Starcom MediaVest Group Spins Off Spark Into Third Network
Publicis Groupe's Starcom MediaVest Group is tripling up on the new-business front with ambitions to turn Spark, its small and quiet media offering, into a viable third shop.
At the beginning of March, Starcom Chief Operating Officer Chris Boothe will become CEO at Spark. He'll be responsible for growing the agency, as well as transitioning a handful of Starcom clients and account teams into the firm.
Clients moving to Spark from Starcom include Sara Lee, Hanes, Stanley Steamer and Bass Pro Shops.
"The ultimate ambition is that we grow Spark quickly into a top-10 agency, and we're not that far off," said SMG Global CEO Laura Desmond. "We want to build on the strength of Starcom and MediaVest to make Spark strong. It's not about shifting resources. It's really about making sure they're all strong at the right time."
Spark had revenue of $13 million in 2010, according to the Ad Age DataCenter , and Ms. Desmond said that it has grown about 30% over the past few years. It also added E-Trade, Purina and Dairy Queen in 2011. The goal is to build on that and in three years have three SMG media networks in the top five.