Philadelphia-based agency 160Over90 is expanding with a new office in Columbus, Ohio.
The new location will be the agency’s fourth office and follows several new business wins including embarking on a rebrand for Louisiana State University, developing strategic positioning and digital touchpoints for Furman University, a private liberal arts school in the South that’s going head-to-head against large publics; recasting enrollment communications for Biola University, entering into a partnership with NYU and more.
160Over90 principal and chief strategy officer Carey Schmitt and chief creative officer, managing director Matt Yuskewich will share leadership duties for the new office.
Last year, private equity firm Searchlight Capital Partners bought a majority stake in the agency, in a deal valued at around $175 million.
DIVERGE talked to Maggie Insogna, Group Account Director, Principal at 160over90, to find out more:
Your agency has gotten new clients in 2017- how is this affecting you and the agency growth?
We are thrilled to work with these globally-recognized brands, and will continue staffing our agency against the growth of business portfolio, and to meet the expectations of each client.
Why is this significant?
At 160over90, we have more experience in higher education than probably any agency in the world… but the same goes for our 15+ years in sports, or automotive, or consumer packaged goods. Working with new clients such as Louisiana State University in higher education, and then Bimbo Bakeries in the CPG space, allows us to constantly gain inspiration and hone our skills in diverse arenas. Ultimately, sharpening our tools in one industry prepares us for another, giving us unique perspectives on the techniques that work.
As you are expanding, are you also listing open positions?
Yes! – http://160over90.com/careers/
What is it like working in the higher education landscape?
Higher education is such a large market, and it’s an exciting one to be in. 160over90 currently partners with more than 30 institutions in the higher education space, and what allows us to work with such a large number of schools concurrently is our ability to identify and translate each school’s individual ethos and key messaging into an impactful campaign.
But it’s more than just creating unique messages across different institutions, one of the most exciting elements of the higher education space is the diversity of the audiences; for example, we are currently creating customized content to bolster Gen Z interest and engagement, developing strategic framework to reach donors for multi-billion dollar capital campaigns, optimizing the academic communications flow to shine light one school’s health programs, and facilitating recruitment efforts by crafting powerful narratives that elevate the duality of academics and athletics.
How much does diversity play in a role of your campaigns? Of your agency?
If you only work in one industry, your perspective is limited, and the tendency is to play it safe. But safe doesn’t inspire audiences, nor does it move the needle. At 160over90, our team has experience working in a plethora of industries, which is reflected in the diversity of the campaigns we have worked on.
Within a few steps through the doors at any of our offices, you’ll feel the energy and ethos of 160over90, which emanates from our smart, diverse, and passionate group of talent. The team here has skills that are as wide-ranging as their interests, which ultimately translates to innovative, bespoke business solutions for our clients.
As your portfolio diversifies, how do you hope to see the agency evolve?
Our immediate plan is to expand our 4 existing 160over90 offices. Looking forward, we are interested in pursuing opportunities in the Pacific Northwest and ultimately growing an international agency presence.
Why did you decide to open another office in Ohio?
We always had aspirations to have an office in the Midwest. Our decision to open came from assessing where our clients were located, and then deciding how best to provide them with access to our team and the resources needed for our agency to successfully deliver innovative campaigns. We know that our clients need an agency partner that is nimble, accessible, collaborative, and dedicated to their business. With this in mind, our Columbus office allows us to be close to our clients, and steeped in media markets across the country.
What makes your agency stand out from others?
We have a discipline that our agency adheres to, as it relates to the 160over90 process, that we don’t bend from. And it’s because of our rigorous process that we have proven success with a wide range of audiences from automotive manufacturers and clothing brands to innovative higher education campaigns. When our agency process is applied to an ever-growing client roster, it directly translates to our ability to cross-pollinate learnings across industries – especially industries that warrant a fresh storytelling approach.
