Meet The People is bringing a fresh approach to how holding companies operate in the advertising industry and they’re starting it in North America, seeking to deploy $150MM over the next 24 months.

Created by a team of exceptional industry leaders and entrepreneurs, with decades of experience creating marketing services groups, Meet The People becomes the first people-centric Advertising Group. With a powerful agency roster and the ambition to bring together and deliver seamless creative and digital offerings, Meet The People is attracting entrepreneurially-minded agencies that are ready to evolve and provide their clients and partners with 24/7, always-on access to an array of services and talents in one fully integrated platform. Financial support will come from [Innovatus Capital Partners, LLC.](https://www.innovatuscp.com/), an investment adviser and portfolio management firm.
 
So, what makes this model so revolutionary? No more agency silos and a total focus on people and their work. While the world has figured out how to obtain the pick n’ mix of what they like from online and offline offerings, agencies have yet to follow suit. Meet The People is a group of agency partners, bringing the best and brightest experts from their fields together under the same unitary umbrella. 

The brainchild of a team of award-winning agency leaders and entrepreneurs—[Tim Ringel](https://www.meet-the-people.com/about/tim-ringel), Global CEO; [Tom Armbruster](https://www.meet-the-people.com/about/thomas-armbruster), Global COO; and [Natalie Alberta Dusey](https://www.meet-the-people.com/about/natalie-alberta-dusey), Global Chief of Staff & Corporate Secretary—and backed by New York based boutique specialty finance firm, Innovatus Capital Partners, Meet The People combines the experience of established agencies across multiple marketing disciplines with the data-driven and digitally-enabled capabilities of industry disruptors. The result is a bespoke modern and unique model that can support large and medium-sized brands with cutting edge initiatives, and offer what clients truly want—better services, faster solutions, broad expertise, in a collaborative and transparent manner.   

“With Meet The People, we’re evolving creative and digital with extraordinary talent and data,” said Ringel. “We‘re building a unique, digital-first infrastructure from the ground up that will appeal to brands that are looking to scale with soul and move away from the status quo. Our agency partners will cut through the clutter of the industry and become an extension of a client’s team, ambition and success.”

Meet The People is taking an iconoclastic approach to discussing the growth of the business, with a focus on transparency that it will use to attract the attention of agencies, analysts and industry watchers. The company has aggressive growth goals—to build up a group of 2,000 people—and plans to add additional specialty agencies in the coming months to round out its full-service capabilities.

Meet The People currently oversees three category leading agencies with more than 350 people: [VSA Partners](https://www.vsapartners.com/), a creative, design and branding agency; [Public Label](https://www.publiclabelagency.com/), an integrated agency with above-the-line, experiential and shopper expertise; and [Match Retail](https://www.matchretail.com/), a top sales, merchandising and branded retail agency. Under the new model, each agency will work together as a community while retaining its own identity and culture. 

Ringel continued: “Traditional holding company players own sixty percent of the market but they are incredibly siloed and don’t integrate across all relevant services for their clients. We are claiming our space by rolling up specialized entrepreneurial agencies under one roof to become a true integrated global partner, with a breadth and depth of experience that will be hard to rival.”
 
So who are ‘the People’? Ringel, Armbruster and Dusey most recently worked together at full service, luxury brand-focused creative agency Spring Studios and the European performance marketing company, Artefact (previously NetBooster). Ringel was Global CEO at IPG Mediabrands’ Reprise, where he doubled the size, revenue and profit of the agency in just 24 months, scaling it to 3,000 people. He is also an active investor in well known EU and US early-and late stage startups. ​​ 

Innovatus Capital Partners acquired VSA Partners, Public Label and Match Retail in Q1 of this year. ​​Ravi Bhagavatula, Partner at Innovatus Capital Partners: “As we look to expand our portfolio and grow our marketing services capabilities, there is no stronger leadership team to build this vision than Tim, Tom and Natalie and the immense talents of each individual agency. Meet The People has arrived.”

&nbsp  

&nbsp   

**ABOUT MEET THE PEOPLE**&nbsp  
Meet The People is an international family of unified but independent agencies bringing together key marketing services under one umbrella, allowing for fully integrated but deeply specialized solutions, from Creative and Design to Activation and Measurement. Backed by [Innovatus Capital Partners, LLC](https://www.innovatuscp.com/), Meet The People is deeply committed to the idea that people are at the core of any organization and drive success, and that advertising works best when clients have access to expertise and deep talent.

**ABOUT INNOVATUS CAPITAL PARTNERS**&nbsp  
[Innovatus Capital Partners, LLC](https://www.innovatuscp.com/) is a New York based registered investment adviser and portfolio management firm with approximately $1.6B, as of October 1, 2021, in assets under management. Innovatus adheres to an investment strategy that identifies disruptive and growth opportunities across multiple asset categories with a unifying theme of capital preservation, income generation, and upside optionality.

Innovatus’ lower middle market strategy seeks to invest in companies with a strong market position, tangible and identifiable value, and excellent growth potential. The investment team works closely with business owners, management teams, and lenders to develop creative financial and operational solutions in both control and non-control situations. The team targets lower middle market and middle market companies with revenues of $25 – $250 million with typical deal sizes from $10 – $50 million.

Contact:&nbsp  
Kristen Bryan, Raven Public Relations&nbsp  
E: kristen@meetraven.com &nbsp  
P: 732-395-7595&nbsp  

&nbsp  

 

Independents Unite: Meet The People Launches as the Alternative to Large Holding Companies 

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VSA Partners, the hybrid brand strategy and design agency, has deepened its digital footprint through the acquisition of RoundTwo Digital consultancy. RoundTwo will join VSA Partners as part of Meet The People, which is the industry’s first people-and client centric advertising group created by Tim Ringel in 2021. 

