Wpromote’s impressive year began with a wave of new leadership brought in from outside the traditional agency ecosystem. Megan McDonagh, a former marketing leader at Intel, joined Wpromote in May as its first CMO. Later in the year, the agency hired Marisa Yukich as chief people officer to enhance the company’s culture and drive talent acquisition. And in November, Andrea Bendzick entered the fold as Wpromote’s new CEO, bringing a raft of experience from the tech world that fits well with Wpromote’s self-concept as more Silicon Valley than Madison Avenue.
Yukich was previously chief people officer at talent management company Talogy, while Bendzick was previously CEO and president of IT company Astreya.
The agency has the technology to back up this attitude. Polaris is integrated with AI capabilities from Google and Meta that allow Wpromote to quickly synthesize new solutions. For example, Creative Audit is Wpromote’s new platform for AI-powered ad testing. The tool sifts through thousands of videos and generates insights to improve performance optimization and brand suitability on media platforms including YouTube, TikTok and Meta.
Polaris’ biggest test, and arguably Wpromote’s most impactful work of 2024, took the marketing world by storm. Working for Peacock during the 2023-2024 NFL season, the agency took advantage of a surge in young female viewers thanks to Taylor Swift’s newfound love for the game and Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce. Wpromote went on the offensive, targeting this affinity in Peacock’s marketing on Meta-owned platforms with relevant hashtags and Kelce-themed assets. The quick work paid off: Swift’s audiences accounted for 45% of all Peacock subscriptions made through Meta, the agency said.
Polaris was central to the strategy, helping Wpromote identify where and how to shift media. The platform “surfaced the opportunity to allow us to continue to chase performance,” said Mike Stone, Wpromote’s chief relationship officer.