Spread the word: leading word-of-mouth agency BzzAgent is coming to Canada thanks to an exclusive licensing agreement with Rogers Media.
Operating as BzzAgent Canada, Rogers Media will offer WOM services alongside its print, broadcast and digital offerings. It will sell and market the service nationwide, taking over BzzAgent’s “dozens” of existing Canadian clients. Back-end services such as research, analysis and campaign creation will be handled by BzzAgent’s Boston-based operation.
According to Dave Balter, BzzAgent’s CEO, the deal began to come together six months ago when Rogers approached him for a smaller project.
“During the discussions about the program, it became clear that the businesses were aligned,” says Balter. “We sort of looked into each other’s eyes and fell in love.”
The Rogers deal is unique for BzzAgent, which also has operations in New York, Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco and London.
“This is the first time we’ve licensed the brand to someone else,” Balter says, adding that the deal should lead to the expansion of its client base as well as its “agent” network in Canada.
The agency uses a network of 360,000 agents—20,000 in Canada—to drive its campaigns. After experiencing a product, agents discuss it among a target demographic while identifying themselves as BzzAgent employees.
That high-level of transparency appealed to Brian Segal, president and CEO of publishing for Rogers Media, who says its “code of ethics” has bolstered BzzAgent’s reputation as an industry leader.
“The investigations we did demonstrated that they were the lead player in the U.S. and the U.K.,” Segal says. “They had a foothold in Canada to start with, and we liked them as a company. Their leadership is a good leadership.”
As an ad offering, word-of-mouth is on the rise, says Bruce Neve, senior vice-president and managing director of Mediaedge:cia. It now has a place alongside print and broadcast media, and with BzzAgent coming north, Canadian clients will have easier access to this growing field.
“It expands [Rogers’] ability to provide that full communication solution,” he says.
Neve says the partnership signals positive signs of growth for Rogers along with the recent acquisition of five Citytv television stations from CTVglobemedia and the ongoing development of its other properties.
