Speaking to Mi3, Rigg-Smith says the two agencies are focused on bringing together brand and demand to drive outcome at scale. She says the move combines the two sides of media and marketing activity for brands, right through from the top to the bottom end of the funnel.

It moves the conversation into business outcomes, she suggests, and makes it "easier" for advertisers to buy into a solution that delivers both. The new structure will be built around how both agencies tap into data, technology and consulting skillsets across Mindshare and Neo, as well as GroupM and WPP AUNZ to deliver data-driven marketing models.

"This is about making sure that we are looking after a client's communication funnel, from the top being awareness, all the way through to conversion or repeat sales. Marketers need to own that full funnel, which is effectively brand and demand. It should be about linking those together and not just focusing on one versus the other," she says.

"If a client wants to lean on one more than the other, that’s fine but we still need to be able to show them how the two are linking through their funnel and how they are controlling that entire customer journey. That way, should they reach a point where they look to shift strategy one way or the other, they can do so with minimal effort."

Stitching performance data into brand

Mindshare has been focused on brand and demand for a while. Rigg-Smith says it’s how the agency frames all its work for clients – because she believes that is what they need, and what they talk about most.

However, she ways what agencies, including Mindshare, need to get better at is the framework to make sure that teams are embedding performance data into a brand strategy sooner. She says it is often forgotten in the overall planning process and can get lost or become an afterthought.

"There isn’t a single client that isn’t exploring digital transformation of some kind, and so the intersection of brand and demand and how they work together is key. What we’re doing is evolving our structure to allow more consultancy style services for our clients, so that we are set up to better deliver what they are asking us for help on," she says.

As such, Mindshare will launch an actual consultancy unit called ‘Change’. Its selling itself on the ability to 'help businesses navigate new challenges around working models, data and technology while delivering data-driven marketing models for the new world economy'.

"Ultimately CMOs and top marketers have a holistic picture and as an agency, we need to be able to do the same as well. Agencies that can get ahead and own that marketing funnel and have a point of view on how it all knits together, are creating a competitive advantage," suggests Rigg-Smith.

She says the consultancy is set up to help firms that need quickly transform.

"These aren't just massive rebuilds or shifts in strategy, as most brands are already on that digital transformation path," says Rigg-Smith.

"This is more about the small adjustments that need to be made in days, months and up to a year that need to be applied rapidly. That’s the newest thing we need to unpack for clients and where it sits in the agency model." 

The performance perspective

One challenge that presents itself in bringing together a brand-focused and performance-driven set of teams, is how the agencies plan to educate one another on their views around measurement and their own specific remits.

Benton, who's experience includes country manager and GM roles at the likes of Marchex and Salmat Digital, says performance marketers are by their nature highly data literate and gravitate towards measurement. He sees educating teams on the appropriate measures for brand building (awareness, consideration etc.) and timescales to track these metrics as a key part of the transition.

According to Benton, Australia has been leading this process and was the "unofficial template" to what WPP is calling a "full-funnel" agency.

"Our capabilities already go beyond performance and we currently deliver brand and performance results through media, technology and data for a number of clients locally. This change is about formally repositioning Neo globally to follow the model prototyped in Australia," he says.

As for the what clients can expect from Neo's side of the fence, Benton emphasises that brands need to understand that the future of media investment isn’t a debate between brand building and performance. Instead, it’s about the appropriate blend of activities for a client that is "considerate of the context" of their brand and the dynamics of the category they’re competing in. 

"In our experience, the most effective work is delivered by cross-functional teams comprised of agency and in house talent with skill sets that include media, search, UX/UI, CX, PR, creative and data - and who carefully consider how the brand experience is delivered throughout the entire customer journey."