The Latest

LBi hires New Global Head of Audiences and Engagement

Posted by LBi January 9th, 2012

LBi, the largest independent global marketing and technology agency with operations in 16 countries, today announced it has hired Paul Beck as Global Head of Audiences and Engagement.

Beck’s hire is effective immediately, and he will work out of the New York office. Joining LBi’s Executive team, he will report to LBi President Judith Carr in the US and LBi Chief Media Officer Lyndsay Menzies at LBi Group. This new role will see Beck focus on continuing to enhance and grow the already well-established media services, CRM, and analytics offered by LBi to clients including Seamless, J&J, Dyson, MoneyGram International, and Focus Features. This expansion coincides with the recent acquisition of Mr. Youth. Beck will lead the integration of Mr. Youth community management and distribution offering, rolling this out to Health, Moms and additional audience sectors.

“As the digital landscape evolves, we are seeing the need for brands to become publishers with clear content and engagement strategies. Paul will be involved in further shaping our global media and content offerings, and how they dovetail with our IP and proprietary distribution platforms,” said Lyndsay Menzies, Chief Media Officer of LBi.

“We are thrilled to have Paul joining us at LBi. He brings years of experience and thought leadership to this new role. Over the last 12 months, we’ve been focusing on our media, CRM and analytics serves and the role these services have in underpinning our large client engagements. Paul will be responsible for promoting our blended media offering to clients, as well as embedding and maturing our next-generation search proposition, which will provide massive growth opportunities,” said Judith Carr, President, LBi.

Beck comes to LBi from lllumination Entertainment where he was the Executive Vice-President Worldwide Marketing, and was involved in launching the films Despicable Me and HOP. He was responsible for the filmmaker’s interests including delivering best practices, creative and innovation to the research, strategy development and production of marketing and advertising worldwide.

Before Illumination Entertainment, Paul was the Senior Partner Worldwide Executive Director of Digital at Ogilvy where he was responsible for Global Leadership in Interactive Marketing, Advertising & Social Media. He worked across IBM, American Express, Cisco and Dove, and launched new product offerings for the agency.

“LBi is an impact agency, plain and simple. Where so many digital and social agencies struggle with the execution of new ideas, it’s a dream to come to a company with the key pieces of the digital/audience service puzzle in place and working successfully. Add brains, talent, technology, grit, entrepreneurship and a progressive global culture, and anyone can see why LBi has such an impressive client list.” said Paul Beck, Global Head of Audiences and Engagements, LBi.

About LBi

LBi is a global marketing and technology agency, expert at blending strategic, creative, media and technical expertise to build business value. We help companies of all shapes and sizes decide what’s next for their business – and then we take them there. Along with our media arm bigmouthmedia, we define and execute transformational digital strategies for clients including BT, Coca-Cola, E.ON, Lloyds TSB, Play.com, SAB Miller and Virgin Atlantic. Across our 27 offices in 16 countries, there are more than 2000 digital specialists collaborating with brands to enrich people’s lives via service design, branded content, mobile, CRM and social media. We also set the pace in digital display, search, affiliate marketing, usability and analytics. There are many things that make LBi unique, but if we had to choose one it would be our ability to bring together diverse teams of experts to suit any brief. We call this blending, and it’s the reason why all types of organizations – from famous global businesses to disruptive start-ups – choose LBi to help make their brands desirable wherever, whenever and however people choose to engage with them.

###

Contacts
Christine O’Donnell
646-792-6114
christine.odonnell@lbi.com

Gareth Jones
+44 (0) 207 063 6263
gareth.jones@lbi.com

0 comments Add This

LBi Acquires Mr.Youth

Posted by LBi November 14th, 2011

PRESS RELEASE

LBi Acquires Social Media and Marketing Agency Mr Youth
Largest Independent Global Marketing and Technology Agency Taps Mr Youth to Strengthen Social Media, Experiential and Word of Mouth Marketing Offering.

