U.K. Agency Steak Media Beefs up Global Offering

U.K. digital agency Steak Media is expanding its overseas operations, and opening offices in New York and Melbourne, Australia.

The New York office will open today, headed up by Steak Media CEO Oliver Bishop and former Miva VP Global Marketing and Communications Chrysi Philalithes as Launch Managing Director.

Launch clients will include fashion brand French Connection, lingerie brand Myla, and mobile-based community FunkySexyCool. Current clients in the U.K. include British Gas and John Lewis department stores.

Speaking with ClickZ News, Philalithes said Steak Media had secured funding from venture capital firm Beringea in order to expand into new markets.

“We feel it’s the right time to take our services to the U.S.” she said. “We now have a presence in three continents, and in three key English language markets.”

When asked if further global expansion may be on the cards, Philalithes said “as with any growing company, we’re always looking at possibilities.”

The agency will offer search marketing, mobile search, affiliate marketing, digital creative, and planning and buying services. Philalithes also described reputation management as “an area of key interest” for the company in the U.S.

Other hires include Noah Elkin as vice president of corporate strategy, a role he had previously occupied at iCrossing, and Rick Dalton, former account manager at Did-it Search Marketing, as director of paid search.

“We make sure we have senior staff working closely with clients,” said Philalithes. “We feel that individual attention is really important.”

Steak Media was established in 2005 by a management team made up of former Espotting founding members. Espotting provided paid listings to Yahoo Europe, Lycos Europe and Ask, and was eventually folded into the Miva brand in 2005.

According to Steak Media’s Bishop, the company has experienced an average year-on growth of 275 percent over the past three years, and billings in 2007 amounted to approximately $50 million.