McKinney, a full-service creative agency known for delivering bold, culturally resonant work, has launched a new consumer PR practice. Led by Jae Siercks, formerly Senior Vice President at Weber Shandwick, the offering focuses on redefining integrated marketing communications by uniting paid, earned, and owned channels under a single strategic approach.
Quick Intel
Brands today operate in an environment where attention is scarce, AI enables endless content volume, and every consumer acts as a broadcaster. Simply purchasing visibility is no longer sufficient—brands must earn it through authentic, integrated storytelling. McKinney's new consumer PR practice tackles this by embedding earned media strategy from the outset, avoiding siloed efforts across multiple agencies that often dilute impact.
"So often, brands are working with multiple agencies to cover paid, earned and owned channels, with everyone trying to thread the needle and create value individually, missing an opportunity for integrated marketing communications and meaningful impact," said Siercks. "When you focus on collaboration through the lens of efficiency and effectiveness and start from the beginning with a singular strategy that has a clear narrative and inherent value across platforms, you can take a creative idea further than you ever expected — maximizing efficiency and results along the way."
The practice builds on McKinney's reputation for generating unfair attention through culturally sharp creative work. By incorporating consumer PR, the agency engineers ideas to travel farther via seamless, platform-agnostic storytelling that leverages earned channels for greater reach and resonance.
"As McKinney has done for 57 years, we continue to evolve the agency to meet the needs of clients today," offered Joe Maglio, CEO of McKinney. "As we partner with clients to navigate an even more fractured ecosystem, launching a consumer PR practice allows us to use earned media to break through a landscape that's increasingly difficult to buy your way into."
"Right now attention is at a premium, AI enables infinite volume in the form of huge amounts of content and creator culture has turned every consumer into a broadcaster. In this landscape, brands can't just 'buy' their way in, they have to earn it, and that can't be an afterthought," said Gretchen Walsh, president, McKinney. "Now that McKinney has an integrated consumer PR practice, with Jae at the helm, we can create holistic campaigns designed from day one to break through and earn unfair attention for our clients."
Jae Siercks brings proven experience in integrated campaigns, including high-profile work for clients such as General Motors—where early PR involvement secured a Hollywood Walk of Fame star for the Suburban—and ALDI. Her leadership emphasizes people, craft, and strategic balance, aligning with McKinney's "smarts & hearts" culture and recognition as a top workplace.
"From a culture standpoint, the agency is a perfect fit. Their commitment to 'smarts & hearts' was evident right away, and I could see why they're regularly honored as a best place to work," said Siercks. "Their creative excellence, the resources available through the Cheil Agency Network and their commitment to offering a holistic client and consumer centric experience are going to make this new PR offering valuable to the agency and most importantly our clients."
The new practice strengthens McKinney's ability to deliver end-to-end solutions that help brands stand out in a crowded, AI-saturated digital ecosystem while fostering long-term growth through earned credibility and integrated creativity.
About McKinney
McKinney is a full-service creative agency that gets unfair attention for brands. In 2024 and 2025, McKinney was named to both Ad Age's A-List and its list of Best Places to Work – two years in a row – and was recognized as one of Fast Company's Best Workplaces for Innovators list in 2024, reinforcing the agency's commitment to providing an exceptional workplace culture where employees thrive and creativity flourishes. McKinney Health, the agency's Pharma and Wellness practice launched in 2022, was named Manny's Agency of the Year in 2025 and appeared on MM+M Magazine's 2024 & 2025 Agency 100 lists. McKinney is part of the Cheil Agency Network and has offices across North America, including Durham, New York, Dallas, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Toronto. McKinney has been recognized by Cannes Lions, Effies, The One Show, D&AD, ANDY, CLIO, LIA, the Shortys and The Webby Awards, among others. Client partners include brands such as Popeyes, Blue Diamond Growers, Little Caesars, Pampers, Henkel, Samsung, Alcon, Sherwin-Williams, Biogen and the Ad Council.
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