Field Agent Acquires Retail Media Firm

Field Agent, a facilitator of “crowdsourced” data for retailers and consumer goods companies, has acquired a digital media business that crowdsources “everyday influencers” to generate product awareness and trial.

Fayetteville, Ark.-based Field Agent acquired Smack, based in Rogers, Ark., late last year and has relaunched it as Field Media, under the leadership of Smack founder Sean Womack. Field Agent said the purchase provides new opportunities to leverage its crowdsourced “agents” who get paid for performing tasks such as price and inventory checks at local stores in the style of “gig” workers.

“For years, we've been connecting companies with their core consumers,” said Rick West, co-founder and CEO of Field Agent. “With this purchase, we’ll now start using our crowd of consumers to build awareness of new products and ultimately move those products off store shelves.”

Rick West

Field Media dispatches crowdsourced shoppers to “buy and try” specific products. Their feedback then becomes the basis for digital content published on Field Media’s properties, Aisle 9 (for women) or Product 1 (men) and shared via social media and sponsored content channels.

The company said the program is “disrupting the way brands think about shopper marketing and sales.”

“We build awareness through the audience themselves by turning them into everyday influencers, which means other consumers are more likely to trust and act on the message,” Womack said in a release.

Field Media said it would specifically serve marketers and brand managers who previously lacked a targeted media solution, building on Field Agent's current client base of Fortune 500 sales, operations, category and research teams.