Terry Young, who had formerly been managing director of agency Rapp NY, has been named president of Purple@Epsilon, an agency within the Epsilon family. Young will report to Epsilon president and CEO Bryan Kennedy.
David McRae had been the previous president of Purple@Epsilon. McRae left the company at the end of September.
Young brings to the digital and direct marketing agency a firm belief in digital media’s supremacy in brand building. “Television and outdoor advertising are great catalysts for building initial awareness,” he told Direct Newsline. “But beyond that brands are shaped in digital.”
“The traditional idea of advertising is how we interrupt a consumer,” Young added. “Today, it is about intercepting them with relevant messages at the relevant time, and offering emotional experiences that allow them to be in control and amplify what the brand stands for.”
The verticals primed for growth within Purple@Epsilon include health care, finance and insurance, all of which are already heavily invested in using consumer data to drive brand experiences, Young said. But he anticipates that consumer packaged goods marketers along with health, beauty and cosmetics, represent industries that have relied for a long time on using traditional advertising and interruptions to build emotional connections, and which may be looking to create audiences based on interceptions.
Prior to joining Rapp NY, Young held leadership positions in Targetbase, McKinsey & Co. and IBC Group/US Peace Corps, among other organizations.
