Mr. Youth

Mr. Youth LLC was established in 2002 by co-founders Matt Britton and Paul Tedeschi, positioning itself as a marketing agency focused on the emerging landscape of social media and interactive consumer experiences. Britton, a Boston University graduate with prior entrepreneurial experience in college marketing, identified a gap in reaching millennial consumers who were increasingly tuning out traditional advertising. The New York-based firm was conceived as an antidote to this trend, specializing in word-of-mouth, social, and experiential marketing to foster genuine brand advocacy.

The agency's business model revolved around creating and executing non-traditional marketing campaigns for major corporations aiming to connect with younger demographics. It provided a full suite of services, from strategy to creative execution, helping brands like P&G, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, and Nike drive consumer engagement. Mr. Youth also developed proprietary technology platforms to support its campaigns, including RepNation, a word-of-mouth marketing platform with over 125,000 brand advocates, and CollegeFest, a large-scale back-to-school festival. In 2009, the firm secured its first round of private equity funding from Alta Communications and The Mustang Group to expand these platforms, which also marked Britton's appointment to CEO.

A significant milestone occurred in November 2011 when LBi International, a global marketing and technology agency, acquired Mr. Youth in a deal valued at approximately $40-50 million. At the time of the acquisition, Mr. Youth had grown to 140 employees and was projecting annual sales of around $25 million. Following the acquisition, Mr. Youth initially operated as a division of LBi before merging with LBi's U.S. operations in 2013 to become MRY, with Britton leading the newly combined entity. The agency was recognized with several accolades, including being named "Social Media Agency of the Year" by Mashable in 2009 and listed among Fast Company's "Most Innovative Companies in Advertising and Marketing."

Keywords: youth marketing, social media agency, experiential marketing, word-of-mouth marketing, millennial consumers, brand advocacy, Matt Britton, interactive marketing, digital strategy, consumer engagement, RepNation, CollegeFest, LBi acquisition, MRY, non-traditional advertising, brand experiences, influencer marketing, youth culture, social interactive, consumer connection