Yebo launches InnoPod, new mission, and culture to Mid-Atlantic agency

Richmond, VA (January 7, 2020) – After 30 years of successful operation, Barber Martin Agency is changing its name to Yebo.  Today the Agency has relaunched its own brand under the new name, Yebo (Yay-Bow), to reflect its new mission “to create positive impact in everything we do.”

“Our name change is the culmination of very strategic hiring decisions we have made over the past four years,” President and CEO Robyn Zacharias said. “When we look at our team today, we see incredible talent who hail from agencies such as Saatchi & Saatchi, McCann, MullenLowe, BBDO and The Martin Agency, among many other national agencies and with brand experience including Tide, Subway, Gillette, Hanes, UPS, Walmart and many others. Our new name, Yebo, reflects who we are today and our exciting path forward,” Zacharias said.

The first move towards creating her dream team happened when Zacharias hired Deb Hagan as the Agency’s Chief Creative Officer nearly four years ago. Prior to joining Yebo, Hagan served as SVP/Group Creative Director at The Martin Agency and held the top creative position in North America for Walmart as the Sr. Director of Advertising and Creative overseeing creative development and production for the US.

Together, Zacharias and Hagan have been focused on building a team of nearly 30 employees with desire to work in an agency environment that is all about positivity and impact. “When you look at our work and the results it has achieved for our clients, you see Deb’s impact everywhere. It’s been evident since the moment she walked in the door,” said Zacharias.

A search is currently underway to add a Chief Client Officer to Yebo’s leadership team including Zacharias, Hagan and Chief Operating Officer, Greg Simos.

The name ‘Yebo’ was developed by the agency’s new InnoPod, a holistic think-tank within the agency made up of a group of cross-functional employees. The InnoPod stays on the forefront of cultural trends and will drive innovation and non-traditional executions for clients. “The InnoPod was charged with renaming the agency to align better with our inherent way of working,” said Hagan. “Yebo at its core is an expression and reflection of the agency’s mission. For us, it is part of culture – our CEO hails from Zimbabwe and it’s about the Yebo effect we have on our clients, culture and community,” Hagan continued.

Zacharias has been leading the agency for 13 years and acquired the agency, as sole owner, in 2014. In that time the agency has earned notable recognition, including Inc. 5000’s list of fastest growing companies for three consecutive years.

About Yebo
Founded in 1989 and based in Richmond, Virginia, Yebo is an award-winning, small advertising agency specializing in strategy, branding, creative, production and media. As an established agency, Yebo attracts top-tier talent with experience working on brands including Virginia Lottery, Walmart, McDonalds, Microsoft, Apple, Walt Disney, GEICO, Cato Fashions, SweetFrog, Bassett Furniture and Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth among many others. To learn more, visit WeAreYebo.com