Truth Initiative names IPG’s Initiative as its media agency

Truth Initiative has named IPG’s Initiative its media agency of record after nearly a decade with Stagwell’s Gale. Gale said they did not defend the account. Agency Review Tracker Stay up to date with the latest account reviews Click here The health organization, which provides resources to prevent nicotine addiction, said it selected Initiative for its experience reaching youth audiences. The brand’s aim is for its messaging to be as prolific as vape shops themselves, according to Initiative U.S. CEO Stacy DeRiso. Truth is also hopeful Initiative will be able to collaborate with the rest of its agency roster including creative agency of record Mojo Supermarket, whose founder Mo Said attended pitch meetings to provide input on potential media channels to expand on. Truth Initiative spends $40 to $75 million per year on paid media, according to sources familiar with the business. Initiative’s win comes on the heels of Lego moving its media account from Initiative to Publicis Media as well as the ongoing review of Amazon’s media account held by Initiative. Last year marked the third consecutive year of double-digit revenue growth for the media agency, behind multiple wins such as Constellation Brands. See America's Hottest Brands 20 brands that are trending in 2024 Click here Crosby said that a differentiator in Initiative’s pitch was its Centers of Excellence, which are groups made up of clients around areas of expertise and common client targets identified by the agency. Truth will join the agency’s Youth Center for Excellence alongside clients Nintendo, Nike and the FDA (other centers include business-to-business, health and restaurants). The benefits to members of each group include shared findings from partnerships orchestrated by Initiative, best practices for strategy and potentially partnerships between the brands. During the pitch, Initiative brought a panel representing its Youth Center for Excellence to discuss overlaps between the agency’s youth audience findings and Truth Initiative’s target consumer. “Being able to empirically prove with data that the end outcome of the media buy is exactly the goal that you're trying to reach is critical,” said Crosby, who joined Truth Initiative eight months ago from the FDA, also an Initiative client. Initiative and Truth have already begun working toward’s Truth goal of increasing enrollment for its nicotine-quitting programs by expanding its influencer network—the Quit Collective—and creating a “culture of quitting” trend. The organization has already worked with influencers, sending kits to curb addictive behaviors and promoting creator discussions of their experience with nicotine addiction, but will expand its network with Initiative. In the partnership, Initiative will also work closely with Truth Initiative’s creative agency, Mojo Supermarket, which was involved in the pitch process for the organization’s media account. Truth’s work moving forward will hinge on striking the balance between the award-winning creative from the brand and “when influencers deliver the message, “ according to Crosby. Crosby described the emphasis on creative and media working together as a stool: “You can’t have a two legged stool; you’ve got to have a three-legged stool. It’s the power of research and insights, wrapped with a creative wrapper and then developed and dispersed through a really sophisticated media strategy. You have to have all three.” ~ ~ ~CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly indicated that Gale defended the account. See America's Hottest Brands 20 brands that are trending in 2024 Click here

Why Truth Initiative chose IPG’s Initiative as its media agency—inside the pitch

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