Goat

A London-founded social media and influencer marketing agency, now part of WPP's GroupM, working with brands such as Dell, Tesco and Nivea.

About Goat

Goat (often written GOAT, or The Goat Agency) is a social media and influencer marketing agency. Influencer marketing means brands working with creators on platforms such as Instagram, YouTube and TikTok to make content their audiences enjoy. Its own site calls it "the first truly social-first advertising agency, powered by influencers". Goat describes itself as a global, award-winning agency that also does social media strategy, paid social, content production and community management.

A careers-site profile gives its mission as to "help brands influence everywhere" and to empower content creators. Its listing also says it aims to drive awareness, engagement, conversions and "brand love" through long-term social strategies and data-driven influencer campaigns. It says it guarantees what a campaign will deliver before it starts, so clients know what their budget buys. Treat these as the agency's own claims. It runs events in London and New York called The New Creator Ecosystem, about how brands can work with creators.

Goat was founded in 2015 by Arron Shepherd, Nick Cooke and Harry Hugo. ACQUIRED: by WPP (2023). The WPP announcement says Goat joins GroupM and merges with WPP's influencer solution INCA, and that the combined business "will go to market as Goat", so the name continues. Its own site gives the London office as Rose Court, 2 Southwark Bridge Road, SE1, with offices also in New York and Singapore, and job boards list Goat roles in London, such as campaign executive and campaign manager.

Reported staff numbers vary by date: 150 or more in the 2023 WPP release, 350 or more on one listing, and 201 to 500 on a careers site. Its clients named by WPP include Dell, Beiersdorf, Meta, Tesco, Uber and EA, and its own listing names Nivea, Audi, Pernod Ricard, The Body Shop, Mars and Wayfair. Awards it cites include Adweek naming it Europe's fastest-growing agency and The Drum naming it Social Media Agency of the Year.

If you enjoy social media and want to see how it becomes a job, Goat shows the range. Typical roles are campaign executives and managers who brief and manage creators, influencer and talent specialists, data and measurement analysts, paid social specialists, content producers and account teams. Working with creators day to day means plenty of communication, organisation and quick thinking. The careers-site profile says staff get hybrid working, 25 days' holiday plus bank holidays, volunteering days, regular social events and clubs, and a home-office grant. These are the company's own claims.

What they do

• {'desc': 'Finding and managing creators to make content for brands.', 'title': 'Influencer marketing'}
• {'desc': 'Targeted advertising on social platforms to extend reach.', 'title': 'Paid social'}
• {'desc': 'Planning, producing and managing brand social channels.', 'title': 'Social strategy and content'}

Key facts

• Founded 2015 by Arron Shepherd, Nick Cooke and Harry Hugo (WPP release)
• Joined WPP and GroupM in 2023; goes to market as Goat (WPP release)
• London office at Rose Court, 2 Southwark Bridge Road (own site); also New York and Singapore
• Named clients include Dell, Tesco, Beiersdorf and Uber (WPP release)

Website: goatagency.com