ATTN:’s New Creative Shop Is on Track to Net 70% Revenue Growth

Since its debut last July, the in-house creative shop launched by the social publisher ATTN: has quickly found its footing, notching 50% year-over-year revenue growth while pacing to finish the year up 70%, according to president Taryn Crouthers.

While such a steep uptick in revenue, especially from a young company, would typically indicate a low base, the shop began operations with an active pipeline of clients that came from its publishing business.

As a result, it generated eight figures of revenue in its first year and has roughly 10 active clients, although ATTN: declined to provide a specific figure.

“The entire reason for formalizing the shop came from partner demand,” Crouthers said. “That is a big part of what has enabled us to grow so quickly.”

The 60-person agency has achieved its growth by both increasing the deal size of its existing clients and winning new business, according to ATTN: founder Matthew Segal. 63% of its revenue increase came from expanding current contracts with clients such as TikTok and Indeed, while the remaining 37% came from landing new business, like Google Pixel.

The addition of the creative shop adds a third line of business to the ATTN: portfolio, alongside its traditional publishing operation and its work creating original video series. 

The strategy reflects a yearslong trend from publishers to diversify their revenue with new lines of business, and ATTN: was particularly well positioned to branch into creative work, according to agency consultant Karl Sakas.

“ATTN: has had its social-good focus from its inception, which has given them a strong brand reputation,” Sakas said. “They also reach millennials and Gen Z, and their publisher-adjacency gives them considerable credibility when it comes to understanding their audience.”

Translating publisher savvy to agency business

According to Segal, much of the success the ATTN: creative shop has seen stems from its years creating content as a social publisher.

The publisher has navigated the flux of the media ecosystem for more than seven years, in which time it has grown accustomed to migrating from platform to platform and shifting its strategy to satisfy changing tastes and algorithms. This track record has helped ATTN: convince brands that it can move nimbly when need be, according to Segal.

“The fact that we have learned by doing is a very powerful value proposition,” Segal said. “It’s not academic for us.”

The focus of ATTN: on distilling complex social issues into digestible pieces of content has also helped it win business, as brands often need to communicate dense information in a captivating fashion, according to Tucker Matheson, cofounder of digital strategy firm Markacy. 

“The success of ATTN’s model runs parallel with the growth in YouTube creators, influencers and boutique media outlets,” Matheson said. “These companies and individuals have latched on to the TikTokization of content, where bite-sized content syndicated across short-form video platforms is driving superior customer engagement, but requires a higher volume.”

For instance, in a spot for Google Chrome, ATTN: created a short video that involved the rappers Lil Yachty and Busta Rhymes, as well as F1 driver Lando Norris, to highlight the speed of the browser. In another project, the creative shop helped launch TikTok for Good, then grew their brief to eventually include assisting the platform with marketing, communications and storytelling, according to Segal.

While its background as a publisher brings it certain advantages, ATTN: has made it a point to bring in staff from a variety of industries to diversify its perspective. 

Recent new hires, including managing director Kristen King and senior vice president of operations Cindy Vanegas-Gesuale, come from a mix of independent agencies, established firms, publishers and creator backgrounds, according to Crouthers. 

Diversifying the ATTN: business

In many ways, ATTN: correctly anticipated several of the directional trends that have since come to dominate the digital world, including short-form video, creator-centric content and IP extensions.

To diversify its business, the publisher is now doubling down on some of those formats while working to cultivate new lines of revenue. 

For instance, ATTN: has been producing original video series since 2017, as well as adapting short-form concepts into larger projects. But with demand for digital and streaming video on the rise—and its 2022 acquisition by production company Candle Media—ATTN: plans to produce more ambitious, long-form video projects in the near future, according to Segal.

In May, a social media series ATTN: created with actress Zooey Deschanel, called What Am I Eating?, was picked up by Max, the streaming service from Warner Bros. Discovery. It has also developed topical videos, such as episodes on vaccines and voting, and sold them to networks including CBS, NBC and ABC as specials. 

Additionally, its fluency in the world of influencer marketing has led ATTN: to offer creator casting, leveraging its relationships with social media figures to help brands looking for partners.

“We see this as the beginning,” Crouthers said. “ATTN: is still a startup in our minds, and we are not resting on our laurels.”