Omnicom Group unveiled its newest agency, known as Retail 3, this week. Launched February 1, the Troy, MI-based firm offers direct, creative, digital and media capabilities to retail clients.
Harold Kobakof, former chief retail officer at BBDO Detroit, is leading the agency. Its name is an abbreviation of three core offerings: retail strategy, retail activation and retail metrics.
Forty of the agency’s 52 employees will be spread throughout the US. About half of its staff is comprised of former BBDO Detroit employees, Kobakof said.
Omnicom’s goal, he added, is to have the agency’s 210 designated market areas accessible on short notice by a field employee. The structure is more conducive for working with retailers with franchised networks, he said.
“Speed-to-market is critical these days, and that’s one of the reasons this concept was green-lighted at Omnicom,” Kobakof said. “We thought this extended field network was a great asset for clients that have both national scope and a need for local messaging.”
Clients include Gateway International Speedway, which tapped Retail 3 for media buying during its summer season, and smart USA.
