Media agency Attention Arc, a new endeavor by Cheil North America, is now active.
Cheil North America, a leading marketing and communications company, has expanded its portfolio with the launch of a new full-service media agency called Attention Arc. The agency, formed by merging creative agency McKinney's media buying arm with direct marketing agency Lockard & Wechsler Direct (LWD), brings together over 150 media specialists managing more than $500 million in annual media billings.
The merger aims to centralize all media buying across Cheil North America's network, providing scalable and comprehensive media services. Asieya Pine from LWD and Swapnil Patel from McKinney have been appointed as co-presidents of Attention Arc, leading a strong leadership team including Ben Speight, Cristina Ferruggiari, Carolyn Sura, Tyler Hudgins, and Leslie DeMent.
Attention Arc begins its operations with around 80 clients, including notable brands such as Sherwin-Williams, Nikon, Endurance, University of Maryland, Tommy John, Burlington Stores, Qunol, Cuisinart, Posh, Pulte Group, Shoe Show, and Texas Pete. The agency handles media buying across all channels, from linear TV to search and social, and offers clients daily reporting and real-time optimisation.
One of the key focuses for Attention Arc is client service, as demonstrated by a client's email ranking the agency high in the KPI of LOGAS-Level of Give a Shit. The agency is also targeting mid-market clients spending between $25 million to $150 million, and already has a few new business opportunities in the pipeline.
The integration between McKinney Media and LWD took about four months, which Joe Maglio, president of Cheil North America and CEO of McKinney and Barbarian, described as swift. Having a standalone media agency will broaden Cheil's media capabilities in North America while growing its name recognition.
Attention Arc's tech stack includes a performance attribution engine and a first-party data audience targeting platform. The merger was described as a no-brainer due to the complementary cultures and combined skill sets and technology. The next "signal of success" for Attention Arc will be winning new business, demonstrating its ability to deliver integrated opportunities across Cheil North America, as demonstrated by work for Shoe Show.
- The new media agency Attention Arc, formed through the merger of McKinney's media buying arm and Lockard & Wechsler Direct, aims to centralize all media buying across Cheil North America's network, impacting the finance and business landscape of the industry.
- Attention Arc, with its tech stack including a performance attribution engine and a first-party data audience targeting platform, is poised to expand Cheil North America's media capabilities in the technology sector, attracting mid-market clients spending between $25 million to $150 million.
- As Attention Arc begins operations, managing around $500 million in annual media billings for 80 clients across various industries such as retail, education, and consumer goods, it seeks to deliver integrated opportunities and demonstrate its prowess in client service, setting new benchmarks in the realm of finance, business, and technology.