Amsterdam / New York – 14 November 2011 – LBi International N.V. (NYSE Euronext: LBI), the largest independent global marketing and technology agency with operations in 16 countries, today announced that it has acquired leading social media and marketing agency Mr Youth in the US.

The acquisition perfectly fits LBi’s philosophy of blending marketing and technology services in-house. Mr Youth’s integration into LBi adds breadth and depth to the agency’s already significant social media offering, capabilities made more urgent through several significant client wins this year. Including a performance-contingent pay-out structure, the transaction is valued between $40-50 million and will immediately contribute positively to LBi’s earnings per share.

Founded in 2002 by Matt Britton, New York-based Mr Youth assists clients in driving engagement with the new generation of consumers and creating lasting brand advocacy through non-traditional channels including social media, experiential, and word of mouth marketing. The agency specializes in creating interactive brand experiences. It connects consumers through shared passions and interests, empowers them and encourages peer-to-peer recommendations with friends, families and others across the social graph.

Over the years, Mr Youth saw rapid expansion of its business and has consistently grown greater than 20 per cent year on year over the past three years, with 2011 annual sales expected to come in at approximately $25 million. The agency was recently ranked 7th among Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Companies in Advertising and Marketing” in the world.

Luke Taylor, CEO of LBi said: “Globally, we are seeing revolutionary change in consumer buying behaviour. Our clients are therefore driving rapid growth of social media services within LBi, and the US leads the world market in this field. We believe Mr Youth is head and shoulders above its competitors due to both the quality of it people and the strength of its proprietary technology platforms. After conducting a thorough search for the right agency, we are very pleased to welcome Matt and his incredible team to LBi.”

LBi will incorporate Mr Youth’s proprietary technology platforms and distribution channels into their own intellectual property deployed across their top client relationships. The proprietary platforms Mr Youth bring to this deal include RepNation (www.repnation.com), a word of mouth marketing platform supported by over 125,000 influential brand advocate members, and CollegeFest (www.collegefest.com), the nation’s largest back to school festival and localized student marketing platform, an on-demand consumer participation platform that was spun-off as a standalone entity in August 2011.

“It was clear the moment we met with LBi that there was the potential to do something big. Their global footprint, creative excellence, and technical proficiency will be a powerful mix when combined with our intellectual property, social media marketing model, and deep domain expertise in marketing to millennials. We are incredibly excited about our future together,” said Matt Britton, CEO of Mr Youth.

Mr Youth has 140 full-time employees and expects net sales of approximately $25 million in 2011. Historical annual sales growth has consistently been high with historical EBITDA margins in line or somewhat above LBi group levels. The deal is financed from LBi’s available cash resources and existing credit facilities. Consolidation is expected to take place as of early November 2011.

Mr Youth will operate as a division of LBi. Matt Britton will remain CEO of Mr Youth and will report directly to LBi CEO, Luke Taylor.

0 comments Share

Reality Remade

Posted by LBi September 9th, 2011

Check out Sony Ericsson’s video project Xperia Studio, aimed at working with collaborators around the world to remake reality by pushing the limits of mobile technology.

From Xperia Studio:

“Xperia Studio invites people across the globe to test the limits of mobile technology. Not by making calls clearer or screens brighter, but by seeing how a phone can remake reality.

To that end, we partner with artists, intellectuals and boat-rockers from around the world. From collaborative artist collectives in Denmark to astrophysicists in New York— in each instance, we provide a phone and the means to document their work. They supply the result.”

Check out more videos from the Xperia Studio.

Tags: , , , , ,

0 comments Share

LBi introduces learning initiative for clients & staff


Posted by LBi August 24th, 2011

London: LBi taps Hyper Island to explore collaboration during Master Class

LBi, the global marketing and technology agency, has announced today it will embark on a learning initiative in collaboration with a selection of its big-brand clients and their roster agencies to develop the group’s ideas around digital innovation and organizational change.

