Independent Knowledge Partner Network (IKPN) has added Happylucky and MPP Marketing Group to its growing community of independent agencies. Both represent expansion of capabilities within IKPN, which has concentrated primarily on media agencies. Happylucky provides creative for digital campaigns through a community of talent, while MPP brings decades of experience in digital marketing and print production. The new partners bring IKPN to 19 agencies throughout North America.

“We’re attracting partners who want to stay in control of their growth,” said Lindsay Rutherford, president of IKPN. “Rather than dictating how partners operate, we focus on listening, understanding, and working together on what they want to accomplish and connect them to each other and different capabilities they might not have.”

Lindsay Rutherford, president of IKPN

Started in 2021 to give agency owners access to digital media tools and scale to win larger customers, IKPN neither owns nor looks to sell agencies. Instead, the network makes minority-equity investments and provides its community of partners with HR, financial, new business, and technology consultation. IKPN’s funding base and technology access comes from Know Company, an ad tech company that founded the network.

“IKPN will help us scale our media opportunities without having to make significant structural changes.,” said Emily Stutzman, co-owner and CEO of Happylucky. “We can expand our service offerings through access to top DSPs and innovative ad tech products.”

Emily Stutzman, co-owner and CEO of Happylucky

For MPP, too, the IKPN community itself represents expansion. Specifically, avenues to complementary services that can augment the specialised agency’s more traditional offerings.

“Immediately, our ability to meet more of clients’ needs is opening up opportunities,” said Mark Sibillia, founder and CEO of MPP. “Similarly, we can add an important dimension to IKPN partners’ capabilities.