Stagwell, which has already tried to differentiate itself from other agency holding companies by building products for internal clients, announced at today’s Consumer Electronics Show a new unit within its Stagwell Marketing Cloud (SMC) division. announce the launch. technology option.
Stagwell’s new Specialty Media business unit basically wants to bring three more new products to SMC so they can monetize them.
- A QR code-powered digital outdoor media platform for restaurants and bars, it has already captured the interest of some of Stagwell’s liquor brand clients, Diageo being one of them.
- Its augmented reality business, ARound, already has deals with professional sports teams and stadiums, but is looking to expand into other forms of live entertainment.
- A media marketplace for travel clients, Stagwell expects it to be the fastest growing category this year and beyond.
On the surface, the three new additions to SMC seem incongruous given that they don’t seem to have much to do with each other. And given that SMC also offers a variety of SaaS and DaaS offerings, as well as research as a service (RaaS?), all of which delve into a broader range of media. But Elspeth Rollert, his CMO and EVP at SMC, said the overall idea is to add fresh arrows to the unit’s quiver.
“How do we build our own premium owned media channels and create new ways for brands to tell their stories?” Rohrt said. “They may seem disjointed and niche in some respects, but when you start packaging them together, you can make them accessible to people and start connecting them on the back end. Media Buyers Start creating a more holistic view so you can lean in.”
Stagwell chief product officer Abe Geiger explained that SMC is also in the process of building a media mix modeling product that will be ready in the second half of 2023. – Edge media opportunities available to today’s marketers.
“Some of the challenges when you’re getting into something very premium is that it’s also more niche, like Around. It’s really targeted, but it’s a very premium experience, and it’s very different from mainstream media. It’s a little bit different. It’s a little bit piecemeal and difficult. “That’s where we want to help.”
Analysts believe there may be some crossover in new offerings from SMC’s Specialty Media unit.
“There are some synergies between AR codes and QR codes. For example, QR codes can initiate AR experiences on billboards, screens, or stores,” said principal analyst at Insider Intelligence (formerly eMarketer) said Yory Wurmser, “Second, both are ways of integrating digital assets into the physical environment. So pairing could work… First-party data can be used to personalize 3D experiences, and both QR codes and AR experiences can It makes sense because it can generate first-party data.”
Having made the biggest strides in team and stadium registrations, Around plans to extend the live experience of concertgoers, both in person and at home, said Around founder and CEO Josh Beatty. says. But it’s also about elevating the advertiser’s AR experience to something more than just a novelty.
“Synergy brings scale. It connects us to Stagwell’s ability to bring the biggest brands and media buyers to the table and really make the market,” said Beatty. “In terms of creating this category, we’re looking for players and finding how they fit into existing media budgets, which is still our specialty at the moment… It’s about starting from scratch and really scaling It’s really necessary.”
