Whalar Hires Target Corporation's Influencer Marketing Head Karyn Spencer as SVP, Partnerships

LOS ANGELES, March 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Whalar, the creativity and technology-driven influencer marketing solution, today announced that digital and talent veteran Karyn Spencer has joined as SVP, Partnerships, a newly created role. Spencer joins as a result of the rapid growth of Whalar's US business and a significant increase in brand collaborations and revenue, and will be responsible for expanding the company's relationships with both brands and creators. In 2019, Whalar was the first and only influencer marketing agency to win a Cannes Lion, and is the only influencer solution to be a preferred partner of Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. Spencer will be based in the company's Los Angeles offices.

Spencer previously led Talent Partnerships and Influence Marketing for Target, where she produced the successful YouTube series that paired traditional celebrities like Tiffany Haddish and Angela Kinsey with digital talent like Casey Neistat and Emma Chamberlain. She also launched an annual influencer initiative, #TargetTalent, with Queer Eye's Bobby Berk, The Try Guys' Ned Fulmer, and more. She brought Will Smith to Target's National Sales Meeting and produced a video where he surprised guests shopping in the store. 

Prior, Spencer was Head of Creators at Vine, where she created the platform's global talent strategy, casting and producing the cult classic "Camp Unplug", which spotlit some now-huge creators like Cody Ko, Danny Gonzalez, and Lauren Giraldo. 

Spencer began her career in Hollywood working with actor-entrepreneur Ashton Kutcher for five years, first as his assistant and then as his VP of production. In 2011, she was Tyra Banks' director of communications, and in 2013, made the move into digital entertainment as VP of brands for the first-ever influencer agency theAudience. She became VP of AT&T's social content venture Hello Lab in 2017, and during her time there helped magician-creator Collins Key win at the Streamy Awards for his 2017 series The Disappearing Girl.  She also produced the digital series Guilty Party, as well as leveraged David Dobrik and the Vlog Squad in a campaign for DirecTV's Jennifer Lopez concert. In addition, she led AT&T's two- year partnership with Taylor Swift and Hello Lab's Mentorship Program, which connected emerging filmmakers with established artists like Lena Waithe, Common, and Octavia Spencer. She was named one of The Wrap's 2017 Innovators for this work. 

"Karyn is one of the original leaders in influencer marketing, having proven time and again her unmatched ability to pair incredible brands with the world's freshest creators, delivering business results with truly compelling and unique content. Her background in merging brand marketing with both traditional and digital entertainers demonstrates an understanding of the unique challenges that marketers face in today's environment, and she knows how to break through the noise. She will be an exceptional partner to our clients across the US," said Neil Waller, co-founder and CEO, Whalar.

Spencer said, "I was first introduced to Whalar when I met with them at Target, and when I saw how they are driving both creative and measurement innovation in the market, I couldn't resist joining them. For the last few years, I've worked in-house with brands to build digital creator and celebrity initiatives. With Whalar, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with multiple brands at once, helping them evolve their influencer strategies to create more resonant, relevant partnerships. I'm looking forward to doing more of what I love; connecting the best creators to the best brands and generating success for both parties." 

About Whalar

Whalar is a full-service influencer marketing and content creation solution. We leverage the most creative and credible talent to produce high quality content for brands, and are on a mission to Liberate the Creative Voice. We make advertising more personable, more culturally relevant, and more effective by including ALL creative voices, delivering authenticity at scale. Headquartered in New York and London, we work with 300+ brands across seven global offices. For more information, please follow us @whalar or visit us www.whalar.com   

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