Beyond Interaction Takes on New Name to Reflect Integration

Like another institution, change is coming to Beyond Interaction. The New York-based digital marketing and media firm will officially be known as MediaCom Interaction beginning February 1. The move symbolizes an ongoing evolution within MediaCom’s global agency network geared toward better integrating digital with other media strategy for clients.

The company’s clients have said they want “a much more integrated way of looking at digital,” said Doug Checkeris, MediaCom CEO for North America. “We’re trying to break down some of the internal barriers that get in the way of that.”

The digital firm offers online media buying and planning, brand and relationship marketing strategy, data analysis, and design and development for clients including Century 21, FAO Schwarz, JetBlue, P&G, and Volkswagen.

In a way, the name change follows alterations the shop has already begun. For instance, account teams working for clients such as Dell and Michelin are now operating more holistically, with digital staffers included rather than acting as separate entities. “In the past the budget would tend to be divvied up,” Checkeris explained.

As digital media accounts for more and more significant portions of marketing budgets, incorporating digital with other media strategy is the goal for MediaCom. “Strategy is Strategy,” said Checkeris.

Indeed, the company has bulked up its search marketing team to over 40 people, and boosted its analytics team. “The time is upon us where we just have to become more digitally driven,” continued Checkeris.

As a sprawling agency with offices in 23 countries, global integration is also a concern. Beyond Interaction’s digital siblings currently go by other names in various countries. “Part of this is unifying under one banner, Checkeris said. “We’ll be a lot more harmonious on the way we go to market on a global basis.”

In essence, the name change is “really just catching up with what we’ve already been doing,” said Checkeris.

But don’t expect the firm to stop changing to meet client needs and the needs of the marketplace. “We set ourselves on a course about 12 months ago for continuous reinvention,” Checkeris added.