Agency Shifts: Wins, Losses & Accounts in Review

June 6, 2016

Agency changes signal a shift in thinking on the part of an advertiser, and an opening for media and marketing sales professionals who position themselves just right.

To help you ride the most recent wave of key agency changes and accounts in review, we’ve rounded up ten of the UK’s most notable changes in the last month, with opportunity analysis courtesy of Winmo’s in-house prospecting publication, DailyVista.

ACCOUNTS ON THE MOVE

Advertiser: Asics | Agency: OMD | Assignment: Consolidated global media

DailyVista Details: After the Japan-based athletic equipment company completed an internal restructuring last year, it appears the ripple effect has expanded outward, with the brand consolidating global media duties with OMD.

Seller Tip: While the Asics account team at OMD is still being staffed (Winmo users click here to follow this account), agency-focused sellers should be ready to strike. As far as targeting, take cues from the global “It’s a Big World. Go Run It” campaign recently created for Asics by Omnicom sibling 180 Amsterdam. The effort focused strongly on print, outdoor, social and events, with an emphasis on health, entertainment and sports-focused ad destinations.

Asics Contacts: CEO Asics EMEA; Marketing Manager – UK & Ireland

 

Advertiser: The Money Shop | Agency: JAA | Assignment: Media buying & planning

DailyVista Details: The Money Shop, part of DFC Global Corp, has awarded its £1.8m media account to JAA without a review.

Seller Tip: Keep in mind that The Money Shop, like other DFC Global brands including PaydayUK and Express Finance, targets consumers in need of quick cash and short-term loans: young parents, baby boomers in need of funds for medical services, and even those needing bail money. The Money Shop recently ran TV, press and regional OOH ads by Cogent Elliott, and as JAA takes the reigns as media AOR, look for digital buys to enter the mix. Also note that The Money Shop recently expanded its sponsorship agreement with the Wolves, perhaps indicating more sports-related exposure as it activates this three-year agreement.

The Money Shop Contacts: Managing Director; Digital Marketing Manager

 

Advertiser: Garmin | Agency: JAA | Assignment: Media planning & buying

DailyVista Details: Garmin, maker of GPS and communications systems used in automotive, aviation, marine and wearable fitness applications, has hired JAA to handle its media duties in the UK and Ireland, dropping incumbent, AMS.

Seller Tip: Garmin has struggled considerably over the past year, facing competition from Fitbit, Xiaomi and Apple in the crowded fitness wearables space, and from Nüvi and Zumo in the navigational market. Therefore, fitness, news, sports and health sellers who can help the brand breakthrough in these segments will have an edge and should look for revenue tied to TV, radio, digital, and social media activity planned ahead of Garmin’s top spending periods, the summer and run-up to Christmas.

Garmin Contacts: Head of Marketing Communications – UK & Ireland; Product Manager Fitness – EMEA

 

Advertiser: Purplebricks | Agency: Snap | Assignment: Sponsorship, TV, Digital

DailyVista Details: As forecasted by DailyVista’s Vulnerable Account Index, the property sales and letting company has added a new agency to its mix, becoming the first client of Snap, a creation of Chime Communications. Snap bested the likes of Karmarama, Lucky Generals and Now in a review process that followed Purplebrick’s decision to drop incumbent BMB.

Seller Tip: Snap’s work will involve a focus on sponsorship deals, working with Chime’s sports marketing team.  Digital, TV and sponsorship sellers should pay particular attention, and should anticipate a bigger ad budget under the direction of CMO Joby Russel (contact details).

Agency Tip: As for agency new business teams, note that this hire follows a recent evaluation of agency cost-effectiveness in which several inefficiencies came to light. PHD currently handles planning and buying, but the relationship could be on the rocks, and agencies known for stretching pounds through operational efficiencies may have a chance to capitalize on this.

 

Advertiser: United Airlines | Agency: mcgarrybowen | Assignment: Creative

DailyVista Details: United Airlines, after celebrating 25 years at Heathrow Terminal 2 in April, has retained mcgarrybown as its global advertising AOR following a closed review.

Seller Tip: Sellers should go after revenue tied to the holiday season and Q4, when travel associated to Christmas occurs. The airline, which focuses on high-income individuals between the age of 35 and 44, as well as corporate houses, has increased digital advertising in the UK over the last year, running on 1.5x more publishers, mainly news and travel sites. MEC London handles media planning and buying.

MEC London Contacts for United Airlines

 

Advertiser: Premier Inn | Agency: Lucky Generals | Assignment: Creative AOR

DailyVista Details: Whitbread-owned Premier Inn, the multinational hotel, coffee shop and restaurant company headquartered in Dunstable, has appointed Lucky Generals following its first creative review since 2007. Incumbent RKCR/Y&R did not defend.

