M&C opens shopper marketing unit

M&C Saatchi Group is launching a shopper marketing agency and has poached Arc Worldwide managing partner Michelle Whelan to head up the new venture.
Launching in September, the as yet unnnamed agency will service existing M&C clients, as well as targeting new retail and packaged goods brands.
M&C will bring together staff from across the group to create an integrated offering, with creative overseen by Lida executive creative director Nicky Bullard.
Whelan started her career at BBDO Vancouver in 1998, then had a spell at See: Advertising before launching her own agency Whelan Gault Communications in 2005.
In January 2009 she joined Iris as client services director, switching to Arc Worldwide as head of shopper marketing 18 months later. Whelan has worked with a range of retail and packaged goods brands, including Tesco, P&G, Cadbury, Samsung, Sony, VW, L’Oreal and EA Games.
She will join M&C Saatchi Group in May to begin laying the ground-work ahead of the launch.
M&C Saatchi Group chief executive Lisa Thomas said: “Understanding why and how and where people buy is increasingly more important to our clients and to producing brilliant creative ideas. Data and technology make this an even more exciting space to be. Michelle is bright, charming and knows Shopper inside out. She is the perfect person to lead our offer across the Group in the UK.”
Whelan added: “Historically, shopper marketing has been on the periphery of agency and client thinking. In a world where every channel is shoppable, there is massive opportunity to create commercial advantage by connecting data, mobile, social, experiential and creative technology.”