After launching their “whole human” approach in March, TRG now unites subject-matter experts in paid social, programmatic, Google/YouTube, and content strategy into a new team called the Brand Performance Group. This team will identify attention-rich opportunities for brands that balance long-term brand-building and short-term sales objectives. Rather than competing for a slice of the budget pie or debating YouTube vs. TikTok, this team focuses on what these platforms have in common: opportunities to earn people’s attention.
“TRG is all about the power of ‘and’,” said TRG Chief Strategy Officer Christopher Ferrel. “Brand and performance, emotion and promotion, art and science. A mountain of evidence-based marketing research supports this, and we’ve seen it firsthand. Our creative and media work together to earn the attention of those in the market both today and in the future. This is key to our ‘whole human’ approach and one of the first proof points of our more memorable, meaningful work.”
This announcement coincides with the changing dynamics in advertising spending, as most of advertisers’ media dollars increasingly flow through just a handful of platforms: Google/YouTube, Meta (Facebook and Instagram), TikTok, and Amazon. TRG’s Brand Performance Group has subject-matter experts in Google/YouTube, Meta, TikTok, and programmatic advertising. The group is led by Scott Luther, who takes on a new title as Head of Connections Strategy & Brand Performance Marketing.
“People are not one-dimensional. They do not use media any one particular way and are only rarely on a linear path to purchase. Most importantly, people aren’t always rational and consistent – we cannot expect a simple, logical plan to work every time. Truly captivating and moving people requires heart and magic,” said Luther. “The way we connect with people through our campaigns must be multifaceted – rich with insights into how humans actually live, work, connect, and unwind. We need to treat their attention as preciously as they do, so our approach to brand performance is all about balance: attention and action, broad and targeted, short- and long-term growth.”
TRG’s Brand Performance Group is among the industry’s early adopters of human attention metrics, exploring partnerships with platforms like Amplified Intelligence, System1, Adelaide, Integral Ad Science, and others. The group will work closely with TRG’s creative and strategy teams to create more effective media strategies and more inspired creative ideas.
