IPG folds Kinesso’s Creators & Content team into MBCS

IPG Mediabrands’ full-service creative agency MBCS has brought Kinesso’s Creators & Content team in-house, a move designed to strengthen its position in influencer marketing, social strategy and community engagement.

The “strategic integration” follows the appointment of Matt Holmes as head of creative strategy and ideation, part of a broader push to help brands cut through with ideas that extend beyond paid media and drive cultural relevance.

Led by Alexis Whelan, the Creators & Content team will report to MBCS managing director Harry Preston and work across influencer partnerships, social content, and community management. The team brings relationships with brands from across the IPG Mediabrands portfolio, including Dyson, Meat & Livestock Australia, New Balance, Old El Paso, HBF, NRMA Insurance and King Living, while also servicing existing MBCS clients such as LEGO, GMSV and Better Beer.

Preston said the move combines “the strategic expertise of Kinesso’s influencer and community team with the creative firepower of MBCS” to create “a stronger, more connected offering for our clients, who are increasingly seeking integrated content ecosystems that can deliver both cultural relevance and measurable impact.”

“This is a deliberate step toward unifying content creation and activation under one roof, ensuring a more seamless, agile, and insight-led approach for clients,” he added. “It also mirrors similar structural integrations across global markets, reinforcing the group’s commitment to consistent, scalable content solutions.”

Whelan said joining MBCS would allow the team to deepen its impact and collaborate more closely with creative specialists. “We’ve always believed in the value of creators and communities in building meaningful brand engagement,” she said. “We couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead.”

The integration expands MBCS’s capabilities in creative strategy, branded content, activations and partnerships, giving clients a unified approach to storytelling, distribution and engagement.