Dive Brief:

• Interpublic Group’s McCann is consolidating its social media and influencer marketing services under a new unit, McCann Content Studios, per details shared with Marketing Dive.
• ITB, an influencer marketing specialist IPG launched in 2006, will be integrated into the studio, as will McCann Live, a global social practice. The agency has enlisted Amit Sutha, recently of sister agency Mediabrands Content Studios, as president and global chief client officer of McCann Content Studios, reporting directly to McCann and McCann Worldgroup’s global chief executive Daryl Lee.
• Monica Tailor, previously McCann Live’s global director, has been promoted to chief social marketing officer of McCann Content Studios and the larger McCann brand. Crystal Malachias, ITB’s senior vice president of growth and innovation, will act as global head of influencer marketing.

Dive Insight:

McCann is moving to streamline its social, influencer and connected social commerce services with the formation of the new content studio, which is integrating ITB and McCann Live. The launch emphasizes that sprawling agency networks continue to focus on becoming leaner, more agile organizations, and speaks to the growing importance of the creator economy for brands.

McCann Content Studios will offer capabilities around social and influencer creative ideation; content creation and activation; audience engagement; influencer co-creation and production; and performance measurement and optimization. The unit aims to have a strong start out of the gate by bringing on expertise from ITB and McCann Live. 

Launched in 2006 with offices in Los Angeles, New York City and London, ITB has previously worked with marketers including Unilever and Mastercard. Meanwhile, McCann Live has had a role in shaping social strategy for companies like Aldi in the U.K. and Converse in the U.S. 

The new content studio is positioned as full service, recognizing a need to break down organizational silos as the lines between social media and the creator economy blur. Influencer marketing spending is forecast to rise 3.5 times faster than conventional social ad spending this year, according to a recent Insider Intelligence analysis. The researcher believes the current Hollywood strikes could push more creators to seek out endorsement opportunities as productions grind to a halt. Clients, meanwhile, continue to gravitate toward Gen Z-friendly apps like TikTok that see trends driven by creator activity.  

“Brands are increasingly interacting today in social communities in dialogue with fans, creators and influencers,” said McCann global CEO Lee in a statement. “McCann Content Studios will provide our clients with a way to participate in the creator economy and co-create with them without losing their brand’s unique perspective and social voice, getting the best of both worlds.”

The debut of McCann Content Studios comes at a challenging time for parent IPG. The ad-holding group saw organic net revenue decline 1.7% in the second quarter, reflecting the weight of the tech downturn and struggles to turn around some of its business groups. The company at the time cut its full-year growth forecast to 1% to 2% from a previous 2% to 4%.