Boutique Search Agency Chacka Taps Booth As COO, Expands Brand Services

Tech-savvy independent agencies are seeing new opportunities, filling a void left by the multiple acquisitions and consolidation of the past year. This has allowed Chacka Marketing to convince Ryan Booth, formerly of Kenshoo, to come on board as chief operating officer, Janel Laravie, the company's founder, told Search Marketing Daily.

To name a few, Harte Hanks acquired 3Q Digital in March 2015. Dentsu Aegis Network acquired Covario in September 2014. Dentsu acquired Fetch in November 2014. "Many advertisers prefer independent agencies because their loyalty is exclusive to the client's best interests," Laravie says. While recruiting Booth signals an advancement in Chacka's evolution, it will become increasingly important to keep an eye on fueling the growth of the agency's loyal client base.

Chacka on Thursday will publicly announce the appointment of Booth as COO to support the agency's brand clients such as Experian, Shutterfly, Barnes & Noble, and others. He will oversee client management teams, service offering expansion and vendor partnerships.

Prior to Chacka, Booth served as senior director of global agency strategy for Kenshoo, collaborating with agency partners. Originally commissioned to open the Kenshoo Chicago office, he moved through the ranks of Client Services and Business Development.

As advertisers become more strategic in their agency partner selection, Chacka's growth has been largely attributed to word-of-mouth referrals. Booth's track record of developing successful teams will position Chacka to take on more clients and expand its service offerings, Laravie says.

"Ryan has the unique perspective of having seen the inner workings of just about every agency in existence," Laravie says. "It is truly exciting for me to see this little thing I started six years ago, with 20 employees, continue to grow."

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