-By Shahnaz Mahmud

NEW YORK Horizon Media has launched a new strategic marketing communications unit, curious@horizon. The unit gathers its existing consumer and channel insights capabilities and adds creative media solutions -- a first for the agency in the U.S.

"Curious@horizon reflects Horizon's commitment of developing innovative and meaningful solutions to our clients' marketing opportunities," said Gabrielle Magnani, evp, marketing and brand management. Oliver Maletz, svp and managing director of the new entity, will lead the development of curious@horizon's services.

While Horizon's consumer insights group, led by Sheri Roder (svp, director), and channel insights, led by Eric Blankfein (svp, director), had collaborated in the past, the differentiation for the two is they will work together with a client from the moment the conversations begin in determining what the intended end goal would be.

Marc Strijdveen, svp, creative media solutions, has relocated from Horizon's European division to oversee the creative media group. These creative services have been made available to European clients, but now Horizon is adapting to the changing U.S. landscape.

"Now, more than ever, is the time to fully address the changing marketplace. Marketers are thirsty for a deeper dive into their consumer/brand connection and are more open to an agnostic approach that connects all the components of creative media solutions, insights and research," added Bill Koenigsberg, president and CEO.

Strijdveen will work with the brand teams as well as the media and creative agencies to develop media solutions.

"Collaboration is the key. You can't do things in a vacuum anymore," said Maletz.

Here's how the process will work: Roder's consumer insights group will determine what makes consumers tick, and how this affects how they relate and engage with brands and their communication. Blankfein's channel insights group will focus on the optimal means for clients to communicate with consumers. Their findings will assist in fashioning creative solutions. "This will provide perspective on understanding how media can fit into the puzzle. This is the catalyst for what we want to do in a holistic manner," said Roder.

"We want to use media in a creative way, which may at times call for us to come up with a creative concept. But, we are not in the creative agency business," said Koenigsberg.