News Analysis

Publicis Groupe continues to consolidate its agencies, fully integrating Marcel Sydney into its larger creative outfit, Saatchi & Saatchi Australia. The move brings an end to the five-year local experiment with the agency, which launched in 2015 under the leadership of former Droga5 boss David Nobay. Agency mergers continue throughout the industry, with WPP announcing last week digital darling AKQA would absorb creative agency whiteGREY.

After 58,000 votes from nearly 80% of media agency staff, TV network sales teams took the lion’s share of awards at the tenth annual Media i Awards, held virtually to recognise the Herculean efforts of media sales professionals to battle through the pandemic. But Covid is taking its toll on the industry: Media i’s latest survey across 4,300 media agencies and media owner teams finds staff struggling with increased workloads, rising unhappiness and big increases in stress.

One of WPP's longest-standing creative relationships has come to an end, as American Express moves its global creative account to Dentsu. Mi3 understands the move will impact the Australian operations, with the account to move out of Ogilvy and into the newly formed Dentsumcgarrybowen.

Some of Australia’s leading brands, agencies and media owners have pooled together millions in seed funding and donated inventory in a bid to rebuild confidence in Melbourne’s economy. With CBD footfall slowly returning, brands including ANZ, AFL, Australia Post, BMW, Carlton Draught McDonald’s, Myer and NAB are leading the charge to revitalise the city’s consumer spending.

While linear radio revenues face headwinds, Southern Cross Austereo is backing booming digital audiences (up 58%) and revenues (up 50%) to move the dial. Sales boss Brian Gallagher also predicts further big increases in advertisers using its in-house dynamic creative services. Meanwhile improvements in buying platforms, measurement, transparency and attribution are pumping up the volume, convincing blue chips and SMEs that their dollars are well spent.

Former Publicis Media Exchange MD, Sarah Keith, has been hired to lead Australian independent agency Paykel Media. Now she's seeking partners to help drive bespoke solutions - particularly within e-commerce, as well as production and content. Meanwhile, she's looking forward to greater agility with less bureaucracy.

Australia's real-time TV analytics operation Adgile Media, with the likes of former MCN CEO Anthony Fitzgerald and Professor Karen Nelson-Field on its advisory board, has hired former UK-based Vodafone Global Head of Media Paul Evans as CEO with a remit to drive global growth beyond partnerships struck with GroupM and Quantium. The firm is also on the hunt for talent to exploit a perceived gap in the market for TV measurement and its real time impact on sales.

Another major account has been settled as part of this year's "Pitchpalooza" -  Westpac, has confirmed to Mi3 it is moving its estimated $65 million media account into Publicis Media. It is understood Spark Foundry and Performics Mercerbell will handle the account, as the bank ends a 10-year relationship with GroupM.

Publicis Groupe ANZ CEO Micheal Rebelo admits the group got lucky by rolling out its homeworking strategy just before coronavirus hit. He's also used the time to rejig leadership and reshape the business for the post-Covid era. As clients prepare for a volatile and cost-conscious year ahead, he's backing a full service capability and fully integrated model to bear fruit. It's not just about realigning media and creative, he says, but bringing everything together, including staff, to power out of the pandemic. Meanwhile he's eyeing a new creative competitive set.