The Works and RXP have launched a new content and production agency, Daresay, with a number of King Content staff and clients migrating to the new business.
Following the high-profile closure of King Content last year - iSentia’s content and strategy division - The Works reached an agreement to continue working on a number of its existing clients, in addition to hiring four of its senior team, including general manager Ruth Haffenden, senior content strategist Yanni Kyriacos and two senior editors.
Daresay is already working with ex-King Content clients such as Optus, Rentokil, Primo Small Goods, Snap Printing and several smaller brands.
It is also working with The Works and RXP clients, Masterpet, Brother and Intuit.
Haffenden, who joined The Works at the end of last year as head of strategy and content, has been working on the transition of King Content clients for several months.
Speaking to AdNews, she describes a “stark difference” between the culture of Isentia and The Works that she believes will see the agency avoid the same fate of King Content.
“The way the RXP and The Works came together has been indicative of that. They understand the landscape, which can be in danger when a big corporate business buys a creative agency – it can stifle the culture. But that’s not the case here,” she says.
King Content’s demise hasn’t deterred agencies from moving into content marketing. Along with The Works, Mercerbell launched a content marketing division last year and PR agency Sweaty Betty today also announced a foray into content production.
“It’s never been a better time to take a serious look at a strategic content offering,” Haffenden says, adding that with Facebook turning off access to third-party data, branded content becomes more important.
“Creative needs to answer to ROI and show how it’s placed in the full marketing lifecycle and brands need content to sit across all different channels, including the pointier end of conversion.
“The media landscape is getting more democratised and fragmented, and there are more places where we can place content to communicate with audiences.”
Rachel Solomon, head of broadcast and content at Daresay, believes its content offering is a differentiating factor as the agency offers “the full package”, from blog posts to whitepapers to video content via its in-house production studio.
“Some of the other content agencies pertain to have production and strategy and everything clients want, but we actually have that offering,” Soloman says.
“We feel that it will stand us apart from the other content agencies that have been introduced into the market.”
Haffenden agreed, saying there was a lot of “smoke and mirrors” with agencies and publishers claiming they can offer a variety of content options but don’t have the capability.
When asked how Daresay will compete with publishers like Bauer and Pacific Magazines, which have been sealing up their own content studios, Haffenden says the benefit of the agency is it’s impartial.
“It’s hard for a publisher to impartially make a decision for a client of where content should be placed. We have no affiliations,” she says.
The 10-strong agency has ambitions to grow this year and is also pursuing Melbourne clients.
In our April edition of AdNews, RXP and The Works discuss how the two businesses are integrating together, their new culture positioning and upcoming ventures. Subscribe here to read the full feature - it's out now.
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