Diageo has slashed the number of agencies on its roster, handing responsibility for all its strategic thinking to long-time partner Leo Burnett.
Under the flattened structure, Leo Burnett and media agency Ikon are the only agencies on a retainer.
The idea behind the overhaul of its agency partnerships is to simplify the briefing process and and make its “big brand ideas” more cohesive across every channel, instead of having multiple agencies working on different elements of creative strategy.
It will work with specialist agency partners on a project by project basis but idea creation will be led by Leos.
Diageo marketing and innovation director Adam Ballesty is working with Leo Burnett client services director Pete Bosilkovski to embed the structure. The pair look on the new approach as a way of eradicating the “Chinese whispers” that can arise from having mulitple partners.
Emma Montgomery, who joined the agency as head of its Connect division last month, is tasked with disseminating the “big idea” across all relevant channels.
To read more about Adam Ballesty's vision read The Marketer feature in the latest edition of AdNews (30 May). Subscribe here or get it on the iPad.
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