RoundTwo was founded by Joseph McConellogue, formerly of IPG Mediabrands’ Reprise, where he served as the Managing Director of Canadian Operations, launching the agency’s performance digital offering and growing it into a 40+ team powerhouse in Canada. Joseph relocated to Chicago, where he established a new Reprise office and established their eCommerce offering. 

The acquisition of RoundTwo adds expanded digital capabilities to VSA’s award-winning portfolio offerings, with RoundTwo bringing a robust practice including eCommerce channels, media, analytics, and customer journey and experience strategies. “As the needs of our clients continue to evolve and expand, it’s important to be able to anticipate and position ourselves for success,” said VSA President, Anne-Marie Rosser. “By adding the caliber of talent we have with Joseph and RoundTwo to VSA’s roster, we’re ensuring that we’re able to exceed client expectations, as well as differentiate ourselves in a saturated marketplace.”

In a time of uncertainty in advertising as a result of a global pandemic, RoundTwo took eCommerce by storm, working with and creating highly ROI-driven programs in categories that include apparel, beauty, retail, and healthcare. With a unique understanding of the consumer experience, McConellogue and RoundTwo established a foundation of programs to help convert brands interested in venturing into the digital marketplace. “I’m very excited to add my background and experience to such an amazing agency,” said McConellogue. “For many years, VSA has been the benchmark for creativity and brand design across B2B and B2C markets. I am looking forward to bringing my digital experience and integrating within this institution.”

With a 40-year history of solving complex business problems, VSA is recognized for setting the industry standards in brand development and marketing. Working with global brands that include Google, Nike, Affirm, and IBM, VSA creates a brand voice that breaks through the noise and clutter across a range of industries.

McConellogue will join the agency as Associate Partner, Digital Performance Media and work closely with Chief Strategy Officer Ariadna Navarro, Chief Client Officer Jeff Walker to help define the full service offerings of the agency. “We’re looking forward to being able to sit with new and existing clients and showcase how VSA continues to listen and grow,” said Jeff Walker. “RoundTwo provides us with an additional breadth and depth of experience, and we’re excited to see the impact it will have.”



ABOUT VSA PARTNERS   
VSA Partners is a hybrid brand strategy and design agency with a 40-year history of solving complex business problems. We deliver design-driven experiences that perform in market, realizing the future of a brand for some of the world’s most respected and forward-thinking organizations, including Google, Nike, IBM, Robinhood and Affirm. Our approach hinges upon deep collaboration with our clients to identify, prioritize and convert individual interactions into a positive impact on long-term value in a highly transactional and noisy world. Global by trade, but unapologetically midwestern at heart, an intrinsic desire to help fuels our pursuit of solutions of substance. Amplifying brands—not to add to the noise—but to find a voice that rises above it. VSA Partners. Where brands breakthrough.

ABOUT MEET THE PEOPLE   
Meet The People is an international family of unified but independent agencies bringing together key marketing services under one umbrella, allowing for fully integrated but deeply specialized solutions, from Creative and Design to Strategy, Activation, and Measurement. Backed by Innovatus Capital Partners, LLC, Meet The People is deeply committed to the idea that people are at the core of any organization and drive success, and that advertising works best when clients have access to expertise and deep talent.

Contact:   
Gene Cyranski, Meet The People   
E: gene@meet-the-people.com   
P: 312-952-0181


Meet The People's VSA Partners Broaden Offering with Key Acquisition

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slent-bw

Sarah Lent

At VSA, we see NFTs as the next iteration of technology that will shape brand-consumer relationships. NFTs are the newest frontier where brands can build meaningful experiences and connections with their customers and communities; the first step of the digitization of physical assets that can be monetized, sold, and tracked in the digital world; and a testing ground for the ecosystems and programs that will define the next iteration of the digital age.

In order to help brands leapfrog into this new era, we’re partnering with Ripple, the leading provider of enterprise blockchain and crypto solutions for cross-border payments. Ripple utilizes the open-source, public XRP Ledger, which is fast, low cost, and, most importantly, carbon neutral—using negligible amounts of energy to validate transactions when compared to other blockchains.

Brands looking to jump into a new world of revenue streams, explore different business models, and deepen relationships with their communities can consider taking the first step into this tokenized future through NFTs.

Want to explore this new world of tokenization and NFTs with us? [Read the full report.](https://meet-the-people-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/NFTs_WelcometotheNextFrontier_54539c0b67_21ab0c5745.pdf)



NFTs: Welcome to the Next Frontier

NFT_leadspace

Newly launched advertising group, Meet The People, is breathing fresh life into the industry with its entrepreneurial-minded approach to business. It’s also attracting the attention of industry executives seeking new models for agency collaboration. Meet The People welcomes Craig Ellis and Andrew Roth to their executive team as President of North America and Global Head of Business Strategy, respectively. Together, Ellis and Roth complete a high-profile leadership team for the next-generation enterprise.

Meet The People is the first people-centric advertising group, founded by an exceptional team of leaders and entrepreneurs – [Tim Ringel](https://www.meet-the-people.com/about/tim-ringel), [Tom Armbruster](https://www.meet-the-people.com/about/thomas-armbruster) and [Natalie Alberta Dusey](https://www.meet-the-people.com/about/natalie-alberta-dusey). The addition of Ellis and Roth demonstrates that the people-first approach is taking root beyond just the independent agency community, but at the legacy holding companies as well. “We’re excited to have such recognized leaders join us as we look to move away from the status quo,” said Tim Ringel, CEO of Meet The People. “The addition of Craig and Andrew makes a statement to the rest of the industry that there is top-down interest to effect change and develop a new operating model designed to prioritize the people who make up the lifeblood of our industry.”

