Clemenger NZ consolidates Touchcast Auckland with Colenso BBDO and Proximity Auckland
Clemenger Group New Zealand is consolidating Touchcast Auckland and Proximity Auckland with Colenso BBDO to keep in front of changes in the marketing services environment and reflect global trends in integration.
In order to deliver one unified team, the Group is consolidating Proximity, Touchcast and Colenso BBDO under one unified brand: Colenso BBDO. The result will be a powerhouse agency providing market leading capabilities across digital, data, direct/CRM, customer experience, advertising, experiential, marcomms public relations and retail.
Leading marketers are demanding seamless, integrated and highly innovative communications across all channels – in one place. Now we can do that operating as one team, one bottom line and one mission to give New Zealand clients an unfair share of talent and resources.
Says Jim Moser (pictured), CEO of the Clemenger Group New Zealand: “Now, more than ever, our clients are looking for deep specialisation and expertise within our group; however, managing these capabilities across an increasingly wide spectrum of companies is becoming inefficient and ineffective, especially at a time when integration and collaboration are critical.
“It is our intention to leverage the digital experience capabilities of Touchcast, together with the customer experience and data capabilities of Proximity, to unlock customer insights that further fuel the brilliant creativity from Colenso BBDO. This combination and agile approach will make the output that much more powerful, more relevant and more precisely targeted. It is an offer that is unmatched in the market.”
The Touchcast Auckland team of 25 digital specialists will relocate to 100 College Hill effective January, 2017. The key leadership at Touchcast Auckland will take on leadership roles within the combined entity. They include Jacqui Copas (general manager), Mark Coleman (technical director), Dean Pomfrett (design director) and Steve Pountney (head of client service). Andrew Hawley (managing director Touchcast Auckland and Wellington) will take on a consulting role in Auckland to help manage the transition and keep our digital capabilities world-leading at Colenso BBDO.
Says Nick Worthington, creative chairman of Colenso BBDO: “Colenso BBDO is recognised locally, regionally and globally as a creative powerhouse. These combined resources will further enhance our innovative thinking allowing us to collectively provide an even greater depth of service and capabilities. Operating together, in one place, will make a big difference for our creative work and the resulting success of our clients.”
7 Comments
“to keep in front of changes in the marketing services environment and reflect global trends in integration”
So, how many are being made redundant then so you can do all that?
What is the point of having a stand alone digital agency that is not as good at digital as your integrated agency 150 yards up the road?
Here we go again…
Just happens to coincide with Touchcast failing in Auckland, Colenso losing the BNZ fee, Proximity floundering (and under Colenso’s rule already), and redundancies across the board.
Andrew’s just been mosered….and joins an illustrious club.
Touchcast were fired from a major Lotto digital job, and that was the final straw.
Global agencies are still shrinking in small markets. And quickly. As regionalisation picks up, global’s will centre there offerings in larger cities like Sydney (in our region as an example).
The NZ agency market is now all about the small to medium sized, the dynamic agency with 10-25 staff. Run by senior people who are good and have the experience. Profit is strong in these places and people are paid well. Grow is there.
Global agencies in small markets are now simply outpost, with zero growth for staff. They are becoming training grounds for the industry (hats off to them) for other smaller agencies who will continue to poach from them.
The market has changed and will continue to in 2017.
I don’t mind global agencies. The trend unfortunately is “BIG” is out of fashion in little old New Zealand where now corporate marketing spend is dictated out of Australia head offices more than ever.