Pickup Puts Priority on Reaching LGBT Audience

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Public relations firm MWW is tapping into the gay and lesbian market with the recent acquisition of Macias Media Group, an L.A. marketing and PR relations firm that focuses on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

JP Schuerman, executive vice president and general manager of MWW’s western region and based in Hollywood, said the goal of the acquisition was to help support clients wanting to create campaigns targeted to a gay and lesbian audience.

“While there’s specialty marketing across all demographics, LGBT is unique given all of the issues,” Schuerman said. “And having individuals that live and breathe and innately understand that audience was critical.”

Stephen Macias founded Macias Media in 2012 after serving as executive vice president and general manager at Here Media Inc. in Westwood, which owns and operates LGBT publications such as Advocate and Out magazine.

The firm has an office in Los Angeles that will close and the staff of six will move into MWW’s L.A. office. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Macias Media’s clients such as Spruce Flowers in Silver Lake and Out will stay on as clients of MWW.

Stephen Macias will oversee all LGBT marketing and serve as senior vice president of MWW. He said the opportunity will also allow him to work with MWW’s corporate clients such as Air New Zealand, Edmunds.com Inc. in Santa Monica and Nikon Corp. in Tokyo.

“The idea of combining their global practice with our LGBT practice really makes the idea of scaling the opportunities across the country and across the world something that will allow us to work with more clients,” said Macias.

Infomercials to Mobile

Direct-response marketer Hawthorne Direct in downtown Los Angeles has been turning more of its energy to digital marketing in recent months.

And now, the company is launching a mobile marketing initiative with the addition of Jared Lake.

Lake is its new director of digital business development and previously worked at mobile marketing agency M&C Saatchi Mobile in Santa Monica as director of business development.

Jessica Hawthorne-Castro, chief operating officer at Hawthorne Direct, said the company’s push into digital is a reflection of changing media. The agency has been working with digital marketing but, with the addition of Lake, it hopes to expand its reach in the area.

“Historically, the agency was born out of infomercial marketing,” said Hawthorne-Castro. “But digital is where many of the consumers, in terms of being on their devices, are going, so that’s definitely a focus of where we’re looking at our digital media placement.”

This month it also doubled its office space at LA Center Studios.

The agency was founded in 1986 by Hawthorne-Castro’s father, Timothy Hawthorne, chairman and chief executive at the company. Clients include 3M Co. in Saint Paul, Minn.; Hamilton Beach Brands Inc. in Glen Allen, Va.; and Armored AutoGroup in Danbury, Conn., known for its Armor All product. Staff size is 70.

Hawthorne-Castro said its digital efforts won’t detract from the agency’s campaigns for television as well as print and radio.

“It’s definitely just an expansion focusing on our clients and consumer habits,” she said.


Agencies & Accounts

Communications firm High Lantern Group in Pasadena has named Nazanin Arandi creative director. Arandi was creative lead at Phenomenon, a marketing agency in Mid-Wilshire. … West Hollywood’s Lowe Campbell Ewald has been named agency of record by Energy Upgrade California, a state energy education campaign. The agency will handle marketing, education and outreach. … Public relations firm Umpire PR in West Hollywood has signed client Centerlight Inc., an LED designer and manufacturer in West Hollywood. The firm will handle public relations, branding and social media marketing. … Digital marketer Conversant Inc. in Westlake Village has named Oded Benyo president of ValueClick Europe. Benyo was senior vice president of enterprise operations for Conversant Media in Chicago. … GolinHarris, a downtown L.A. public relations firm, has named Emily Reed associate creative director and Danielle Kasum designer. … Culver City ad agency Omelet has hired Victoria Guenier as a partner and head of production. Guenier was senior vice president and director of broadcast production at Playa Vista ad agency Deutsch LA. … Blaine Group Inc., a communications agency in Beverly Hills, has acquired client Marilyn Jenett, an entrepreneur and speaker. The agency will expand Jenett’s “Feel free to prosper” program. … Ad agency Horizon Media has named Travis Harding director of social media at its Century City office. Harding was senior manager of social media at Mattel Inc. in El Segundo. … Ignited, an ad agency in El Segundo, has been named agency of record for Irvine footwear brand Sanuk. The agency will focus on digital media, production and video.

Staff reporter Subrina Hudson can be reached at [email protected] or (323) 549-5225, ext. 251.

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