The list of thriving independent agencies in Australia shrinks each year, as agency after agency is scooped up by one of the many listed groups seeking to expand their portfolios down under.
Even staunchly independent agencies are not immune to the lure of lucrative earnouts, security and expansion opportunities a major group’s backing can bring.
BMF, The White Agency and Naked are just some of the high-profile agencies which surrendered their “indie” status in the past 12 months. In the year ahead, no doubt, they’ll be joined by plenty more. The only question is who?
Below, AdNews profiles some of the most eligible indies left on the market. There will be many more we’ve missed, but those selected are all profitable businesses carving out their own lucrative niche and making waves in the industry. Not all, however, are interested in selling just yet. But then, that’s what they all say . . .
SMART
Location: Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane
Founded: June 2000
Ownership: Split between Ben Lilley, John Mescall (both pictured) and Ashley Farr
Management: CEO Ben Lilley, ECD John Mescall, national planning director Ashley Farr
Cashflow: Billings in excess of
$50 million, revenue in excess
of $10 million
Staff: 50
SMART is one of the best known independent advertising agency success stories in the country, so it’s no surprise that, in the nearly eight years since it launched, it’s had countless approaches from multi-nationals. But, so far, none have proved irresistible to SMART’s top brass.
SMART was established as a strategic and creative alternative to traditional agency thinking. CEO Ben Lilley, ECD John Mescall and national planning director Ashley Farr all for-ged successful careers within multi-national agencies prior to launching SMART, giving the trio insight into how their competitors think and helping them grasp how best to forge a path on their own terms.
SMART begun by positioning itself as a youth agency, reflected in the fact that all three agency owners are under 40, but, as they have gotten older, the agency itself has shifted its focus higher, snaring brands with broader remits, such as News Limited and Unilever.
Lilley admits he has had a number of approaches from companies interested in acquiring SMART. “I’m always happy to have a coffee and a chat with people and keep my options open for the future, but we’re just not ready to sell at the moment,” he says.
“Who knows? Maybe when we’re old and grey we might want to sell, but not at this stage. We’re having too much fun.”
SMART isn’t suited to all brands, which is a big part of its success. The agency’s focus is mid-sized blue-chip challenger brands with billings of up to $10 million – often the brands neglected by larger multinationals.
The model is obviously working. SMART broke through the $10 million revenue mark for the first time last year. The agency has an 86% pitch success rate, and last year delivered another year of sustained income growth, adding Ferrero (Kinder, Bueno, Nutella), Gourmet Garden, Jeanswest, McDonald’s and regular government work, both in NSW and federally. Other clients include Coca-Cola, News Limited and Unilever.
Since it launched, SMART has recorded an average growth rate of 40% per annum, and the four-year-old Sydney office is performing well, recording an impressive average growth rate of 95.5% per annum. SMART Sydney merged with rival agency Kindred in September last year, and, in Brisbane, Turner Sands advertising merged into the SMART group under the new SMART Sands banner, bringing Retail Food Group (Donut King), Gold Coast City Council, Royal Brunei Airways and Stella Hospitality Group under its umbrella. National revenue forecasts are tipped to almost double by July 2008.
But SMART doesn’t want to be the biggest agency in town. It’s determined that up to 30 staff and 12 key clients per office will be its limit, and, beyond that, it starts to lose its non-traditional offering. “Our main priority is to continue to properly manage and consolidate our growth as it happens. This is about adding the right people and the right clients as opportunities arise, rather than trying to reach some arbitrary target,” Lilley says.
Razor
Location: Sydney
Founded: April 2003
Ownership: Majority Andrew Wynne & Simon Rush, remainder shared by staff
Management: Simon Rush, Andrew Wynne, Mike Porter, CD Josh Moore, digital CD Ryf Quail
Cashflow: Not disclosed
Staff: 40
Razor started life in 2003 as a consultancy run by Simon Rush, who left a senior post at Optimedia to focus on the fledgling business, and Andrew Wynne, who left his planning post at sister agency Mojo.