With 24 years of experience building, creating, and integrating agencies across digital start-ups and on the publisher side, Craig Ellis joins Meet The People from Resolution Agency, the specialist performance agency within Omnicom Media Group. Resolutions’ recent accelerated growth is attributed to Ellis’ role as President, helping to rebrand, reposition, and reengineer the agency and culture, and attracting an impressive client roster during his tenure. As Global Chief Operating Officer of Reprise, IPG Mediabrands’ digital front door, Ellis assembled more than 3500+ employees in 42 countries and 72 offices, making Reprise one of the network’s fastest-growing agencies. His guidance as CEO of Reprise Australia led to the agency becoming one of the top search agencies in APAC. His expertise in developing and shaping business cultures will enhance Meet The People’s people-focused vision.

When asked why he joined Meet The People, Ellis said, “At Meet the People, we want to re-engineer how an agency group and its people within work and make it better. Our aim is to focus on the experience of our employees and clients, eliminating legacy bureaucracy and red tape, and taking a more forward-thinking view of what we can achieve and create together. I’m excited to join Meet The People, because we’re confident we can help evolve the industry standards of how we do business.” 

Whether championing innovative solutions internally at IPG or helping to lead disruptive approaches from the firm he co-founded, Andrew Roth has embraced unconventional perspectives and methodologies in the advertising industry throughout his career. Before joining Meet The People, Roth served as EVP and Head of Innovation Strategy and Corporate Development at IPG DXTRA, an ecosystem of 27 specialized agencies under the IPG banner. In this role, Roth helped develop and execute integrated marketing solutions across the network, designed DXTRA’s data strategy, and oversaw the network’s global portfolio operations, where he worked with each agency’s leadership to integrate emerging technology and data-driven solutions as well as develop each agency’s respective investment and acquisition strategies. Prior to his role at DXTRA, Roth served as EVP and Head of Corporate Development and Business Integration for Weber Shandwick, part of the IPG DXTRA ecosystem and one of the largest marketing communications agencies in the world. Roth also co-founded and served as Chief Strategy Officer for Bomoda, a data science and brand consultancy, which was acquired by Weber Shandwick. Roth began his career in private equity, first as an M&A attorney primarily focused on private equity clients and their portfolio companies, and then transitioning to business development and strategy at Blackstone upon receiving his MBA from Columbia Business School. 

“There are many models that people are trying to position in hyperbolic ways as ‘the best,’ or ‘most revolutionary,’ said Roth. “Essentially, the industry has become saturated with several voices saying the same thing. Our approach is simpler – we’re creating a family of agencies led by thoughtful and creative founders with the sole purpose of ensuring that the only voice that matters is the client’s.” 

Meet The People currently oversees three category-leading agencies with more than 350 people: [VSA Partners](https://vsapartners.com/), a creative, strategy, design and branding agency; [Public Label](https://www.publiclabelagency.com/), an integrated agency with above-the-line, experiential and shopper expertise; and [Match Retail](https://www.matchretail.com/), a top sales, merchandising and branded retail agency. Under the new model, each agency will work together as a community while retaining its own identity and culture.

&nbsp  


Advertising Veterans Join Meet The People, Further Cementing the New Working Model’s Impact Across the Industry

MTP_CADuo_IMAGE_2

Meet The People, the next-generation global advertising and consulting group formed by experienced advertising and technology executives Tim Ringel, Thomas Armbruster and Natalie Alberta Dusey, and [Adomni](https://www.adomni.com/), the leading programmatic digital out-of-home advertising planning and buying platform, announced their partnership on-stage at the Digiday Media Buying Summit during Advertising Week 2021. The exclusive partnership combines Meet The People’s deep expertise in digital advertising, social media content and creative execution with Adomni’s Demand Side Platform (DSP) best-in-class planning and buying platform for programmatic digital out-of-home screens.

Tim Ringel, CEO of Meet The People said, “The future of brands and the advertising industry comes from people as much as it comes from technology—creators, entrepreneurs, thinkers and agencies who deliver "digital” in human terms. We recognize how important digital out-of-home advertising is for brands because people are back out of their homes shopping, relaxing, running errands and spending money in stores again. With Adomni’s DSP, we have an unprecedented opportunity to harness consumer attention with handcrafted creative executions that extend the online experience to the physical world. The flexibility and control that comes with programmatic DOOH unlock a new paradigm for brands to reach and influence consumers in ways that were never possible in the past.” 

Jonathan Gudai, Adomni CEO, said, “Meet The People is in a unique position. They are led by a team of expert creative and performance marketers who not only have deep knowledge and expertise but are also able to take advantage of the latest and greatest trends in digital advertising. Programmatic digital out-of-home is one shining example of that. We as an industry need more emphasis on creative strategy and execution. The magic happens when we marry creative excellence with the online to offline to online consumer journey. Meet The People truly is the next-generation ad agency collective, where cutting-edge solutions are brought to brands of all sizes. We are excited to see how Meet The People paints our digital out-of-home canvas of 500,000+ screens in 28 countries to enhance both upper-funnel awareness and lower-funnel performance for brands.”


**About Meet The People**&nbsp  
Meet The People is an international family of unified but independent agencies bringing together key marketing services under one umbrella, allowing for fully integrated but deeply specialized solutions, from Creative and Design to Activation and Measurement. Backed by [Innovatus Capital Partners, LLC](https://www.innovatuscp.com/), Meet The People is deeply committed to the idea that people are at the core of any organization and drive success, and that advertising works best when clients have access to expertise and deep talent.

**About Adomni**&nbsp  
Adomni is a programmatic advertising platform that easily connects brands with on-the-go consumers via real-world digital screens. Advertisers can target audiences using mobile location data and launch campaigns in minutes, using one of the largest DOOH networks in the world. Currently, the Adomni platform offers access to over 70 billion monthly impressions on hundreds of thousands of digital screens across the U.S., Canada, EMEA and APAC.
 
