MRY and LBi US Announce Merger

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - Feb 15, 2013) - MRY, the world's leading social media agency, is expanding and re-launching as a newly formed agency following the merger of MRY and LBi US.

The new entity, which retains the MRY moniker, completes the integration process that began following LBi's acquisition of MRY (formally known as Mr Youth) in November 2011.

The revamped MRY will combine the best of LBi -- a deep heritage in blending strategy, creativity, media and technology -- with the best of MRY -- over ten years as a best-in-class social media and experiential agency -- to establish something truly unique, a creative and technology agency that makes brands remarkable.

With an enhanced headcount and service offering, MRY harnesses creative technology, data-driven insights and analytics to create communications that foster and build relationships on behalf of some of the world's biggest brands including Coca-Cola, Visa, Bayer, Symantec and Neutrogena.

MRY works with clients to provide consumers with cultural currency by giving them something worth talking about -- content that sparks emotion, adds value, inspires action and changes behavior. The agency will provide a unique depth and breadth of services including service innovation, multi-platform delivery, content creation, mixed-media analytics, global social media management, media planning & buying, SEO and CRM.

The relaunched MRY continues under the leadership of founder and Chief Executive Matt Britton. Britton's management team comprises a blend of former MRY and LBi executives. Judith Carr has been appointed to the role of President, Cedric Devitt is Chief Creative Officer, Paolo Yuvienco is Chief Technology Officer, Matt Rednor is Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer and Jeff Melton is Chief Distribution Officer.

"We are living in a people-curated world where consumers have taken control of their media and become hyper-connected," said Britton. "The merger of MRY and LBi US to create an entirely new agency under the MRY brand will allow us to help brands connect conversations to meaningful business results."

MRY will operate as a standalone entity within Publicis Groupe's Digital Technology Division, which also includes DigitasLBi and Razorfish. MRY will maintain its diverse client roster, unique service offering, strong global footprint and social centre of gravity, ensuring it continues to deliver innovative and best-in-class services to clients.

"The accelerated growth in social means that brands are increasingly demanding global strategies that bridge the gap between their bought, owned and rapidly evolving earned media channels," said Bob Lord, Chief Executive of Publicis Group's Digital Technology Division. "Thanks to the quality of its service offering and the strength of its proprietary technology platforms MRY occupies a truly unique position within Publicis Groupe. We are excited about leveraging MRY's unique skillset across a broader geographic footprint."

ABOUT MRY
MRY is a new type of agency that specializes in blending creativity and technology to make brands remarkable. We harness the power of strategic analytic intelligence to create remarkable content that sparks emotion, adds value, inspires action and changes behavior. MRY works with some of the world's biggest brands, including Coca-Cola, Visa, Bayer, Symantec and Neutrogena. Originally founded in 2002 as a social media and youth marketing agency, MRY recently merged with LBi US. The result is a unique agency that looks at the world differently. Headquartered in New York, MRY has additional offices in Atlanta, Los Angeles and San Francisco, and international offices in London and Singapore. In 2011, Crain's New York Business and Advertising Age named MRY as #2 of its Top 10 'Best Places to Work.' In recent years MRY has been recognized as 'Social Media Agency of the Year' by Mashable's Open Web Awards, and ranked among Fast Company's 'Most Innovative Companies in Advertising and Marketing' in the world. For more information visit www.mry.com, http://www.facebook.com/MRY, or follow us on Twitter @MRY.