Agency news you need to know this week

Hello, and welcome back to Agency Brief. This week, we’ve got all the details on BarkleyOKRP’s latest deal, plus plenty more. Want to be included in a future edition? Reach out to ewan.larkin@adage.com and brian.bonilla@adage.com for consideration. BarkleyOKRP buys another shop Only a few weeks after launching, BarkleyOKRP’s new media brand, MissionOne Media, has acquired SEO agency Growth Skills. As part of the deal, Growth Skills CEO Lavall Chichester will join MissionOne as executive VP of SEO and AI optimization, reporting to President Sean Corcoran. Financial terms were not disclosed. Also: BarkleyOKRP thrives following its merger Growth Skills works with clients including the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Sunward Federal Credit Union and Oar Health. MissionOne was born out of BarkleyOKRP’s media practice and digital performance marketing agency Adlucent, which the shop acquired in May. The agency manages over $1.1 billion in billings, according to BarkleyOKRP. Read more: Ad Age Small Agency Conference & Awards FAQ ‘Up for grabs’ Here’s a savvy move from Spool, a marketing agency based in Chicago. The shop has set up “Up for Grabs,” which is essentially an opt-in mailing list that offers brands exciting ideas that don’t quite fit Spool’s current briefs. Marketers who are interested in an idea can then reach out to the agency for a deeper explanation. The goal is to find homes for smart ideas that come up in brainstorms but don’t quite fit an agency’s current clients for whatever reason—a persistent point in the industry, according to a Spool spokesperson. ICYMI Here are a few of Ad Age’s biggest agency stories this week: Two new roles worth watching WPP and Interpublic Group of Cos. each established some interesting positions this week. WPP’s VML appointed Jeff Geheb as the first CEO of Enterprise Solutions, a division that brings together consulting, CX, commerce and technology transformation capabilities. Enterprise Solutions, a $1.5 billion unit, makes up 40% of VML’s global business. Meanwhile, IPG named Yaniv Sarig global head of AI commerce. Sarig assumes the role after working with IPG in a consulting capacity. He will report to the company’s global chief commerce strategy officer, Jeriad Zoghby. Quote of the week “It’s like being in the game rather than just practicing foul shots.”—David Lubars, the former chief creative officer of BBDO Worldwide, recalling his time at Boston University’s student-run ad agency, AdLab. Just briefly Acadia acquired Crush, an e-commerce agency focused on Amazon. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Acadia’s retail media and marketplaces team works with brands including Takis, Godiva, Puma and Totes. Huge has officially merged with Hero Digital, a shop within private equity firm AEA Investors’ portfolio. AEA Investors purchased Huge from IPG in December. Following the merger, the Hero Digital name will be retired. El Pollo Loco, the fire-grilled chicken restaurant, has appointed Innocean USA as its creative agency of record following a competitive review. The identity of the incumbent agency was not immediately clear. Advertising and marketing conference Blackweek this week unveiled four new members on its steering committee, including Advertising Week Chairman Matt Scheckner, WPP Global Chief Creative Officer Rob Reilly, Black Executive CMO Alliance Founder Jerri DeVard and Abercrombie & Fitch Co. Board Member Arturo Nunez. Sign up for Ad Age newsletters

Agency news you need to know this week

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