LBi London

LBi tops Marketing magazine’s digital league table for the second year running

Posted by Calvin Lau October 28th, 2011

New blue-chip clients, significant hires and blending a first class creative and  technology service contributes to strong business growth

London: Global digital marketing and technology agency, LBi, has again topped the annual Marketing magazine digital agency league table.  Based on turnover, financial growth (benchmarked against 2010) and expansion in terms of staff and also the acquisition of new digital skills, the league is universally recognised as a clear indication of agency performance in the UK.

With mixed market conditions prevailing, LBi has bucked the trend and pitched and won some major accounts throughout 2011 including:  America’s Cup, ASDA, Coca Cola (NWEN), Coca-Cola (Global Olympics), Logica, Pruhealth, SABMiller, (Peroni, Grolsch and Kozel), Sony Ericsson, Lastminute.com, and Choice Hotels.  The agency has also grown organic revenue year-on-year by 17% from existing clients including: BT, Barclays, Lloyds TSB, Marks & Spencer and Virgin Atlantic and Starwood.

LBi also significantly grew its skill base with the acquisition of bigmoutmedia in 2010 which has led to new opportunities in SEO, social search, display and affiliate marketing.

In line with this expansion LBi has grown its personnel in over 25 departments with 100 new hires, taking the UK total to 545.  It has also continued to grow its core services and 2011 has seen the agency develop expert teams around Content Strategy, Branded Content and Mobile.

Anil Pillai, CEO, LBi UK said: “The digital industry in the UK continues to grow and innovate and LBi is clearly helping to lead this particular charge.  This year we’ve spent a lot of time galavanising our blended approach to technology, creativity and marketing by making significant hires, growing our talented teams and broadening our core services which has helped strengthen our position in the market.

“Looking ahead, the next year is already shaping up to be an iconicyear with our clients really grasping our blended offer and asking us what’s next for  their business.”  We have some awesome products launching in 2012 across household brands, many of who have a stake in the 2012 Olympics.  Our partnerships with top clients are flourishing. our mobile offering is maturing rapidly, we have significant new hires across departments and many new business prospects set for what is set to be another exciting year for LBi”.

Tags: agency leagues, asda, Barclays, BT, Chocie Hotels, coca cola, digital marketing, lastminute.com, Lloyds TSB, logica, marketing, Marks & Spencer, pruhealth, SABMiller, Sony Ercsson, Starbook

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Sony Ericsson launches Xperia Studio for artists and creative collaborators

Posted by Calvin Lau September 26th, 2011

London and New York: Sony Ericsson has launched Xperia Studio, an always-on entertainment platform for artists and collaborators to create and share their most innovative content.

Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Studio invites a range of creative thinkers, intellectuals and hackers – from collaborative artist collectives in Denmark to astrophysicists in New York – to take its range of Xperia handsets to their absolute limits, and ultimately to ‘remake reality’.

The first phase of the project has seen collaborators from around the world use Xperia handsets to create a flame-thrower camera flash, view the universe with the naked eye, capture the perfect wave and create a song from the ambient sounds of Paris. Each influencer project has been video-documented and uploaded to the Xperia Studio platform, an always on content theatre that showcases the interesting and innovative work being done as part of the global initiative. Xperia Studio also lives on Facebook and Twitter.

Moreover, Xperia Studio is unlocking creative thinking by asking participants to share their projects and contribute otherwise inaccessible experiences to a central, self-sustaining resource for this influential community and consumers alike.

The project underlines Sony Ericsson’s heritage as an innovator that continually blurs the lines between entertainment, technology and communications.

The first round of collaborators involved in the Xperia Studio project includes:

- Illutron, a collaborative interactive art studio in Copenhagen
- Dr. Joshua Peek, a Hubble Fellow and astrophysicist at Columbia University, NYC
- Ed Sloane, a lifelong surfer and innovative surf photographer from Victoria, Australia
- Annabel Linquist – an artist and musician from NYC

In each instance, Sony Ericsson has provided the collaborators with Xperia handsets and the means through which to document the work.

