The re-win, if you will, of Unilever was the key conquest of GroupM agency Mindshare as it continued to reinvent itself under the leadership of James Greet. Just a year after it won the $53 million Australian media planning and buying account, it was forced to re-pitch as the company looked for global efficiencies. Despite a strong tussle against PHD, it came up trumps... and then James Greet departed the scene.
In his stint at the top, the Greet magic displayed in reviving OMD started to emerge once again, but not to the same extent in the shorter period of time. Greet managed to add to the Unilever win with NAB late last year but recent news points to the loss of LG.
The bigger headline was the appointment of Mindshare veteran Katie Rigg-Smith to chief executive. Rigg-Smith is young, sharp and knows the agency inside out. As GroupM chairman John Steedman said, “She bleeds purple.” But she also has a lot to prove. Greet set the growth wheels in motion. While the train never quite got to the next station, the industry is keeping a close watch to see if Rigg-Smith can keep it on track or whether it will deviate at some stage in a different direction. The pressure is on.
Sourced from AdNews Agency Report Card, May 31 2013 edition.
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A global media communications agency operating in 112 offices worldwide. We aim to be our clients' lead business partner, navigating the complex media landscape, finding the best media channels to grow their business. We are not just in the industry of ‘media’, we are in the ‘Original Thinking’ industry. As the very first media agency to launch, we pride ourselves on being the Original Media Thinkers and work hard to maintain the rebellious and innovative spirit we first displayed 15 years ago.
