NEW YORK, Dec. 18, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Horizon Media, the largest independent media agency in the world, announced today that it has launched a new creative agency, Blue Hour Studios, tapping the storytelling capabilities from Brandshop by Group Nine Media, the number one video publisher on mobile in the U.S. Blue Hour Studios is an innovative new digital content studio designed to create more personalized content at scale for brands.
Blue Hour Studios leverages Horizon’s marketing expertise and access to the deep talent and resources needed to drive improved outcomes for brands. Horizon’s data and consumer insights expertise, together with Brandshop’s storytelling and creative capabilities offers clients a fresh approach to content strategy, creative development, production.
The fight for consumer attention continues to intensify, and the launch of Blue Hour Studios takes advantage of significant trends within the digital content space. Increasingly, consumers want more relevant content that better connects with them. Consumers are more likely to trust content over traditional ads, and they have rising expectations when it comes to content personalization and an improved user experience. However, marketers are struggling to keep up with these growing demands and lack the resources to scale nimbly and quickly.
In this constant quest for attention, it is critical that brands are properly resourced and are agile social storytellers. Brands need innovative partners like Blue Hour Studios who can help them explore first-to-market content opportunities on emerging platforms, like TikTok, Twitch and VSCO. Blue Hour Studios is driven by a team of creators and producers who are wired to explore the new and unknown and will take advantage of every new opportunity, bringing insight and inspiration to brand partners who are ready to dive into what’s new and what’s next.
“Marketers are looking to their partners for advice that they trust and solutions that provide real value and differentiation in driving improved business outcomes,” said Bill Koenigsberg, President, CEO and Founder of Horizon Media. “When we looked at the existing landscape we saw incredible opportunity. We didn’t see anyone in the market providing all the elements that clients so desperately need, so we brought it all together in designing Blue Hour Studios: brand management expertise, data and technology, innovative storytelling, agility, efficiencies, strategic services, custom creativity and asset ownership,” said Koenigsberg.
“We’re excited to have been tapped by Bill to bring Brandshop’s expertise to this new, independent company,” said Group Nine Media CEO, Ben Lerer. “Brandshop is the expert in creating unique, custom, branded social content for advertisers; we look forward to applying some of that expertise to help clients tell their own story in innovative ways across platforms as we gain a different perspective on client services,” said Lerer.
Blue Hour Studios will launch with 27 team members and will be led by Sarah Bachman with headquarters at Horizon’s offices at 75 Varick Street, New York and include an outpost in Los Angeles.
Said Bachman, “We have seen an increase in demand from our clients to help navigate content initiatives and have had the benefit of leveraging our marketing expertise to create personalized, relevant content for various platforms, channels and environments. We have partnered with Brandshop on client engagements during the past several years and have admired their work, and now as Blue Hour Studios we look forward to bringing a more fulsome offering of media plus content to Horizon’s client base and the broader market.”
Horizon Media has been active in moving beyond its core agency offering. In addition to continually adding new internal service offerings, in 2015, Horizon launched a new media agency, Canvas Worldwide, in a joint venture with INNOCEAN Worldwide. In 2016, Horizon turned its direct marketing division into a standalone entity, Horizon Next, since winning major clients UnitedHealth Group, Peloton and Safelite to name a few. In February 2019, Horizon launched Big, a new performance agency for startups and e-commerce brands and, most recently, Horizon launched a new full-service multicultural agency with Armando Christian Pérez (Pitbull), 305 Worldwide.
About Horizon Media
Horizon Media, Inc. is the largest independent media agency in the world. The company was founded in 1989, is headquartered in New York, and has offices in Los Angeles and Toronto. With estimated billings of $8.7 billion and over 2,300 employees, Horizon is the third largest U.S. media agency according to COMvergence data.
Recognized as one of the world’s ten most innovative marketing and advertising companies by Fast Company, Horizon Media has been named Media Agency of the Year by MediaPost, Adweek and AdAge and is known for its highly personal approach to client service. Renowned for its culture, Horizon is also consistently named to all the prestigious annual Best Places to Work lists published by Fortune, Forbes, AdAge, Crain’s New York Business and Los Angeles Business Journal; including “Best Workplaces for Diversity,” “Best Workplaces for Women,” and “Best Workplaces for Millennials” honors.
Earning the industry’s highest honor, Bill Koenigsberg, President, CEO and Founder of Horizon Media, was inducted into the American Advertising Federation (AAF) Hall of Fame in 2019.
About Group Nine:
Group Nine’s mission is to tell great stories that spark action and make a real difference. As the #1 video publisher on mobile in the U.S. [Nielsen DCR, July 2019], Group Nine's brands are built for the platforms where young people spend the majority of their time. We reach over 70% of Americans in their 20s every month [Nielsen, July 2019]. Audiences spend nearly 50 million hours a month engaging with our category-defining brands - NowThis, the no. 1 most-watched mobile news brand in the world; The Dodo, the no. 1 animal brand on digital; POPSUGAR, the leading digital lifestyle brand for women; Thrillist, the most-trusted digital brand in food, drink, travel & entertainment; and Seeker, the no. 1 science brand in the U.S. Group Nine has been recognized with hundreds of prestigious awards including Edward R. Murrow, James Beard, Cannes Lion, Critic’s Choice, among others.
For further information please contact
Horizon Media
Stephen Hall
(212) 220-1744
shall@horizonmedia.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8a135dae-609d-449b-835f-6e4858b325c0