Interpublic of : Reprise Taps Glen Conybeare to Lead Commerce Push

Commerce is all the rage, and Reprise wants in on the action.

The global performance marketing agency said Wednesday it has selected Glen Conybeare to lead its commerce offering as global president of Reprise Commerce, a new role at the agency. Conybeare takes on the role from within the Reprise network, where he was managing director of U.K.-based performance agency StickyEyes.

Conybeare, who is an entrepreneur but admittedly "not a commerce expert," joins Reprise Commerce with a specific mandate: grow the business globally. Conybeare aims to bring scale and standardization across global teams while continuing to prioritize innovation.

"Commerce is hot at the moment, but I've been around long enough to see hot things before - social media, content, etc." Conybeare told Campaign US. "The danger is you forget to innovate and you just provide services. I want to make sure we're innovating as fast as we're growing."

Reprise Commerce launched just under a year ago as e-commerce was taking off wildly during the pandemic. Despite competition in the market, the offering aims to differentiate by helping clients navigate e-commerce while maintaining profit. That's been difficult to do, as agencies that focus on driving traffic aren't often in-the-know about inventory and supply chain levels.

"The conversations [at brands] are shifting from 'We need to sell online' to 'How do we sell online and make as much profit as we used to?'" Conybeare said. "You need an understanding of pricing strategy, stock control and chargeback management."

Most agencies don't have that expertise in-house, but Reprise has hired talent from retailers and brands that are now "paying dividends," he added. Reprise Commerce employs roughly 500 people globally.

Conybeare aims to create new global leadership roles for Reprise Commerce to steer client management, allowing subject matter experts to focus on the work and innovation. He sees opportunities to innovate on the "slightly less sexy and interesting back end" of commerce in order to help brands actually make profit from their endeavors.

Reprise is looking at acquisitions and off-the-shelf technology but will also build technology where there are gaps.

Commerce is a big priority not just for Reprise but also for its parent company IPG Mediabrands.

"I have an entrepreneurial background and I know about growing businesses," Conybeare said. "That's a fairly good statement of intent about Reprise Commerce."