Mi3 yesterday broke the news that Initiative ANZ has lost its top three executives to Accenture Song in a bold play by the firm to enhance and expand the its media buying and planning business. Mi3 understands that Initiative staff are being informed formally in an all staff meeting this morning. 

IPG Mediabrands CEO Mark Coad yesterday confirmed his top Initiative executives would all be wrapping up at the group's star media agency, though he would not be drawn on the details. "The three of them have advised us they're leaving Initiative," he told Mi3.

The trio have been tapped to transform Accenture Song's modest digital media unit into a full-service media planning and buying machine, nudging the firm ever closer to parts of the big agency groups but with additional services in ecommerce, CX, martech and research.

Accenture Song ANZ boss Mark Green confirmed the move, highlighting that "media is a business growth driver and strategic differentiator" for Accenture Song's clients.

"Melissa, Sam and Chris are strong hires for us, and their addition to our team in Australia reflects our global strategy to deliver future facing media and integrated solutions for our clients," he said. 

“Media is a growth area globally for Accenture Song and we are seeing momentum in our end-to-end media offerings in all regions. These appointments serve to extend our footprint into this market that will improve our ability to service the region.” 

The trio will join former EssenceMedia ANZ boss, James Graver, who was quietly brought in to launch the media practice in the back half of 2022. With the titles of the new execs yet to be confirmed, it's unclear where Graver's role as media practice lead will sit in the pack.

It's a massive move by Accenture Song, seemingly making good on Green's plans to pitch competitively on media-only briefs against media agencies. Though it is a step-up on his initial intentions for the firm to stick to digital media buying.

"We're looking at media and planning as part of customer experience," Green told Mi3 last January. "I don't think we'll get into traditional media buying but digital media buying we are. That's the crux of where we're heading globally - combining media with data, insights, and customer to get the full funnel marketing approach." Alas, he himself cited the fact it was "pretty early days" - the media practice was then only a team of "probably four or five people" delivering digital media services as an "add on" for the firm's existing clients.

Mi3 understands Fein, Geer and Colter will be charged with building out head count organically - no media agency acquisitions are on the horizon at this stage.

Accenture Song's raid has left a major gap at the top for Initiative. Fein's near seven years at the helm have delivered strongly - last year, the media agency took out three of the year's larger media pitches, earning new remits for Sanitarium, Fantastic Furniture and Priceline.