We wondered why the social media agency Banyan Branch raised a $1.7 million round of venture capital financing last fall. Now, here might be part of the reason. The Seattle company today launched a media buying practice, a new unit that’s designed to help customers address the ever-changing dynamics of advertising.

“Paid media is a catalyst to promote great content, it ignites interest, engagement and action,” said Blake Cahill, president and Principal at Banyan Branch in a statement. “Brands need to amplify their social campaigns, and paid social ads provide an effective and measurable approach for extending reach and increasing interaction with a target audience. By innovating at the intersection of paid, earned and owned media, marketers can significantly increase brand awareness and community growth, turning those who might be just ‘passing by’ into emotionally engaged advocates.”

Kerry Antezana

To help bolster the new division, Banyan Branch has named Matt Haynes as director of social strategy and media planning, and Kerry Antezana as director of agency services.

Haynes previously spent more than five years at MEC where he was responsible for one of the first social media community management and engagement platforms for Microsoft. Antezana previously worked as the creative director for JWT INSIDE, developing multimedia campaigns for Microsoft, Starbucks, Boeing, Swedish Medical Center and others.

Banyan Branch — led by Cahill, Alex Garcia and Dave Hanley — now employs 65 people.

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