SAN FRANCISCO, April 16 /PRNewswire/ -- AKQA, the leading independent digital marketing agency, today announced it is launching a new business unit, AKQA Search, designed to meet the search marketing and advertising needs of the world's largest brands. The offering allows AKQA's clients to incorporate a sophisticated search program into their digital advertising and marketing campaigns.
"With AKQA Search, we are acting on the needs of our clients for an agency that truly understands the full scope of digital marketing," said Scott Symonds, Executive Media Director at AKQA. "Unlike traditional media agencies or stand-alone SEM firms, AKQA combines award-winning creativity with advanced search technology so our customers benefit from fully-integrated marketing programs that build global brand awareness."
AKQA Search comprises multiple elements which allow clients to not only perform sophisticated paid search campaigns but also natural search, landing page and web site optimization, and custom content development as well as custom client-specific insight and market opportunity analysis. The new program highlights the significance of search as a major conduit from brand awareness messaging to customers taking an action via search activity. According to eMarketer, since 2004 a substantial 40 percent of all online ad spending is on search.
AKQA recently hired Scott Linzer, based in AKQA's San Francisco office, as Director of Search Marketing. Previously, Linzer was with McCann Worldgroup as Director of Search Marketing working on Microsoft and Nortel Networks. Additionally, AKQA's New York office s building its dedicated Media Strategy department and has appointed Jessica Drapiza as Associate Media Director. With over seven years of digital experience, Jessica specializes in developing performance-driven custom media campaigns. Prior to working at AKQA, Jessica spent three years at Starcom MediaVest as Associate Director of Digital Strategy.
"It is very important that we and our customers recognize that offline and online branding programs work holistically and search is essential in creating that bridge," said Linzer. "If we put all of this effort into developing exceptional online branding programs and they are not 'findable', then we don't get the results our clients expect."
The AKQA Search business unit continues AKQA's strategy of being an idea agency, developing integrated branding campaigns incorporating the best of both traditional and digital marketing concepts. AKQA Search will be powered by patent pending technology from SearchRev, the SEM firm acquired by AKQA in 2007.
AKQA
