MEDIA AND MARKETING : New Products Prompt O.C. Register to Seek Full-Service Ad Agency

The Orange County Register is looking into hiring its first full-service advertising agency, general manager John Schueler said this week.

Until now, he said, the newspaper has worked with a couple of small creative shops and has executed the ideas itself. But the arrival of a new marketing director, Bryan Shank, and the addition of several publications prompted a review, Schueler said.

Among the newspaper’s recent purchases are the Preview entertainment guide and several of Orange County’s weekly newspapers. The Register also began publishing Excelsior, a Spanish-language weekly, in July, 1992.

“The product mix is enormous, and we have an interest in finding out how agencies handle multiple product lines,” Schueler said.

Adweek magazine speculated in its most recent issue that the Register is concerned about competition from The Times Orange County edition.

The magazine also said that the Register has been spending $1 million to $2 million a year on advertising, with promotions handled in-house. Schueler said he could not confirm that figure.