Learn more at [www.adomni.com](https://www.adomni.com/)
 
&nbsp 


Meet The People Selects Adomni DSP as its Exclusive Programmatic Digital Out-of-Home Platform

adomni

Creative marketing agency [Public Label Canada](https://www.publiclabelagency.com/) announced today a new partnership with [Autism Canada](https://autismcanada.org/), the only Canadian organization with a national perspective on the issues currently facing those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), their families and other stakeholders.
 
The Toronto-based agency has been named strategic and creative agency partner for the organization, tasked with establishing a bold brand story and raising awareness by creating a clear understanding of what autism is, what it means to be an individual on the Autism Spectrum, and how to create an environment of support for all to thrive. Scope of work includes developing a new brand narrative and redesigning the Autism Canada website.
 
The rebrand comes at an important time for many nonprofit organizations. The pandemic saw a shift in donation behaviour, with Canadians donating less or halting donations citing pandemic-related financial difficulties. Additionally, for organizations like Autism Canada their support and knowledge has been more sought after by people and families living with ASD, making it more important than ever to communicate the importance of charitable causes for organizations. 
 
“Although there’s a rising rate of ASD, there is still broad confusion around what it means to have autism,” said Anne Dean, SVP/GM Marketing Solutions at Public Label. “Autism isn’t a single, simple categorical entity, but a complex, inconsistent and individualized experience, which makes it difficult for Canadians to understand. Our goal is to create a greater understanding of ASD that generates compassion and galvanizes Canadians to support the cause, empowering them to change the way they see and experience people with Autism Spectrum Disorder.”
 
The partnership kicks off just in time for the [Au-Some conference](https://autismcanada.org/support-programs/au-some-conference/), which takes place on October 23 during Canada’s Autism Acceptance Month. The one-day event aims to educate through presentations about living with autism created and presented by individuals on the Autism Spectrum. Guest speaker, Eugene Levy, Canadian Icon and Autism Advocate, will open the conference with a welcome and introduction. Public Label is also a title sponsor of the event.
 
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Public Label to clearly define our purpose, especially now as we face obstacles within the current charitable climate,” said Barbara Patten, Executive Director of Autism Canada. “While overall donations have decreased, needs are still prevalent. Requests for support increased by 44% amid the pandemic, making donor support as critical as ever. Raising awareness of ASD will ultimately improve the lives of all individuals on the Autism Spectrum and their families.”
 
New work for Autism Canada will be unveiled in 2022.

&nbsp  

**About Public Label**&nbsp  
Public Label is a North American creative marketing agency. Made up of an inspired group of enthusiasts from all corners of the marketing world, Public Label’s mission is to help brands recognize and align with consumer motivations and cultural movements. Public Label identifies cultural trends, taps into what people already believe in, and builds stronger brand affinity and loyalty. This results in action that drives conversion, ultimately leading to brand growth. For more information, visit [www.publiclabelagency.com](https://www.publiclabelagency.com/).

Autism Canada Partners with Public Label for Brand Relaunch

mtp-news-autism-canada

For VSA employees as well as those we recruit, we’ve adopted a long-term hybrid model that allows people to define their way of working in the way they want. This means that VSAers can work from anywhere in the United States—home, office or anyplace in between. Working from anywhere gives VSAers the option to find time to work alone, join others for office-based collaboration, or meet up as needed for small-group moments and client meetings. We’re also hiring with geographic “neutrality”—pursuing the best talent wherever they may live. 

Aaron Heltsmith, VP of Talent Experience, states, “We think having a workplace option matters most these days. Employees benefit from human interaction and the need for a change in scenery from time to time. And VSA benefits from a diversity of experiences and perspectives that come from seeing and participating in the larger world.”

In this hybrid strategy, we see our offices in Chicago, New York and San Francisco as a flexible, accessible network of workspace hubs for employees to use as needed for work and interaction with colleagues. For more information, [visit the VSA Careers page](https://www.vsapartners.com/careers).

Recruit From Everywhere and Work From Anywhere

VSA-news2

[Ripple](https://ripple.com/), the leading provider of enterprise blockchain and crypto solutions that are faster, more transparent and more cost-effective, today announced a $250 million fund to provide creators with the financial, creative and technical support needed to explore and craft premium non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and other tokenization projects on the [XRP Ledger](https://xrpl.org/). 

The heightened interest and boom in NFTs globally has introduced new revenue streams and business models while deepening the mainstream’s relationships with the communities, people and things they care about. However, when it comes to creating state-of-the-art NFTs, many creators face barriers to entry—including the fear their NFTs won’t sell and a lack of understanding when it comes to navigating NFT concepts. Developers, meanwhile, are often burdened with high transaction fees and clunky user experiences on marketplaces or platforms. 

While digital art and collectibles have quickly captured public interest and popularity, the utility of NFTs goes far beyond these use cases. By providing creative and technical support to a diverse array of marketplaces, creators, artists and brands, Ripple’s creator fund seeks to enable longtail use cases for tokenization—for example, interactive experiences and fractional ownership.

Ripple is teaming up with innovative NFT marketplaces and creative agencies who recognize the potential of these unique tokenized assets and, as part of the launch, will have first access to the fund. Together, Ripple’s creator fund and its partners are accelerating the evolution of NFTs while eliminating the pain points associated with crafting compelling projects:

- [Mintable](https://mintable.app/)—“Everything we do at Mintable centers around accessibility, and it’s time that we look at that holistically—creators of all disciplines and backgrounds need to have access to equal opportunities in the space,” said Zach Burks, CEO of Mintable. “There are so many untapped opportunities within the constantly evolving NFT ecosystem, and we’re excited to be deepening our partnership with Ripple to support their creator fund in order to encourage greater growth in the industry.” 

