EXCLUSIVE: NBN Co has appointed Mediabrands-owned UM to handle its coveted media planning and buying account, as the government's advertising spend continues to be a controversial issue.
UM will oversee a national marketing assault promoting the national broadband network (NBN), the high-profile government initiative being pushed by communications minister Stephen Conroy and handled by the government-owned NBN Co.
UM chief executive Mat Baxter confirmed the appointment to AdNews, but would say no more. Its the first time NBN Co has appointed a media agency, following a competitive pitch which kicked off last year.
The media agency will work with NBN Co chief communications officer Kieren Cooney, who handles a broad marcomms agenda spanning government relations, PR, corporate communications and traditional marketing. Cooney has already signalled his intentions to roll out a nationwide public information campaign.
The exact spend allocated to the campaign has not been disclosed, although industry sources suggested it could reach tens of millions.
The federal government's advertising spend has frequently attracted intense scrutiny, due to public concerns taxpayer dollars are being spent to push government agendas.
The topic came to a head last year when the Gillard government announced a $25 million package to explain its climate change and carbon tax policy, leading to outrage about government spending on advertising. Sources suggested the government would tread carefully with the NBN campaign to avoid a similar backlash.
The account win is a personal coup for UM's Baxter, being by far his most impressive new business win since he took on the role a little over a year ago.
As the master media buying agency for the federal government, UM was perfectly positioned to take out the NBN account although competition was fierce.
The appointment marks the second major win for UM this month. The agency won the media business for ING Direct, worth around $20 million in the first week of January.
This article first appeared in the 27 January 2012 edition of AdNews. Click here to subscribe for more news, features and opinion.
Follow @AdNews on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.
Have something to say? Send us your comments using the form below or contact the writer at davidblight@yaffa.com.au
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.