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By Mike Shields 

GroupM, the media buying arm of WPP, has reached a deal with Fullscreen to help the advertising firm's clients work with key social media influencers, particularly YouTube creators.

As part of the initiative, called "Playa," GroupM and WPP clients will have first-look access to content produced by Fullscreen talent, and Fullscreen will provide the agencies with exclusive access to the company's proprietary data and analytics tools, the companies announced Tuesday.

Fullscreen will dedicate a group of employees in the company's New York office to working directly with GroupM and WPP agencies, helping coach them on creating ad campaigns featuring digital creators.

The deal arrives as the power of digital media talent continues to swell, as many younger people show a preference for consuming media produced by YouTube creators and other social media stars over content from traditional media. That trend has forced top marketers to run ads alongside these influencers' videos, or in many cases pay to have these influencers talk about their brands on camera.

But the Web influencer space is dynamic and vast. In October, the analytics firm OpenSlate reported that there are more than 800,000 ad-supported channels on YouTube alone.

GroupM has worked with Fullscreen for several years, and has executed multiple ad campaigns with its collection of digital influencers. (WPP is a strategic investor in Fullscreen.) However, it is the exclusive access to Fullscreen's data and tools that makes the new Playa pact--named for the California office building housing both companies--particularly attractive, said Rob Norman, GroupM's chief digital officer.

"We could go buy ad inventory on YouTube any day of the week," he said. "That's not a problem. But getting what has been an internal management tool at Fullscreen on the desktops of planners, that's distinctly different and valuable."

Many of Fullscreen's competitors, such as Walt Disney Co.'s Maker Studios, have made it part of their business to provide advertisers with data on which social influencers have built large audiences and how influencer ad campaigns perform.

According to Mr. Norman, having direct access to Fullscreen's tools will help media buyers at various GroupM agencies evaluate which influencers might be right for their ad partners, based on the size of their followings, the kind of work they typically produce, and how their content resonates with their communities.

That level of access is unique, said Mr. Norman, and should help these ad buyers find Fullscreen talent that is on the rise. It will also help them evaluate whether to spend more of their clients' ad budgets with these influencers versus more traditional media channels.

"What this does is that it allows us to become a hands-on user rather than being in the business of outsourcing [working with social media talent]," Mr. Norman said.

Terms of the deal weren't disclosed. Mr. Norman said the partnership involves a "soft financial commitment" and doesn't preclude GroupM from working with other multichannel networks.

In 2014, a joint venture between AT&T Inc. and media mogul Peter Chernin bought a majority stake in Fullscreen, which represents 75,000 social media influencers.

For Fullscreen, which is nearing its five-year anniversary, the partnership signals a commitment to serving advertisers, even as it pushes further into developing premium content while building its own consumer brand. For example, the company recently started producing feature length movies. And this year Fullscreen will introduce a subscription business.

But according to Fullscreen Chief Executive George Strompolos, helping marketers navigate the increasingly complex world of digital creators, which extends well beyond YouTube, is a priority for the company.

"There are a lot of ways brands can try to reach influencers," he said. "But there are very few companies that do this that are also in the creative business. We don't just represent talent. This is a very nuanced business, with contracts and lawyers and agents. We try to work with brands in every possible way. And we try to help them measure whether these campaigns work."

Write to Mike Shields at mike.shields@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 05, 2016 21:14 ET (02:14 GMT)

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