Paying attention to agency of record shifts and understanding what opportunities they present have the ability to take your media sales team to the next level.
You see, AOR shifts are a flashing sign of opportunity for several new business triggers to occur including:
Other triggers to pay attention to include the hiring of new marketing personnel, suggesting a brand is increasing its efforts and attempting to expand to new audiences and markets. Oppositely, brands that have been struggling may hire a new agency in an attempt to combat declines.
Keeping track of all of this information on top of your daily tasks can be overwhelming. That’s why Winmo’s in-house research team does the hard work for you- here’s a list of AOR Shifts we predict to take place in H2 of 2019.
If you’re looking for daily insights on agency shifts and potential media opportunities, request a Winmo demo today. Until then, here is a sneak peak of the info you can find in our database as we are presenting recent AOR shifts that present opportunities for sellers right now:
Media Seller Opportunity: Ketel One Vodka hired independent FIG as its global creative AOR, with the first campaign set to launch this fall 2019. Sellers are encouraged to reach out now in order to secure revenue. Keep in mind that Ketel One holds planning conversations during Q3 and buying conversations during Q2.
Agency and Martech Opportunity: The main priorities for the brand is to increase engagement among millennials- and we’ve seen hefty spend increases to support this effort. Agency and martech readers are encouraged to reach out since Ketel One Vodka plans to move more work to indie agencies. Creative varies from brand to brand, and media has been out of Carat since 2016.
Get Ketel One Vodka’s AOR Decision-Maker Contact Information
Footwear company Topo Athletic hired Michael O’Brien as its marketing director (brand CMO function), effective March. The company also hired NAIL Communications as creative AOR, effective May.
Media Seller Opportunity: Its most recent digital campaign “In Pursuit of Awe” encourages people to experience the outdoors- ads runs across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Reddit. There should still be opportunity to secure last-minute revenue, so digital sellers are encouraged to reach out.
Agency and Martech Opportunity: Since reviews tend to follow one another, other agency shifts are likely under the new leadership. Reach out for digital, media and PR work. Focus pitches on differentiating Topo from various competitors such as Nike, Puma, and New Balance.
Get Topo Athletic’s AOR Decision-Maker Contact Information
Western-themed QSR chain Roy Rogers is on the road to expansion. In order to support growth, the brand tapped MDB Communications as a new AOR and partnered with location technology platform SiteZeus.
As the new AOR, MDB Communications will oversee account planning and strategy, creative services and media planning. The main goal is to assist in building brand awareness through an integrated campaign using radio, digital, print, outdoor, experiential, social and earned media. It will focus on the brand’s four pillars- Quality People, Quality Products, Quality Experiences, and Quality Business in an effort to rebrand the restaurant.
Media Seller Opportunity: There is no set date for this campaign to launch, but sellers are encouraged to reach out now to secure campaign revenue. It targets audiences near its locations, with an emphasis on millennials and Gen-Z.
Sponsorship Opportunity: Roy Rogers has always been known to use sponsorships. For example, the brand partnered with famous baseball player Cal Ripken Jr. to support its 50th anniversary. With several new hires, strategy shifts are likely, so sponsorship sellers are encouraged to reach out.
Agency and Martech Opportunity: MDB is not handling media buying or PR, so those accounts may still be available. Those with restaurant experience in particular are encouraged to reach out. Focus pitches on helping in expansion efforts and ways to remain top-of-mind among competitors such as Hardee’s, McDonald’s and Arby’s.
Get Roy Roger’s AOR Decision-Maker Contact Information
Color specification and workflow tools provider Pantone tapped Huge as its global communications AOR, replacing incumbent KWT Global. The IPG agency will design and execute activations, partnerships, experiences and “earned-first” creative campaigns that engage B2B and B2C audiences according to reports.
Media Seller Opportunity: With no set date for these campaigns to launch, sellers are encouraged to start reaching out in order to remain top-of-mind. Focus on securing dollars tied to new products such as the SpongeBob and Patrick Star Pink. The company spends year round and tends to target a B2B audience (designers and creatives) and a B2C audience (primarily female millennials).
Agency and Martech Opportunity: Further agency changes are likely once Pantone names a replacement for global marketing VP Kathryn Shah and parent company X-Rite finds a replacement global marketing VP. Creative, media or digital accounts are likely all fair game. Focus pitches on ways to stand out amid competitors such as Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, and Valspar.
Get Pantone’s AOR Decision-Maker Contact Information
Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK), a cancer center with locations in New York and New Jersey, hired ALMA and Mercury as it’ Hispanic AORs. The sister Omnicom agencies will oversee marketing communications strategy, creative, media and events, as well as increase awareness of MSK’s superior level of cancer care.
Media Seller Opportunity: In H2 2019, the first work from the agency team is set to launch. Sellers are encouraged to reach out for revenue, especially those who can reach demographics in the greater New York area and healthcare business decision makers.
Agency and Martech Opportunity: Reviews tend to follow one another, and MSK has also bolstered their marketing team with a slew of hires who will likely review accounts within the next 12-18 months. Those with healthcare experience should reach out. Competition will include Media Storm on media, Pereira & O’Dell on creative and Digitas on digital.
Get Cancer Center Memorial Sloan Kettering’s AOR Decision-Maker Contact Information
HotelPlanner, an online booking site for group travel, selected Innovative Partnerships Group (IPG360) as its sponsorship AOR. The agency will assist in helping HotelPlanner find revenue-generating sponsorships, naming rights, and B2B sponsorships.
Media Seller Opportunity: HotelPlanner typically uses sponsorships to target sports, entertainment, and prestige business, but may use IPG360’s capabilities to expand its target audience. Therefore, sellers who can reach the B2B and consumer demographics should reach out for work.
Agency and Martech Opportunity: With acquisitions of Room 77 and BackBid, HotelPlanner has seen an increase in spend. Reviews also tend to follow each other, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to reach out for creative, digital, and media work. Focus pitches on standing out from main competitors like Meetings.com, Grouptravel.com, and CheapOair.
Sponsorship Seller Opportunity: HotelPlanner’s current partners include the Washington Redskins Professional Bowlers Association and the USA TODAY Sports Active Alliance. With a new agency in place, these relationships are likely to undergo review within the next 12-18 months.
Get HotelPlanner’s AOR Decision-Maker Contact Information
Justice, the tween specialty retailer, plans to emphasize experience and build brand loyalty with content like graphic novels, video series, music, documentaries and more. In order to produce this content, spend increases are imminent, which are expected to continue as its marketing team expands.
Media Seller Opportunity: With spend increasing and likely to continue, sellers should reach out to secure revenue. Keep an eye out for revenue tied to back-to-school, the winter holidays, new products, and expansion efforts.
Agency and Martech Opportunity: Justice hired Praytell as its PR AOR in July 2018. Since reviews tend to follow each other, reach out for creative, media and digital work with reviews likely within 12-18 months. Focus pitches on outshining competitors Old Navy, Rue21, and Mossimo.
Get Justice’s AOR Decision-Maker Contact Information
