Copyright Adweek
After three decades leading Haworth Marketing + Media, longtime chair and owner Gary Tobey is stepping down from the agency he transformed into one of retail marketing’s most influential independents. Haworth CEO Andrea Luhtanen, who has spent nearly 30 years with the company, will succeed Tobey and add chairman to her title. Based in Minneapolis, Haworth was founded in 1970 and became known for its decades-long relationship with Target. WPP’s GroupM acquired a 49% stake in Haworth in 2014, and the retailer moved its media account to the holding company shortly after. Luhtanen joined the company in the mid-1990s, holding roles including vp of marketing services, evp and general manager, and president before becoming CEO in 2023. She helped lead Haworth’s transition to an employee-owned structure and later its partnership with WPP. Tobey, who bought Haworth in the mid-1990s from founder Mary Haworth, evolved the business from a regional media shop into a full-service marketing partner. As he steps away from day-to-day leadership, he plans to focus on consulting and board advisory work across the retail, consumer, entertainment and philanthropic sectors. “The whole industry has changed a lot,” Tobey told ADWEEK. “It’s just time for me to do consulting and do board work.” From Media Buyer to Brand Builder Under Tobey’s leadership, Haworth helped shape the modern image of big-box retail through work for clients including Target, Walmart, Beats Electronics, Ben & Jerry’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. Tobey also led the company’s transition into an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) roughly 16 years ago to give staff a financial stake in the agency’s success. “I thought it’d be a great way to have the employees be owners of the company and be able to make some money when they leave,” Tobey said, adding giving equity led the team to “really care about the company’s performance.” Tobey’s influence is strong on modern retail branding—most notably Target’s transformation in the 2000s from discount chain to design-driven cultural brand. Haworth’s work helped shape Target’s reputation for creative partnerships and entertainment tie-ins, including Tony Bennett: An American Classic, the 2006 NBC special celebrating Bennett’s 80th birthday. Produced in collaboration with director Rob Marshall and featuring Barbra Streisand, Christina Aguilera and Michael Bublé, the project won seven Emmys and became emblematic of Target’s cultural marketing era. Target and Haworth ended their relationship in 2016, when the retailer moved its media account to WPP Media (at the time GroupM). Last week, Target announced plans to cut approximately 1,800 corporate roles—about 8 % of its workforce—as part of a major restructuring effort to address persistent sales headwinds. A Legacy of Purpose and Partnership Despite career success, Tobey said his work with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is his proudest achievement. His involvement dates back more than 20 years, when he helped secure Target’s $100 million commitment to build family apartments on the hospital’s campus. “We got Michael Graves to do the statue out in front, and I got Scott Hamilton and Tiger Woods and a bunch of other celebrities who really embraced it all,” he said. “It’s something I’m really proud of.” As he moves into consulting, Tobey said his philosophy remains rooted in the fundamentals of brand experience. “We never ran an ad until we had the guest experience together,” he said. “It starts with every aspect of the company, not just marketing the brand.” Looking back, he hopes to be remembered for the partnerships and brands he helped build. “At the end of the day, it’s about returning to real relationships: understanding what a client stands for, building brands with purpose, and coming up with ideas that make a difference,” he said.