- [VSA Partners](https://vsapartners.com/)—“NFTs have been a source of huge excitement for creators, enabling new ways to build communities and meaningful brand equity,” said Sarah Lent, CMO of VSA Partners. “It’s clear that when creators and brands are deliberate with their NFT campaigns, it will have a long-lasting impact on their customers, partners and the larger community. As a premier partner of the creator fund, VSA can help brands and artists think through the entire ecosystem of brand-building experiences— the community of fans to engage and deploy the strategic guidance and storytelling needed around NFTs to generate brand value.” 

- [mintNFT](https://mintnft.com/)—“MintNFT is honored to be selected as a key partner to build the next-generation NFT 2.0 experience leveraging the XRP Ledger to connect fans with premium brands, content owners and talent around the world,” said James Sun, founder and CEO of mintNFT. 

“While NFTs have opened the door for a tokenized future, actually navigating these concepts is a different ballgame for many,” said Monica Long, GM of RippleX at Ripple. “By starting with marketplaces and creators, our fund seeks to take the guesswork out of NFT projects to unlock unexplored tokenization use cases on the XRP Ledger.”

Minting NFTs on the XRP Ledger will enrich the experience for creators seeking new ways of monetizing their works. For developers, the XRP Ledger’s innate performance advantages—speed, low cost and built-in [royalties](https://xrpl.org/transfer-fees.html#transfer-fees)—make it ideally suited to drive NFT utility at scale, and without the need for Layer 2 protocols. Library support is also available to simplify NFT integrations and bypass direct XRPL development. The XRP Ledger is a [decentralized](https://xrpl.org/decentralized-exchange.html), open-source blockchain. Its built-in, [decentralized exchange (DEX)](https://xrpl.org/decentralized-exchange.html) provides fast settlement for tokenized assets of all types—including NFTs—while its Federated Consensus mechanism eliminates gas fees and is 120,000 times [more efficient](https://xrpl.org/impact.html) than blockchains that rely on proof-of-work validation. 

For more information on Ripple’s creator fund, visit [www.ripple.com/creatorfund](www.ripple.com/creatorfund).

VSA Joins Ripple on $250M NFT Creator Fund

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VSA Partners, the hybrid brand strategy and design agency, has led the brand transformation of AMRI, a leading contract drug manufacturing organization, emphasizing its ability to take drug development “from curiosity to cure.” That’s the core positioning and tagline VSA developed as it’s transformed the company to Curia. The new rebranding effort rolled out last month. AMRI, which began as Albany Molecular Research, Inc. (AMRI) in 1991, tapped VSA Partners to handle the assignment, which the agency turned around in a little over six months. Its brief involved simultaneous strategy and design processes that addressed naming, messaging, brand identity, a website overhaul, environmental branding, sales enablement, social media and advertising. 

“Given the importance and emerging challenges of scaling drug discovery and manufacturing today, this was an exciting project for everyone at VSA,” said Joe Nio, head of strategy and analytics for VSA. “We tapped our Promise to Performance&reg; methodology to discover unmet needs where the industry wasn’t serving customers fully and helped identify unique segments within Curia’s target audience. The results, we believe, position Curia well for today’s fast-changing and demanding pharmaceutical landscape.” 

For development of the new name, Curia, VSA relied on its proprietary naming process, said Mike Walsh, VSA’s Client Engagement Lead. The origin was an early Roman word that means “a gathering of minds.” 

“It has a lyrical quality that also alludes to the promise of medicine,” Walsh noted. 

The new logo utilizes a stylized molecular icon to form the dot in the lower case “i” in “Curia,” which links the mark to the previous AMRI brand identity. 

“In a category where playing it safe has led to a sea of sameness among competitors, we created a bold expression system that balances scientific expertise with respect, and compassion for the human lives we impact,” said Thom Wolfe, Executive Creative Director, VSA Partners. 

“What impressed us about VSA from the start was their ability to quickly get smart on a complex business,” said Kerry Hutchings, Head of Global Marketing at Curia. “The combination of strategic thinking and creative execution has helped set Curia up for success.”

Curia, formerly AMRI, is a leading contract research, development and manufacturing organization providing products and services from R&D through commercial manufacturing to pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical customers. Curia’s 3,100 employees at 21 locations across the U.S., Europe and Asia help its customers advance from curiosity to cure. Learn more at [CuriaGlobal.com](https://curiaglobal.com/).

VSA Partners leads AMRI brand transformation to Curia

curia-news

Leading sales, merchandising and branded retail agency [Match Retail](https://www.matchretail.com/) is proud to announce that it has been recognized as a Great Place to Work&reg; in Canada. 

The agency received this certification after a thorough and independent analysis conducted by Great Place to Work&reg; Institute Canada. Certification is based on direct feedback from Match Retail employees, as part of an extensive and anonymous survey on corporate culture and the workplace experience, which received a 78% participation rate from employees.

“This recognition is for all of us at Match Retail to celebrate,” said Vanessa Schnekenburger, Managing Director, Match Retail. “We truly believe that we have the best employees and we are committed to continuing to put our people first.” 

Nancy Fonseca, Senior Vice President of Great Place to Work&reg; Canada, says that a great workplace is about the level of trust that employees experience in their leaders, the level of pride they have in their jobs and the extent to which they enjoy their colleagues. “Our data shows that great workplaces benefit from stronger financial performance, reduced turnover, and better customer satisfaction than their peers. What’s more, work environments with trust at the foundation are ripe for innovation, agility, resilience and efficiency,” Fonseca said.

The recognition comes at a time of significant growth for Match Retail, driven by new business wins and expanded capabilities, including an exciting training and development offering that was recently unveiled for client partners. 

Schnekenburger added: “Certification is just the first step towards understanding how our employee experience stacks up to the best companies. We will use the results and employee feedback to keep improving our agency and implementing initiatives that will inspire our people and grow our culture even further.”

