Scaling Exverus Media without shortcuts, with Talia Arnold
Plus: Offshoring at Mediabrands, Publicis’ influencer acquisition spree, and another exit at Gale
Agency Business is brought to you by Brian Wieser’s Madison and Wall, in collaboration with Olivia Morley's FusionFront Media. We publish new podcast episodes every Monday at 6 a.m. Eastern.
Hello and welcome to Agency Business for the week of May 26, 2025. Episode 23 is available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.
Talia Arnold, co-founder and managing director of Exverus Media, joins us this week to share how her team has scaled a lean, award-winning media agency that competes with holding companies—without becoming one.
Talia talks about why she believes the success of media shops comes down to talent and problem-solving—not channel access or tech stacks—and how Exverus has developed a scalable model by leaning into its independence, selecting the right automation tools, and prioritizing full-funnel creativity.
We also discuss:
How Exverus translates its CPG expertise into success for streaming clients
The agency’s philosophy on offshoring, and how its built a high-performing LATAM-based team
Talia’s approach to hiring for curiosity and culture fit, not just credentials
And why everyone at Exverus is encouraged to act like a “chef,” not an order taker
News of the week: Discussed in Episode 23
IPG Mediabrands layoffs amidst offshoring
MW: This news is more about offshoring than layoffs, per se. Offshoring has been one of the big trends impacting the marketing services world over the last decade and more. Arguably some holding companies didn’t go far enough in the past, but at the present time I would be concerned about risks of tariffs or other policy choices in the U.S. that could make working with offshore entities more expensive in the coming years.
FFM: Isn’t this exactly the opposite, theoretically, of what the U.S. administration is trying to incentivize with its “Liberation Day” policies? Couldn’t this backfire given how tariffs and other U.S. policy are in flux? I find it fascinating to watch—and also worth noting that this restructuring is happening ahead of the expected IPG–Omnicom merger. Maybe these plans were made long ago, but more broadly, all signs point to cost optimization being front and center.
MW: We’ve written and talked a lot about the growing role of influencers in marketers’ media plans, and the influencer agency business model is a great way to capitalize on it. I only wonder what’s unique enough about these businesses that it’s worth investing significant amounts of money for acquisition vs. building out the capability internally. That’s not a judgment of wisdom—more of a real question!
FFM: Publicis has clearly been on an influencer buying spree—Captiv8 follows last year’s $500 million purchase of Influential. What caught my eye was Captiv8’s emphasis on scale across mid-tier influencers. The move feels like a play to own both the database and the infrastructure for ubiquitous (I call it “franchise-style”) creator marketing.
Gale’s new North America CEO exits
MW: On its face, this may just be a case of someone ascending to a role and having a better opportunity come up shortly after—nothing to see here, if that’s the case. But then again, in context, Gale established itself as a fairly strong brand within Stagwell and over the last couple of years appears to be struggling somewhat.
FFM: Founder-led agencies can thrive on internal continuity. After Brad Simms and now Sophia Zhang’s departures, I wonder what’s next for Gale and how much Stagwell proper will get involved to shape it. It’s important to note that Stagwell has a hands off approach relative to other holding companies. That is to say, Stagwell agencies seem to enjoy a good amount of independence. Will it stay that way?
Up next on Agency Business:
Next week’s guest is Jill Kelly, North America CEO at Assembly. Watch for the episode next Monday at 6 a.m. Eastern.
As always, Agency Business is not pay-to-play. We welcome guest pitches, especially from women and leaders of color in the industry. Send us a note if you’d like to come on the show or learn about sponsorship opportunities.