Chris Clarke, Chief Creative Officer of LBi, said: “It’s a real treat to work with a client so determined to break the tired old marketing paradigm. Sony Ericsson has been focused all along on creating something interesting and engaging. What’s so exciting about this is the way storytelling and technology combine to tell emotive stories. We’re excited to see where this will go in the future.”

Tags: collaborative, interactive art, mobile, mobile technology, mobile video, online video, Sony Ericsson, Xperia

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LBi introduces learning initiative for clients and staff


Posted by Calvin Lau August 24th, 2011

London: LBi taps Hyper Island to explore collaboration during Master Class

LBi, the global marketing and technology agency, has announced today it will embark on a learning initiative in collaboration with a selection of its big-brand clients and their roster agencies to develop the group’s ideas around digital innovation and organisational change.

Hyper Island is collaborating with LBi to explore blending, hosting a Master Class

LBi has long believed in blending insight, creativity, media and technical expertise to produce the best and most innovative work possible. This approach lies at the heart of the agency’s strategic partnerships with clients such as Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson and Virgin Atlantic Airways.

LBi has enlisted Hyper Island – the world leader in the field of education for interactive communication, change management and leadership through collaboration – to host an intensive three-day Master Class in Karlskrona, Sweden, which will be attended by a blended team of clients, roster agencies and LBi staff.  During the Master Class, taking place between 30^th September and 2^nd October, LBi will explore and experiment with its approach to blending and collaboration.

Later this year, LBi will share the outcomes of the experience with the wider marketing and advertising community via a series of articles, seminars and workshops.

“We believe this initiative comes at a crucial time as CMOs are being asked to stretch themselves into new uncomfortable territory, ” said Chris Clarke, Chief Creative Officer of LBi.  “Marketing no longer stands alone, but sits at the intersection of product, technology and communication. This means our clients and their agencies desperately need new ways of working.”

“It’s all about the people. Media and communication technologies have converged, and the industry needs talent that is collaborative, unbound by disciplines, and able to thrive in a rapidly changing environment,” said Christina Andersson, Director of Short Term Courses for Hyper Island. “Hyper Island has worked with various organizations since 1995 to develop more creative and efficient coworker teams and more profitable workplaces, and we are proud to be part of this journey for LBi.”

Tags: blending, client relationships, clients, collaboration, digital agencies, hyper island, training

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LBi retains Barratt Developments account following five-way pitch

Posted by Gareth Jones July 14th, 2011

London: The UK’s No.1 home builder Barratt Developments has reappointed LBi as the lead digital agency for its flagship Barratt Homes, David Wilson Homes and Ward Homes brands following a competitive five-way pitch process.

The strategic partnership will see LBi, Europe’s largest marketing and technology agency, deliver a wide-ranging digital strategy on behalf of the three Barratt Developments brands, spanning strategy, research, web design & build, user experience, technical development, CRM, content and social media.

LBi will work with Barratt Developments to devise a next-generation digital platform that will enhance the way in which new-homes are bought and sold, creating a rich and engaging user experience which best showcases the Barratt Developments offering, whilst supporting local sales and marketing.

Barratt Developments first appointed LBi three years ago, but the home builder recently decided to review its digital agency arrangements to make sure it was working with the right strategic partner as it embarks on the next stage of its digital development.

Over the coming months Barratt Developments and LBi will work together to deliver a rolling programme of development activity, bringing new energy to the Barratt Developments brand and increased technical innovation to the user experience.

Jeremy Hipkiss, Marketing Director at Barratt Developments, said: “Digital is central to our vision and strategy for creating a new and engaging way for customers to experience our products online.

We are delighted to be working with LBi, as they offer the right blend of digital expertise and experience necessary to deliver business benefits and innovation across our group.”

Ewen Sturgeon, CEO LBi EMEA, added: “We’ve had an amazing year in which we’ve been able to retain a number of key strategic accounts such as Barratt Developments, whilst successfully winning new pitches including Coca-Cola, SAB Miller and Sony Ericsson.

Barratt Homes has a real ambition and vision for using digital as the catalyst for improving and enhancing all facets of its business, which is why I believe Barratt Developments and LBi are such a great strategic fit.”

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