion shaping among their own social networks, as well,” says

agency ECD Matt Horton. “That’s the human media plan that we in

creative talk about inspiring.” So watch for ideas to come back bigger,

deeper and more fluent than ever before.

SOMETHING AMAZING HAS REAWAKENED: IMAGINATION. It’s not surprising, really. After an era in which jeopardized financials have

become reprioritized lives, there had to be a tipping point the other way.

And our POV is that we’re now experiencing the emergence

of a new consumer imagination. Dreams are here again, albeit slightly

altered…an altered state of dreams born of an altered state of reality,

you might say. And creativity in the brand-building business is in a new

race to delight in this new consumer space.

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OUR AVERAGE STAFF TENURE IS ABOUT TO TAKE A BIG HIT AS TWO LONGTIME BUNTINITES ARE CALLING IT A CAREER.

After 47 years, thousands of layouts and three

generations of Buntins, William “Bill” Holley is riding off

into the sunset. Since starting his career with Buntin

& Associates way back in 1962, Bill has not only

established himself as one of the Southeast’s preeminent

art directors (and artists – the man wields a mean brush

and canvas), but has also mentored a good-sized

agency’s worth of young creatives along the way. And

even more so than his immense talent, his energy, spirit

and overall enthusiasm about the business and the

agency will be sorely missed.

After 18 years, thousands of miles back-and-forth

to Centerville, TN and two previous failed attempts,

Peggy Owen is also retiring. Peggy served as the

agency’s Media Director from 1992–2003, guiding the

smart planning, buying and stewarding of millions of

client dollars with great care. She has since returned

to serve two additional, extended tours of duty working

on special media assignments. Aside from her industry

expertise, we will miss Peggy’s motherly nature,

homespun colloquialisms and, of course, her world-

famous banana pudding.

THE BUNTIN KICKBALL TEAM: PROVING THAT ALL WE EVER NEEDED TO LEARN,

WE LEARNED IN K I N D E R G A R T E N.

A VACATION DAY, CASH, GIFT CERTIFICATES…

SO WHAT IF THEY’RE HIDDEN IN EASTER EGGS?

YOU’D TRY TO FIND THEM, TOO.

SIX STRAIGHT YEARS OF THROWING SOME BACK

AND KNOCKING SOME DOWN TO RAISE MONEY FOR JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT.

BUNTINITES GET THEIR CELEBRATION ON AT

THE ANNUAL ADDY AWARDS.

AND TAKE HOME PLENTY OF HARDWARE TO BOOT.

THAT’S NOT A TYPO. “HAVE FUN, LIMIT INJURIES” IS THE GOAL OF OUR

ANNUAL FIELD DAY COMPETITION. REIGNING CHAMP: MEDIA!

We’d love to hear from you.Contact us at results@buntingroup.com or 615-244-5720 To view this issue electronically, go to buntingroup.com/spring10pov

everything speaks.