• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, September 7, 2017

OK, all you Adland all-stars, if you’re thinking of making a move you may want to consider a career at Sprint, which just confirmed that it is in the process of creating a new in-house digital agency.

The telecom giant indicated that it’s looking to hire 100 staffers for the new agency this year, and more next year. But be forewarned: It may require a relocation to Kansas or Virginia, which is where the majority of the agency team will be housed.

A rep said the firm is already hard at work on the new agency: “We are looking for digital and digital marketing all-stars to join Team Sprint,” the rep said.

The firm has been working on a major turnaround plan for the last couple of years. The plan includes a major reduction in expenses, including millions in ad expenditures, as well as a greater focus on digital.

Sprint says the effort is starting to pay off, noting that it has made “significant progress” on utilizing digital platforms to drive and convert more customers online and at retail. The company says post-paid phone gross additions through digital channels doubled year-over-year and post-paid upgrades nearly tripled year-over-year in the first quarter of fiscal year 2017.

The firm believes the new agency will enable streamlined internal communications, increased speed to market, annual cost savings and the ability to take a more data-driven marketing approach.

“As we continue to transform Sprint, we’re doing things differently and taking bold steps to drive better results and efficiencies, including greatly expanding our digital capabilities,” stated Rob Roy, Chief Digital Officer at Sprint, who will lead the new agency.

The company rep said the in-house agency would handle display, programmatic and paid search advertising.

In addition to experts in those areas, the firm is looking for media buying and analytic talent, as well as pros for areas such as customer care, web development and operations.

How this new agency impacts current roster shops such as Droga5 and Horizon remains to be seen. For now, “we continue to work with both,” per the rep.

No word yet on the name and branding for the new agency, which is the second new in-house shop the company has created in as many years. Last year, it created YellowFan Studios to focus on creative content and messaging strategy.

So far, YellowFan seems to be working, with the Sprint rep calling it a “great success.”

So, digitally savvy Adlanders, if you want to make a move, now would be a good time to dust off the resume and shoot it to Sprint here.