Great Place to Work is the global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures. Through proprietary assessment tools, advisory services, and certification programs, Great Place to Work recognizes Canada’s Best Workplaces in a series of national lists including those published by The Globe & Mail (Canada) and Fortune magazine (USA). Great Place to Work provides the benchmarks, framework and expertise needed to create, sustain and recognize outstanding workplace cultures. Visit us at [www.greatplacetowork.ca](https://www.greatplacetowork.ca/en/) or find us on Twitter at [@GPTW_Canada](https://twitter.com/GPTW_Canada).

Match Retail Certified as a Great Place to Work in Canada

match-news2

A new integrated global campaign for Mānuka Health serves to raise awareness for the many natural benefits of its rare mānuka honey line.

Launching this month, this first global campaign by VSA Partners for the brand looks to educate consumers on the complex differences and natural potency of mānuka honey, and to position Mānuka Health as a supportive partner of those on the lookout for ways to improve their health and wellbeing.

The campaign, featuring bold typography and an optimistic palette of highly saturated warms and cools, will deploy in cross-device display ads, leveraging custom data segments, mobile interstitials, social media, online video and digital out-of-home to communicate how Mānuka Health’s natural mānuka honey line offers more than just a way to sweeten tea and toast.

Inspirational copy lines such as “A Spoonful of Seize the Day,” “Nature Up, Game On,” “A Honey as Potent as Your Potential,” “Stack Your Wellness Bench With New Zealand’s Finest,” “A Daily Dose of Get It Done” and “Meet Your New Wellness Wingman” convey motivating, confident yet relatable messaging on how the brand’s natural mānuka honey can help consumers as part of their daily health and wellness regimen.

“This isn’t just any honey, so we wanted the creative to have a look and tone that reflects how great this product makes you feel,” said Evan Thompson, Creative Director, Writer, VSA Partners, based in Chicago. “The bright colors, layering and bold type all help to give Mānuka Health an ownable point of view in the crowded health and wellness space.”

“The power of Mānuka Health honey is in its natural potency, and this campaign is about giving people the confidence to embrace their true nature and live to their full potential,” said Anya Saikkonen, Global Marketing Manager, Mānuka Health. “We are delighted to work with VSA Partners to help educate consumers on the benefits of our special natural product in a vibrant and approachable way.”

The special honey is made from the nectar of the native mānuka plant, and is highly valued for its distinctive natural properties. It’s also rare, originating only from New Zealand and produced just a few weeks a year—weather permitting—when the mānuka plant is in flower.

Mānuka honey is a delicate resource that requires careful handling and processing to ensure its special natural properties are retained during the extraction and packing process. Unlike most suppliers, Mānuka Health owns the full process from hive to jar, from its 20,000 beehives to its own extraction and processing facility and in-house quality testing laboratory.

The campaign is the first global work for the brand by VSA Partners since the agency won the account in January. Additional strategic design and communications initiatives are in the works for rollout later this year.

[Mānuka Health](https://www.manukahealth.co.nz/en-us)’s purpose is to “re-nature people” for the betterment of health, communities and the planet. Inspired by the knowledge that New Zealand bee products hold special and unique health properties, Mānuka Health is driven by a desire to use science to understand and harness these unique natural products, share their potential and help re-nature our world. Today Mānuka Health is made up of a growing team of dedicated specialists (about 1.5 billion bees and 140 humans) who carefully craft and nurture its mānuka honey, propolis, royal jelly and New Zealand gourmet honey to capture the living energy of New Zealand nature.

VSA launches new integrated global campaign for Mānuka Health

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VSA Partners, the hybrid brand strategy and design and communications agency headquartered in Chicago, has appointed Sarah Lent as its Chief Marketing Officer. The announcement was made by VSA President Anne-Marie Rosser. 

Sarah is a veteran marketing executive with over 20 years’ experience in developing business solutions and unlocking growth opportunities for clients through brand, digital innovation, design, communications and media. Lent will spearhead VSA’s growth efforts, including business development, marketing, media relations, brand leadership and content creation.

A graduate of the University of Virginia, Lent has worked across 4 continents and brings to her position at VSA a deep passion for taking emerging technologies coupled with world-class creativity in order to contextualize them in the real world. She is fueled by looking for the leap-frog moments of change and taking clients on the journey—something she has quickly proven in her short tenure at VSA by the partnership she secured with Ripple as the premiere creative partner for their $250m NFT Creators Fund. 

Sarah has held a number of senior positions at agencies all over the world, including running growth across the US for Essence, the performance media agency that’s part of Group M, and for the EMEA region while at R/GA, a leading global digital innovation, design and communications agency. 

Prior to R/GA, Lent spent seven years with Interbrand, serving in client-facing and leadership roles in the UK, South Africa, and the US. Over the course of her career she has led teams working on a range of global brands across categories, including Disney, HP, Cisco, Adobe, LVMH, Ikea, Siemens, Diageo and more. 

Lent states, “We live in a noisy and highly transactional world. Every second, a different voice urges brands to pivot to a new type of content, dive headfirst into emerging forms of media, and monetize each trend while simultaneously creating the next one. Brands can no longer compete on convenience or ease of use—technology is the equalizer, not the differentiator. This is why I am so excited to be joining VSA. As a hybrid brand strategy, design and communications agency, VSA has the unique capability to help brands stand out from the clutter by creating better human experiences at key moments of impact, which in turn yield loyalty and social capital. VSA approaches each challenge with the rigor of a management consulting practice, coupled with world-class storytelling and design, ensuring everything that we deliver is applicable and contextualized in the real world, delivering substantial impact for the long-term. Brands don’t need help making more noise. They need a partner, like VSA, to help them rise above it.”