Hyper Island is collaborating with LBi to explore blending, hosting a Master Class

LBi has long believed in blending insight, creativity, media and technical expertise to produce the best and most innovative work possible. This approach lies at the heart of the agency’s strategic partnerships with clients such as Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson and Virgin Atlantic Airways.

LBi has enlisted Hyper Island – the world leader in the field of education for interactive communication, change management and leadership through collaboration – to host an intensive three-day Master Class in Karlskrona, Sweden, which will be attended by a blended team of clients, roster agencies and LBi staff. During the Master Class, taking place between 30th September and 2nd October, LBi will explore and experiment with its approach to blending and collaboration.

Later this year, LBi will share the outcomes of the experience with the wider marketing and advertising community via a series of articles, seminars and workshops.

“We believe this initiative comes at a crucial time as CMOs are being asked to stretch themselves into new uncomfortable territory, ” said Chris Clarke, Chief Creative Officer of LBi. “Marketing no longer stands alone, but sits at the intersection of product, technology and communication. This means our clients and their agencies desperately need new ways of working.”

“It’s all about the people. Media and communication technologies have converged, and the industry needs talent that is collaborative, unbound by disciplines, and able to thrive in a rapidly changing environment,” said Christina Andersson, Director of Short Term Courses for Hyper Island. “Hyper Island has worked with various organizations since 1995 to develop more creative and efficient coworker teams and more profitable workplaces, and we are proud to be part of this journey for LBi.”

Tags: , , , , , ,

0 comments Share

LBi Launches LBi Health

Posted by LBi July 13th, 2011

LBi, Global Marketing and Technology Agency, Launches LBi Health

LBi Health empowers brands to create “Connections that Matter”
with healthcare decision-makers

New York, NY, July 13, 2011 –LBi Health, an innovative, multichannel healthcare marketing and technology agency with roots in the digital world, is launching today to help healthcare clients thrive in an increasingly complex, customer-empowered marketing environment. The agency, which is part of global agency, LBi, is headquartered in New York and led by Managing Director, Gregg Fisher, who was previously Client Partner at LBi.

Healthcare has been an integral part of LBi’s history with over 15 years experience and long-standing, strategic partnerships with industry leaders including Bristol-Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson, Roche, AstraZeneca, WebMD and Massachusetts General Hospital.

“We’re extremely excited to launch LBi Health and expand the breadth of our healthcare capabilities” said Frank Pedersen, CEO of LBi US. “Gregg and his team are passionate, healthcare marketing innovators who understand how to build brands in a customer-empowered marketing environment.”

LBi Health was founded to create meaningful connections between healthcare brands and customers, including providers, patients and payors. The agency develops valuable content and service experiences, and integrates them across an increasing array of physical, digital, mobile and social channels.

“A tougher access environment and the explosion of new information channels and resources means healthcare marketers must shift their thinking to become more customer-focused,” Fisher said. “LBi Health is dedicated to creating “connections that matter” between health brands and customers. We specialize in building customer experiences that add value to brand and customer alike by strengthening health outcomes.”

LBi Health senior executives are pioneers in the digital, multi-channel, and relationship marketing fields, and have played leadership roles in shaping the evolution of customer-centric healthcare marketing.

Fisher, a leader in creating customer-centric digital innovations within the healthcare industry, launched one of the industry’s first professional CRM programs and one of the first successful DTC user-generated, content programs. Fisher also advised on the creation of a prototype of a professional health media business that was later sold to Medscape for $40 million.

In addition to Fisher, Mike Hartman will serve as LBi Health’s Group Creative Director and Tom Iannucci as Group Technical Director. Hartman joined LBi in 2010 and previously worked in digital creative leadership posts for WPP’s Chemistry/Grey and Digitas, while Iannucci previously was Senior Director of Information Technology for KnowledgePoint360, a global healthcare information and medical education firm.

Additional information about LBi Health can be found at www.lbi.com/health.

0 comments Share

Categories

what

Popular tags