NEW YORK In a relatively slow year for advertising reviews, SelectResources International appears to be grabbing a significant share of the action.

            Since January, the Santa Monica, Calif.-based consultancy has taken on such high-profile jobs as a creative review for Mitsubishi ($185 million), the ongoing Wachovia creative and media review ($145 million) and the marketing services review of Home Depot ($550 million). In addition, the firm is managing creative searches for Global Hyatt Corp., Farmers Insurance, PetSmart, Edward Jones and Carrabba’s restaurant chain and has completed searches for Kohler (global media) and L.L. Bean (U.S. creative duties) and Nvidia (U.S. creative and media). Collectively, those 11 clients spent more than $1.2 billion in major measured media last year, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus.

            Other consultants, such as Ark Advisors and Joanne Davis Consulting, have been busy as well, with Ark handling seven contests for clients like Intel (media) and Carnival Cruise Lines (marketing services) that collectively spend nearly $500 million annually, and Davis handling a half-dozen reviews for clients such as Cadbury Adams (North America media) that as a group spend nearly $250 million a year, according to sources.

            That said, SRI stands out for its ability to land big-ticket searches, often in the face of stiff competition. Multiple consultants vied for both the Wachovia and Home Depot assignments. “We pretty much have to compete for all major reviews,” said SRI CEO Catherine Bension. “People refer us as someone to be considered and our references are usually really pretty positive.”

            Sources also point to SRI’s bandwidth (in addition to Bension, the consultancy has five senior partners), relationship-mining skills and a list of marquee past clients that includes Bank of America, AT&T, Sony, BMA, VISA and Sony.

            “Success begets success,” said a new business chief at a major network, “They know a lot of people and Catherine has done a good job of marketing past relationships.”

            Sometimes it’s the companies that SRI has worked for; other times, it’s the people. At Wachovia, for example, Bension knew director of global brand management Art Smith from his days as chief marketing officer at RSM McGladrey, as subsidiary of H&R Block, for which SRI conducted a review in 2006. And as agencies “follow the people” in marketing circles, so do consultants, particularly SRI.

            What’s more, SRI’s business model doesn’t rely solely on clients for revenue. SRI also offers agencies a “feedback and consulting subscription program” for an annual fee that ranges from $5,000 for a one-office shop to say $15,000, for a major network with multiple offices, and sources. And with that additional revenue stream, SRI is less dependent on client revenue than its peers and has more flexibility when negotiating fees, and sources.