With a strong commitment to social causes and activism, Lent most recently served on the Board of Directors for Infinite Family for seven years, an organization built to connect teens across townships in South Africa with video mentors working to integrate confidence and self-reliance as they prepare for their lives as young adults and beyond. She resides in Marin County.

VSA Partners Appoints Sarah Lent as Chief Marketing Officer

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Creative marketing agency Public Label has announced the appointment of Erica Calhoun, who joins the agency as Senior Vice President and Head of Experiential, working across the agency’s highest-profile accounts, such as Moët Hennessy, Ford Bronco, Adidas, BRP and Progressive, among others.

Reporting to Brian Kittelson, Public Label’s EVP Brand Strategy and Commercialization, Calhoun will oversee the agency’s experiential practice in the U.S. and Canada. Her responsibilities include managing client relationships to drive retention and growth; leading, managing and mentoring project teams; and providing integrated solutions for IRL, digital and hybrid experiences for both B2C and B2B clients. She joins as a member of the agency’s leadership team, where she will play an instrumental role in the development of Public Label’s business and culture as well as helping lead DE&I initiatives.

“Erica’s passion for motivating teams, paired with her impressive track record working with iconic brands on breakthrough creative experiences, is an unmatched skill set,” said Kittelson. “She is our captain of experiential, a leader who is able to empower others, influence change and achieve actionable results. We’re incredibly lucky to have her on board.”

Calhoun has over 20 years’ experience leading strategic, best-in-class marketing strategies for clients. Prior to joining Public Label, Calhoun was vice president of account management at MKTG, a global lifestyle marketing company and part of the Dentsu Aegis Network, where she also served as the Experiential division’s chairperson of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council. Throughout her 14 years at MKTG, Calhoun was consistently recognized as a top achiever while earning industry awards: Ex Awards, Pro Awards and Sports Business Journal Awards, among others. She has designed multimillion-dollar marketing strategies, and provided leadership to a large portfolio of top brands and properties, including DAZN, Bulgari, Amazon, Facebook, PepsiCo, Wells Fargo, Major League Soccer, AT&T and Canon. 

“It is such an exciting time for experiential marketing and navigating how we, as marketers, will create the fertile space for brands and consumers to connect post-COVID,” said Calhoun. “I love to build and grow, and I see enormous opportunities to do both at Public Label. Once I met this team of passionate creatives, innovators and tinkerers, I became even more energized. I look forward to working with our portfolio of client partners to create the kinds of disruptive, creative experiences that motivate consumers to act.”

Calhoun started her career on college campuses, deeply involved in the realm of collegiate events and sports marketing as she was completing graduate work at both Missouri State University and Arizona State University. From there, she was recruited to be one of the founding contributors of launching the WNBA during the league’s inaugural season (1997) and made history by becoming the Phoenix Mercury’s first public relations director. In her role, not only was she building a new future for female athletes everywhere, but she touched all aspects of marketing, from sponsorship, media relations and community relations to consumer journeys, merchandising and retail. She learned how to build a community, which she would go on to leverage throughout her career.

Calhoun later joined Mauldin Brand Agency in Atlanta, GA. While there, she helped establish the branding division and led marketing efforts for major clients, including NASCAR, Nextel, Craftsman, BET, So So Def Entertainment, Atlanta Worldwide Touring, Wendell Scott Foundation, Columbia Records, Def Jam Records and AEG.

Calhoun attended Missouri State University as a Regent Scholar and track and field scholarship athlete, and received a BA in public relations/communications and a master’s in communications/rhetoric while also serving as assistant track and field coach and chair of the NCAA Campus Compliance Committee. Calhoun was named Athlete of the Decade for the Gateway Conference and was inducted into the Missouri State University Hall of Fame for her tremendous success in outdoor and indoor track and field. Calhoun then went on to pursue a second graduate degree, a master’s of social work (MSW), from Arizona State University. 

Currently, she serves on the board of WISE NYC Metro (Women in Sports and Events), a nonprofit organization focusing on networking, education, industry thought leadership and career growth for women in the business of sports, and also serves as its chairperson for program events, overseeing key events and working with the board to ensure the organization’s objectives are met.

Calhoun added: “I am blessed to be a strong storyteller and I can thank my mother and father for that. In this business, we are building experiences and creating memorable moments for brands, but it all starts with a story.”

Public Label Appoints Erica Calhoun as SVP, Head of Experiential for North America

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Ryan Macor has been named VP Business Development for [Match Retail](https://www.matchretail.com/), a leading sales, merchandising and branded retail agency. 

In his new role, Macor will be responsible for leading growth initiatives for the agency. His primary focus will be representing the agency in Canada and unlocking new opportunities across the Canadian market, with a future goal of expanding Match Retail’s reach into the U.S. He will report to Vanessa Schnekenburger, Managing Director, Match Retail. 

“We are thrilled to have Ryan on board to help drive growth in the Canadian market,” said Schnekenburger. “He’s a proven leader and trusted client partner who is able to build strong and lasting partnerships within every level of an organization. His unstoppable energy and entrepreneurial spirit are exactly what we need to take Match Retail to the next level.”

Previously, Macor was at Toronto-based Influence Marketing, where he was director of experiential and digital marketing. There he led clients like Corby Spirit and Wine, Twisted Tea, Onlia Insurance and HoMedics Canada, and managed the national “Truly Canadian” tour for Moosehead Breweries, which increased purchase intent by 15 percent. Macor also launched Xbox Live into Canada with a national sales and merchandising campaign. With Sony, his team of account managers carried a sales quota and were responsible for the bestselling mobile handset in Sony’s history. 

