Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide has launched a social media unit, said John Bell, global managing director for Social@Ogilvy, in an email. The new unit, Social@Ogilvy, operates across all of the company’s agencies, connecting Ogilvy’s social media experts in all areas of business including direct marketing, digital marketing, and public relations.
The group is comprised of 550 social media experts covering 35 markets. It grew out of a specialty offering that had previously been part of Ogilvy Public Relations, the statement said.
The new unit offers a number of social media solutions to clients, including Social Shopping, SocialCRM, Social Business Solutions, Listening and Analytics, Social Care, and the company’s measurement model Conversion Impact.
“Our clients want more than just marketing, and we design social integrated social solutions that combine deep disciplines — like CRM, public relations and shopper marketing — and are rooted in what drives behavior,” said Bell. “Our social business solutions use the collaboration and advocacy strengths of social media to drive value internally and in customer relationships, while at the same time managing risk.”
Bell described the creation of the new unit as part of an effort to ensure social is integrated throughout the holding company’s agencies, rather than functioning more as stand-alone programs.
In addition to Bell, Tom DeLuca will serve as the group’s COO, with a board of advisors that includes Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide CEO Christopher Graves, OgilvyOne COO Gunther Schumacher, Ogilvy & Mather chief digital officer Brandon Berger, and OgilvyAction CEO Steve Harding. It will be based in New York City.
The announcement makes Ogilvy the latest agency or holding company to establish a distinct unit dedicated specifically to social media. Last September Merkle launched Merkle Connect to focus on social CRM and Universal McCann launched Rally@UM two months earlier.
Ogilvy is looking into launching another unit, Ogilvy Youth, dedicated to teenagers and millennials, according to The New York Times. The United Way is currently working with Ogilvy Youth.
Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide’s clients include IBM, Nestlé, Unilever, UPS and Ford.
