TBWA\Toronto has launched what it describes as a “strategic social media lab” within its newly created Digital Arts Network.
The introduction of the five-person Social Media Arts (SMARTS) unit follows prior rollouts in France, the U.S. (Los Angeles) and Hong Kong, said Tasha Dean, head of production, digital director and head of Digital Arts Network at TBWA\Toronto.
The SMARTS lab was incubated within Digital Arts Network, which brought together more than 700 “digital specialists” to provide clients with access to what the agency calls “best-of-breed” specialists and resources through a local entry point. The network was rolled out in 18 global markets earlier this month.
The new SMARTS lab will provide clients with a broad range of social media expertise, including social engagement strategy, implementation and community management, along with monitoring, measurement and optimization.
Social media, said Dean, has become an “intrinsic” part of the digital work TBWA is currently doing for its clients through Digital Arts Network. “The key thing we recognize in this market is that digital and social are completely tied together and both influence each other,” said Dean. “That’s a no-brainer.”
Dean said the brand agency is best able to deliver on the integration of clients’ social media activity with other digital marketing components. “We are the holders of the brand, so it made the most sense to have all activities associated with the brand in-house,” said Dean.
In cases where a TBWA client already employs a social media agency, such as Nissan, SMARTS will work closely with that agency, said Dean. “We have to respect those relationships,” she said.
Social media team leader Daniel Snow, whose background in the social media space includes a stint as social media account supervisor at the social media agency MTHRY, is leading the SMARTS lab.
