Water Cooler Group Launch - Led By Newly Appointed, Internationally Renowned Agency Veteran - Brings Power Of Media Brands To All

NEW YORK and LOS ANGELES, Aug. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Today marks the official launch of Water Cooler Group (WCG), a new brand media communications company structured to address the paradigm shift in how marketers build their brands today. The company – which also announced Antony Young, former CEO of Mindshare North America, joining as president effective August 26 – provides marketers with organic, wall-less holistic teams that are genetically built upon media and strategy to provide "talent on tap" to brands where and when they need it.

Water Cooler Group brings an alternative branding and communications solution for its clients through a unique structure that draws its strength from aligning established, industry leading, technologically advanced services in creative and content development (MAUDE), social media (HIP GENIUS), and iTV (BOLT) integrated alongside a strategic media communications powerhouse (Media Storm). The result is informed solutions that are more timely, relevant and current to brands. 

"The change that Water Cooler Group has set out to address is driven by the need for all brands to be – or behave as – media brands to truly engage and activate their targets," said Craig Woerz, co-founder and managing partner of WCG. "Through our heritage with entertainment and media properties, the Group is uniquely qualified to unlock and harness the power of media brands for all brands in order to make budgets go further, campaigns more impactful, results more significant and brands a deeper part of popular culture. And there is no one more qualified to lead and continue to develop this innovative approach and structure than our new president Antony Young."

Antony Young, previously CEO of Mindshare North America and before that CEO of Optimedia US, is a leader in advancing brand, media and content models that truly excite and persuade consumers as well as attract 5.0 talent and clients.

"Water Cooler Group brings a compelling proposition where brands can engage creative, social, technology and media in a fluid and less formulaic way that the large global holding company model can't replicate," said Antony Young, president of WCG. "With media shifting at an unprecedented pace, brands need to keep up and find better ways of leveraging media. The potential for a company like Water Cooler Group in this environment is very exciting."   

WCG's new model and philosophy has been built upon and proven through highly successful work for brands that include Connecticut Office of Tourism, Entertainment One, Food Network, FX, Major League Soccer, Open Road Films and WE tv.

Joining Mr. Young at WCG are two entrepreneurial executives. Benson Hausman joins as the executive director of marketing & development from such shops as Grey, D'Arcy and Kirshenbaum Bond, tasked with conveying the Group's innovative model and aligning the company with progressive minded brands. Chas Howell joins as managing director of strategy & ideation from Naked Communications to centralize strategic efforts across the agency's suite of services.

WCG has also developed proven tools to activate the power of media branding. These include "Full Force" (activates, maximizes and balances the value of paid, owned and earned media beyond traditional approaches), "The Steam Room" (an ideation think tank), "S.A.M.I." (taxonomy-based social listening tool), "The Talk Meter" (measures a brand's place in the vernacular) and "The Water Cooler Effect" (adds scale and conversation around a brand).

About Water Cooler Group
Water Cooler Group is a new brand media communications company that delivers holistic, media-led solutions to amplify budgets, impact and reach. Through a "talent on tap" model (media, creative, social and iTV), the Group provides the resources to unlock and deliver the true power of media and media branding to all brands. This structure and philosophy has made the Water Cooler Group one of the fastest growing companies in America. For more information about Water Cooler Group, its divisions and approach to media planning, please visit www.watercoolergroup.biz.

"Water Cooler Group: The power of media brands on tap."

SOURCE Water Cooler Group