Over his 20-year career, Macor has managed teams in a variety of roles, including merchandising, sales, direct to consumer, experiential and digital. Agency management is in Macor’s blood as he founded sales and experiential agency, Firsthand Marketing, in 2006. The agency worked with CPG brands on a national scale, including Telus. At Firsthand, not only was Macor credited with growing the agency over the course of 11 years to 50 full-time employees, but he also pioneered world-class experiential work for clients. He was behind the Canadian launch of Telus TV and its in-home suite of services. 

Macor’s experience also extends into the hospitality and restaurant sector. From 2012 to 2018, Macor was president–owner of 101 Hospitality in Vaughan, Ontario, where he operated multiple food and licensed establishments in a franchise system averaging over $2.5 million in yearly sales per location. During this time he doubled sales by utilizing long-term strategic planning and delivering a consistent guest experience that exceeded brand standards.  

“As we all prepare to return to normal, Match Retail is well-positioned for some big wins,” said Macor. “For all the clients we serve, we have the ability to leverage the powerful thinking our agencies were founded on, while creating a new path of innovation that builds from cultural movements.”

Ryan Macor Joins Match Retail as VP, Business Development for Canada

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South Dakota’s city of Sturgis, best known for its annual [Sturgis Motorcycle Rally](https://www.sturgismotorcyclerally.com/)—the largest motorcycle rally in the world—is spreading its wings with a new look and feel that represents the future of the rally while immortalizing its heritage as it ushers in a new wave of riders.

Created by our in-house creative team at Public Label, the [rebrand elements](https://gdusa.com/news/fresh/sturgis-motorcycle-rally-spreads-its-wings) include a flagship logo that serves as the universal symbol of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, two evolving subsidiary logos intended to mark the 81st and 82nd annual events, and a new tagline: “The Ride. The Roar. The Rally.”

“Baby boomers largely shaped current rally culture but are increasingly putting their kickstands down for longer or permanent periods,” said Eric Moncaleano, ECD, North America at Public Label. “With Gens Y and Z driving modern motorcycle culture, we wanted to find a way to rebrand the rally with the right balance of nostalgia and inclusiveness so that it appeals to all age groups and rider types. The result is a modern and simple brandmark that celebrates the rally’s roots with an eye toward the future that we believe will propel this iconic brand and festival forward.”

The new logo is infused with meaning. The open wings symbolize freedom. The “S” found within the icon represents the winding roads throughout the Hills and also the community of Sturgis. The wings double as exhaust pipes, and the lateral lines denote the cooling fins of a cylinder. The mark also resembles an eagle, with its head facing forward (the future) and its tail backward (the past), connecting the generations of rally-goers with open wings.

“Sturgis is the largest and most famous motorcycle rally in the world with an amazing legacy and landmarks like historic Main Street, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse National Memorial and Devil’s Tower Monument,” said rally director Jerry Cole from Sturgis. “It’s a rider’s dream. The new brand identity Public Label created represents freedom, the American spirit, the Black Hills and motorcycles. We’re thrilled to have partnered with them to help bring this vision to life as Sturgis soars into its next 80 years.”

The logo will be used on all print and digital materials, as well as merchandise for the rally, including future partnerships and co-branded items. The 81st annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally takes place August 6–15, 2021.

City of Sturgis Unveils New Brand Identity for Motorcycle Rally Created by Public Label

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In this episode of [The Voice of Retail™](https://www.retailcouncil.org/the-voice-of-retail-podcast/) podcast, Michael LeBlanc delves into the world of in-store merchandising from the agency perspective with Vanessa Schnekenburger, Managing Director at Match Retail. This innovative Canadian company is helping brands and retailers alike execute on-shelf and in-store, so it’s a great opportunity to tap into Vanessa’s experience and wisdom about the state of brick-and-mortar retail.

Listen to the podcast from [Retail Council of Canada](https://www.retailcouncil.org/podcast/exploring-the-state-of-in-store-merchandising-and-modern-retail/).

Exploring the state of in-store merchandising and modern retail

In celebration of Women’s History Month, our very own Anne Dean has shared her story and path to leadership as part of REEL 360’s REEL WOMEN series. Anne is an inspiration to our team and a true example of excellence in leadership.

She is a client-focused leader who translates broad strategies into clear business objectives and action plans that drive brand growth in both regional and global marketplaces.

Prior to joining Public Label, Anne spent 20 years at global brand development, activation and deployment company SGK, where she held a variety of leadership roles, most recently as VP, Brand Deployment, Americas region.

At SGK, Anne was also a Founding Co-Chair of Matthew’s Women in Leadership, where she created a network to support the attraction, engagement and development of women in leadership positions to raise awareness and support diversity in the workplace.

A true believer in the power of the right talent team, Anne is focused on nurturing and developing a culture that is built on trust, collaboration, diverse thinking and creative curiosity.

Read Anne’s full story in [REEL 360’s REEL WOMEN series](https://reel360.com/article/reel-women-public-label-gm-svp-anne-dean/).


Path to leadership with our very own REEL Woman, Anne Dean

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As COVID-19 continues to restrict gym visits and in-person product sampling, two marketers of nutrition-based products are doubling down on content marketing via influencers to promote not just physical fitness but also mental health via online events.

Orgain, which markets plant-based protein powder, is partnering with influencers like chef [Gabriele Bertaccini](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzcnbKbSJzQ), fitness company owner [Joe De Sena](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds4mTHZydw4) and distance athlete [Charlie Engle](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gfljeeeWVM) to provide 30,000 consumers with 30 days of free, customized wellness content as an alternative to traditional New Year’s resolutions.

Through February 11, consumers can sign up for the “30-day challenge” via Orgain’s “A Clean & Smoothie Start” landing page and receive a free sample of plant-based protein powder.

Read the full article on [MediaPost](https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/359742/orgain-rxbar-leverage-content-marketing-influenc.html) to see how we rolled out the Orgain contest and digital experiences!

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