BarkleyOKRP Sets Up Media Agency MissionOne

BarkleyOKRP is the latest indie agency to spin up a media offering. On Thursday (March 13), the Kansas City-based full-service agency announced the launch of MissionOne Media, an independent media offering under the BarkleyOKRP umbrella. Led by media agency veteran Sean Corcoran as president, MissionOne will provide full-funnel media planning and buying services, as well as CRM, data, analytics, retail media, and digital experiences. It will work closely with BarkleyOKRP’s creative teams to offer integrated solutions while also working with clients independently. The agency currently manages $1 billion in billings and works with clients including the National Pork Board, Suja Life, TGL, Mariner, AMC, Ruiz Foods, The Vitamin Shoppe, Rawlings, and Global Industrial. It operates in the U.S. only. MissionOne was formed out of BarkleyOKRP’s existing 200-person media and analytics department and its tech stack is powered by Adlucent, the digital performance marketing agency BarkleyOKRP acquired in May 2024. “There is an enormous opportunity in media to compete at a holistic level,” Corcoran told ADWEEK. “We definitely have the scale that’s bigger than your average boutique. We’re not quite the size of a holding company, but we think that’s a good thing in today’s world.” Corcoran joined BarkleyOKRP as president of media and analytics in August from Mediahub, where he was most recently U.S. CEO. During his more than 12 years there, Mediahub grew from a division of MullenLowe to eventually spin out as an independent media agency part of the IPG Mediabrands network. Since he joined, he has brought on a leadership team that includes former brand-side marketer Pat LaCroix as EVP of media and growth; former Mediahub and Martin Agency exec Demian Brink as chief data and analytics officer; agency and ad tech vet Dan Davies as EVP product; and media agency vet Ernest Meadows III as EVP planning. In addition, the existing BarkleyOKRP media leadership team, which includes chief media officer Reshma Karnik; SVP data and analytics Madeline Juneau; SVP data and tech Matt Zeiger; SVP Business Operations Sue Krieg; and SVP CRM Benjamin McCabe, will join MissionOne. Independent and integrated Corcoran said that now was the right time to spin out MissionOne as an independent offering because as holding company media networks transform into platforms that add “another layer of buying and reselling media” to the process, clients are looking for “great partnership.” "I want to be a partner; I don’t necessarily need to resell you media," he said. "I understand the necessity of that from an economic standpoint at a certain scale, but it’s not something we need to do." Another advantage for MissionOne will be access to BarkleyOKRP's creatives. Currently about half of MissionOne’s clients are working with both agencies and the other half are independent media clients. “I like that ratio,” Corcoran said. “We want to have clients that are combined creative and media, but we want a scaled media and analytics arm as well in order to attract clients and talent.” Corcoran views MissionOne’s competitive set as other scaled independents and midsize holding companies. He said the agency’s ideal client spends between $50 million to $150 million on media and is looking to wrestle back transparency and control over an increasingly automated and opaque media buying process. “The big platforms, while they are great partners, have built, essentially, tools that are doing the work itself. With [that and] principal buying, there is all kinds of bias everywhere running against the advertiser,” he said. “We’re not here to create bias. We’re here to remove bias. I want to be the agency people look to and say, ‘They are being great partners.’” PE-backed The launch of MissionOne Media is the latest strategic move from BarkleyOKRP since the agencies merged last March with backing from private equity firm Keystone Capital. Under a new “big indie” positioning, BarkleyOKRP then acquired Austin, TX-based Adlucent two months later, adding heft to its media and analytics department. Corcoran said MissionOne has ambitions to grow to manage “several billion” dollars in billings. He said with Keystone’s backing, the agency is looking at potential acquisitions and bringing on talent that “can become strategic partners to clients.” “We want to be really cognizant that the service level is really important here. Just handing over the keys to tech doesn’t work,” he said. However, he wants to keep the team lean at around 1,000 to 2,000 people backed by “a very strong capability.” “At some point, average catches up to you if you get too big,” he said. “We don’t have ambition to be small, but that Goldilocks size that sits between the boutiques and the holding companies is where we want to be.”

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BarkleyOKRP Sets Up Media Agency MissionOne

Led by Sean Corcoran, MissionOne Media launches with $1 billion in billings

Alison Weissbrot

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