Acquisition Forms 'First Full-Service Social Media Agency With Scale'

Austin-based branded community provider Powered has, along with Portland-based StepChange and New York-based Drillteam, aquired Joe Jaffe's social media agency crayon. Jaffe describes the new corporate entity as "the first full-service social media agency with scale.

On his blog, crayon Partner Greg Verdino who will take on the role of vice president, strategy & solutions, wrote of the acquisition, "Together, we can offer everything a CMO needs in order navigate the world of social media and effectively integrating all things social into an overall marketing strategy -- beginning with strategic planning, running through service delivery and execution, capped with a surefire commitment to delivering measurable results, and supported by a program-proven set of technology platforms."

And anticipating what has become the derigueur response to new-fangled companies like this, Jaffe sets expectations writing, "We don't want to resort to the usual plethora of poppycock and bravado (other than solely mine of course) and we're mindful of empty promises - especially in the social media space. Let me stress this is a work-in-progress and that we intend to prove ourselves and let our collective work speak for itself. We already have an arsenal of case studies, but now it's time to let 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 30."

There are those who believe social media is a fad and there are those who believe it will become an integral part of marketing. Clearly, Jaffe, Verdino and the new Powered believe the later. We do too. This is not to say old-school advertising is dead. It isn't. It'll never completely die. It will change. A lot. And the social media aspect of marketing will play a very large role in the change.

Powered and the crowdsourced-focused Victor & Spoils are but two of the many changes we will see in the coming years. Some changes will be faddish and short-lived. Others will stick and truly change the face of marketing. We can't predict the future but we can guarantee it won't be boring. But it always pays to choose a social media agency that brings transparency and potential prospects to your company.