Microsoft-owned digital ad agency Avenue A/Razorfish is attempting to expand beyond creating online advertising for corporate clients. It wants to advise them on media strategy as well.

The company says it's launching a media and entertainment consulting practice with 200 staffers in New York, L.A. and San Francisco in a bid to broaden their client roster and increase billings from current clients.

Online marketing services -- that is, building Web sites for corporate clients -- is still a growth area and benefiting from the shift of dollars from traditional advertising. That's one factor behind IPG's investment in Huge, announced Wednesday. Avenue A/Razorfish will focus on print/publishing and TV clients; it already counts Conde Nast, CNN, The New York Times, CBS Radio, and Sirius XM Radio as clients.

The broader question for Avenue A/Razorfish is how long it remains a unit of Microsoft (MSFT). The company was swallowed up by Redmond as part of the $6 billion aQuantive deal last year, but it's an odd fit given it must maintain the image of neutrality as it seeks business from Microsoft's rivals.

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