Thurner Returns to Agency World with Burn The Sky Launch

Burnthesky Rob Thurner croppedMobile consultant, trainer and author Rob Thurner has launched a “full-service mobile and connected agency”, Burn The Sky, in partnership with Charlie Makin.

Thurner has worked in mobile for 10 years, and was one of the team that helped launch Incentivated. Makin was a founder and chief strategy officer of media independent BLM, which he subsequently sold to Havas. He is also a director of connected TV tech firm, Capablue.

The agency is backed by EDC Communications, the parent group of DARE, Elvis, Identica and Citizen. Thurner says it will offer a suite of services, include insight and strategy to creative development and technical build, to help marketers tackle the issues in a world where consumers increasingly communicate via different technologies, ranging from smartphones to tablets to connected TVs.

“Mobile marketing is more than a one-off app or website; it’s multi-dimensional and should involve many parts of a business,” said Thurner. “We start by understanding how consumers behave with technology and build solutions from this insight.”

In addition to winning its own clients, Burn the Sky will work with EDC agencies to develop mobile and multi-screen solutions. Current EDC Group clients include Barclays, BMW, Coca Cola, Mondalez, P&G and Sky.

“One of the reasons why client investment in mobile has lagged behind consumer behaviour is the weakness in the mobile agency ecosystem,” said EDC group chief executive, Paul Hammersley. “With Burn The Sky, EDC can start to correct that and accelerate our group expertise in this area to the advantage of our current and future clients.”