Seller Tip: Whitbread plans to expand the Premier Inn brand in London from 59,138 rooms to about 85,000 by 2020, and recently announced it would spend £15m on growing digital capabilities in 2016, when TV tends to be the hotel brand’s main advertising channel. The hotel brand’s TV marketing is often paired with outdoor, press, digital and social campaigns; however, like many hotel brands, expect Premier to be increasing its focus on millennials, and thus upping its spend on channels such as PPC, SEO, mobile and digital advertising accordingly. 

Premier Inn account contacts at Manning Gottleib/OMD; Display trading contacts for Premier Inn at ZenithOptimedia UK

 

Advertiser: Motorola | Agency: Ogilvy | Assignment: Creative AOR

DailyVista Details: After Droga5 resigned the account, Motorola has appointed Ogilvy & Mather as its global creative AOR, without a pitch. Specifically, Mullen Lowe will handle UK work, while Lenovo, owner of Motorola since late 2014, also appointed Ogilvy to its global creative after a separate five-way pitch. MullenLowe Profero handles some work for Motorola as well.

Seller Tip: In general, sellers with an edge among young (16-24) male professionals, mainly metro-based, should have an advantage, but we also encourage agencies to go after this one. Total Media Connect handles media and Q4 is by far the largest spending period.

Agency Tip: Grey, which had been handling the balance of Motorola’s global creative, has not been active with the brand since the departure of CMO Adrienne Hayes. Grey might be losing, while media could be vulnerable too. We suggest agencies pursue these accounts with a sense of urgency.

Motorola Contacts: WW Brand Director; Global Marketing, Strategy & Alliances Director

 

Advertiser: Karhoo | Agency: VCCP | Assignment: Media buying

DailyVista Details: Ride comparison app Karhoo has appointed VCCP to handle advertising and media buying. Will Harris (contact details), who was appointed Strategic Director late last year, worked with the agency at his previous post at O2.

Seller Tip: Sellers should contact immediately to benefit from extra spending and foot traffic associated increased airport travel for the summer holiday. The company appeals to Gen Y’s and millennials with options and lower price points, but also sways towards business executives and airport travellers with luxury vehicles and customer service.

Agency Tip: This recent appointment of VCCP, coupled with several notable management hires, means the company is undergoing a strategy shift and changes are ahead. Creative and digital agencies should keep watch for upcoming media campaigns and opportunities for additional outside support.

Karhoo Contacts: Head of Brand; Digital Marketing Manager; Mobile Performance Director

 

ACCOUNTS IN REVIEW

Advertiser: Dreams | Back in review: Creative

DailyVista Details: The bed retailer, based in High Wycomb with locations across Western London, has severed ties with Creature London after just a few months of working together. Creature initially won the £20m creative assignment in January, beating out incumbent, Cheetham Bell, as well as BMB in a review process. As for the sudden change, Marketing Director Lisa Bond (contact details) indicates that Creature just wasn’t the fit that the company hoped it would be, and that Dreams is now reviewing its position as to what to do regarding a replacement.

Agency Tip: After such a major change in direction, agencies should take a look at this opportunity to work with Dreams. While TV continues to be a major player in Dreams’ strategy, the company has ramped up on social and PR.

Seller Tip: Media sellers, meanwhile, should continue to anticipate a new campaign to roll out this year under the direction of a new creative shop. Currently Starcom MediaVest (contact details) handles media planning and buying for Dreams, who has begun favouring programmatic digital buys this year, with MOAT reporting ads on eight times as many destinations versus 2015.

 

Advertiser: Netflix | Searching for: Specialty media agency

DailyVista Details: After initially reporting on rumours that the TV streaming service was on the hunt for a media shop, DailyVista has confirmed this to be true, but with the caveat that the potential new agency will not be a replacement for current media AOR, MEC UK, but rather a specialty shop retained to focus on upcoming programme launches.

Prediction: DailyVista feels the creative account should be up for grabs as well, since creative often follows media reviews and vice versa. In fact, rumour is that Mediahub sibling Mullen Lowe is already working on a campaign for the new season of a Netflix original.

Seller Tip: Look for direct response, native advertising and video advertising opportunities, specifically in support of branding and tune-in campaigns.

Netflix Contacts: Senior Marketing Manager, UK & Ireland; Digital Planning Director

 


 

Interested in connecting with the newly appointed agency teams above, as well as client-side contacts? Request a free trial of Winmo to gain complete decision-maker contact details for thousands of the UK’s nationally and locally advertised brands, plus daily leads powered by DailyVista.

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