WPP, a global leader in marketing and advertising, has recently acquired social influencer marketing agency Obviously. By joining forces with the award-winning VMLY&R network, this move is expected to amplify WPP’s capabilities in providing tech-powered creator content to their blue-chip clients.
Started in 2014, Obviously specializes in developing next-gen tech that boosts campaign efficiency and facilitates large-scale projects. Among their clients are well-known brands such as Google, Ford, Ulta Beauty and Amazon. Their end-to-end services range from content creation to marketing strategy, influencer identification, campaign management and even extensive reporting and analysis. The company has close to a hundred people in their team.
Along with the successfully growing agency, the acquisition brings Obviously’s standout tech offerings that include AI-based predictive analysis. Additionally, the creators are well-versed in regulated industries such as pharma, healthcare, finance and insurance. What’s more, the agency’s unique data analytics infrastructure requires minimum efforts dealing with campaign pricing and benchmarking.
Mae Karwowski, CEO of Obviously, is elated by the recent announcement: “Obviously’s ability to match each client’s unique needs while delivering at a global scale has made us a leader in influencer marketing. Our unique approach to creator-led marketing combined with our proprietary technology has resulted in explosive growth. This acquisition is the best of both worlds; we retain our agile and entrepreneurial culture while benefiting from VMLY&R’s depth of experience and global scale – resulting in accelerated growth for all.”
Jon Cook, CEO of VMLY&R, commented on the joint venture: “Bringing Obviously into our VMLY&R family is a clear win as clients demand more intelligent data and results in the influencer space. Obviously’s tech and data capabilities are highly innovative, and its ability to scale creator content quickly and efficiently, and in every language, makes it instantly prepared to be leveraged globally. I’m elated to start working with Mae, Max and the entire Obviously team. We’re excited for what’s to come and the many creative opportunities we’ll unlock together for our client partners.”
Mark Read, CEO of WPP, added his voice to the expansion: “The creator economy has experienced huge growth in recent years, and it plays a pivotal role in shaping consumer behavior. The Obviously team brings an exceptional range of global influencer marketing capabilities and a world-class technology platform that will further strengthen our offer to clients.”
About WPP
WPP is a creative transformation company that harnesses creativity, technology, and culture to make better futures for their people, planet, clients, and communities. Founded in the 1980s, WPP continues to be a leader in the industry as they provide world-class services.
About VMLY&R
Boasting a network of more than 13,000 people in various locations, VMLY&R is a global brand and customer experience agency. Gartner has named them as a Leader in the Magic Quadrant for Global Marketing Agencies for consecutive 5 years due to their numerous campaigns for respected brands such as Colgate-Palmolive, Danone, Dell, Ford, Intel, New Balance, Pfizer, and Wendy’s.
About Obviously
Obviously is a recognized leader in social influencer marketing ever since it was founded in 2014 by Mae Karwowski and Maxime Domain. The company is powered by their proprietary technology, which is what makes them a full-service provider. They are behind campaigns for top-notch brands and their marketing strategy, influencer identification, content creation, campaign management, and analysis has given them a highly acclaimed reputation. Adweek, in 2019, named them the No.2 Fastest Growing Influencer Agency in the U.S. and the No. 3 Fastest Growing Influencer Agency Worldwide.
