• by Jack Feuer , May 11, 2010

Perhaps Thomas Wolfe couldn't go home again, but Dennis Holt sure did. The founder of Western International Media sold his legendary Los Angeles media shop, which technically wasn't the first independent media agency but effectively created the category, to Interpublic in 1994. At the time, it boasted clients like the Walt Disney Co. and Home Depot and was the largest buyer of TV, radio, outdoor and multicultural media in the United States.

After his non-compete contract expired in 2004, Holt launched a new shop called U.S. International Media to act as a buying service for small and midsize ad agencies, offering them the aggregated clout of much bigger competitors.

It was the same model Holt used to launch his first buying firm in 1965. The same model he built Western on. And now it's worked again.

Holt's concept of personalized superservice resonates as much and perhaps more so than it ever has, and U.S. International Media now has 40 agency clients - it only works for agencies - handling 143 accounts, plus 60 online accounts.

The Holt concept bypasses station reps, with whom he's fought for years. They've even sued him. He won. He's proven that his model is better.

What U.S. International Media does is walk around the reps and strike better deals by negotiating directly and locally with the media. At its height, Western had 39 offices across the country. The new Holt shop has 20, more than any other media services agency in the United States.

He generates incredible loyalty: 90 percent of U.S. International Media's staff worked with him at Western. He also may be the most accessible media agency head in America.

"I work really hard to deliver what I say we're going to deliver," says Holt about reprising his old success in a new shop. "We work only for agencies. I say if you're throwing up at 3 in the morning, we should be throwing up at 3 in the morning. Here's my direct line, here's my cell, my home number. Call me."