VML is a digital marketing agency within the WPP Group, a global network of marketing firms. VML was founded in 1992 in Kansas City, Missouri, where its headquarters remain. As of 2012 it also has numerous divisions around the US, as well as in Europe, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific. ^[1]

Offering

VML is a full-service digital agency, meaning it is equipped to meet all online marketing needs for clients without hiring secondary vendors. Offered services include online advertising, website development, account planning, user experience planning, research, social media marketing, search marketing, mobile marketing, and web analytics. And in recent years, online marketers like VML have taken on more central roles for clients that were once the domain of traditional ad agencies, due to the growing weight of online channels in brands' marketing mix. ^[2]

Early Years

VML was founded in 1992 by Kansas City agency veterans John Valentine, Scott McCormick, and Craig Ligibel. In 1995, Matt Anthony joined the agency as fourth partner and later became it's first CEO, serving in that role from 2000-2011. ^[3] VML entered the nascent digital marketing industry by launching Sprint's first website in 1995. VML soon became known as a digital shop. This positioning, along with national clients and steady growth, led to a buyout offer from WPP. With the sale in 2001, VML became WPP's first all-digital agency and still it's largest.

Acquisitions and Expansion

VML made its first acquisitions with the backing of WPP in 2005, absorbing agencies Studiocom and GT to form the VML Network. Studiocom specializes in online product launch and branded entertainment. Based in Atlanta, GA, Studiocom also had an office in Bogotá, Colombia, which became VML's first non-US office. That same year VML added London-based GT to its network. Today Studiocom still operates under it's original name though GT later rebranded as VML London.

In 2008, VML opened a Milan office, it's first in continental Europe , under the leadership of Matteo Sarzana.

VML again grew its footprint in 2011. In a matter of months it launched operations in Brazil, Asia, and Australia. This expansion began with the purchase of Energy, a Sao Paulo digital agency, ^[4] and of Qais in Singapore, ^[5] and most recently with the opening of a digital venture with Y&R Australia in Sydney.

Joining Young & Rubicam

Since joining WPP, VML had maintained a close relationship with Y&R (originally Young & Rubicam), a global advertising agency based on New York's Madison Avenue. In 2009, VML formed a much deeper alliance with Y&R, formally becoming a part of its network to serve as Y&R's global digital backbone. ^[6] Today VML and Y&R collaborate on major clients including Colgate and Revlon, and they continue to support one another's growth ambitions. ^[1]

Leadership

Jon Cook succeeded Matt Anthony as VML's CEO in 2011, after serving as company's president for years. Anthony remains involved in the company, sponsoring select accounts and overseeing global expansion. ^[3] Much of the executive team has worked together for as much as a decade. ^[1]

Officers

• Jon Cook, CEO and President
• Matt Anthony, Global Chairman
• Debbi Vandeven, Chief Creative Officer
• Eric Baumgartner, Chief Innovation Officer
• Beth Wade, Chief Client Officer
• Eric Campbell, Chief Engagement Officer
• Jim Bellinghausen, Chief Financial Officer
• Craig Braasch, Chief Operating Officer

Clients

The agency’s active client roster includes Carlson Hotels Worldwide, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Dignity Memorial, English Premier League, Ford, Gatorade, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Kashi, Kellogg, Microsoft, Revlon, SAP, Saks Fifth Avenue, Southwest Airlines, T-Mobile, Tom’s of Maine, U.S. Bank, Western Union, and Xerox. ^[7]

Awards and Recognition

References