While the multinationals refuse to succumb to the benefits of rebundling, Razor has gradually extended its media strategy expertise to encompass creative services, cementing the deal with the merger of the Sydney office of creative agency Junior into its business last year. Recent hires, including Ryf Quail, ex-marketing director for digital & CRM at Deloitte, have further strengthened Razor’s digital capabilities as well.
According to Rush, the gradual move into a full-service model was fuelled by client demand. Nevertheless, Razor still works on a media-only basis for many clients, and, as such, works alongside other creative agen-cies. Therefore, it ensures it doesn’t tread on its creative partners’ toes, according to Wynne. “We are very respectful of the relationships clients already have,” says Wynne. “Nothing will ruin our business more than predatory behaviour.”
It may not be predatory, but Razor has certainly succeeded on the new business front. Clients include Nike, Jim Beam, Thai Airways, H&R Block, SBS, Ricoh printers, Kia, News Limited, Esprit, Seafolly, Dyson, Paspaley, and Aussie Home Loans (media buying).
Wynne says Razor’s unique model was not a result of a grand masterplan, but developed organically. “Rather than being an astute observation about the industry, we had some beliefs about what works and what doesn’t for us,” he says. “This is not about reintegration. It’s about having the skills internally to do whatever it is you want to do.”
Is Razor for sale, though? “Anyone who says they don’t want to sell is lying,” retorts Wynne. “But if you set up [a business] to sell, it will go pear-shaped. The appealing thing about having investors is to enable you to do it on a larger scale and to reward the people who work here.”
While he’s open to offers, Wynne thinks Razor might be a hard company for potential buyers to absorb. “We’re very difficult to buy because we don’t fit the standard definitions.”
If you want an agency with passionate staff, who understand the nature of the game, with strong expertise in media strategy and buying, mainstream creative and digital, and with a growing stash of clients, then Razor is the answer. “We obviously believe the world will turn a certain way for us to appeal to a segment of the category,” Wynne says.
TigerSpike
Location: Sydney, London, Auckland, New York
Founded: September 2003
Ownership: Split between Luke Janssen, Oliver Palmer, Alex Hall and Dean Jezard
Management: Founder & CEO Luke Janssen, co-founder & head of innovation Oliver Palmer, COO Alex Hall, CTO & digital platform developer Dean Jezard
Cashflow: Not disclosed – estimated seven figure revenues
Staff: 30
Mobile marketing: for years it’s languished in the too-hard basket, a golden treasure trove of opportunity sadly lacking a map. Yet, Aussie-owned TigerSpike is one of the few firms now making it work – and redefining mobile’s place in the mix.
The Sydney-based agency has done the hard yards, spending months, in the early years, educating clients on smart mobile phone communication. Working with its Phoenix development platform, created in-house, TigerSpike began by delivering mobile phone-related digital marketing strategies.
TigerSpike came to national attention with its award-winning 2006 user-generated content program for Telstra and, since then, has been on an upwards trajectory. 2007 awards included Gold in the Marketing and Interactive Excellence awards in New York, and Best in Show at the 2007 Mobile Marketing Awards. The company’s client list includes Telstra, Motorola, Sony BMG and Fairfax Digital and additions in the past 12 months include Pepsi in Australia and the high-profile Daily Mail Group in the UK. 2007 saw a launch into NZ while ’08 saw the agency open in New York.
In fact, if it has any gripe to share with the market, TigerSpike only wants to redefine its market image and re-explore the concept of mobile. “Officially, we’re a digital services agency,” says COO Alex Hall. “Fundamentally we were founded on the technology platform Phoenix, which was originally a mobile CMS, but our view is online and mobile equals digital – the two go hand-in-hand. The channel is digital, not one or
the other.”
While the agency’s deep knowledge of mobile helped it grow, today the vision is all about integrated digital solutions. “The Phoenix platform has allowed us to scale inter-nationally very quickly, but it’s not just with mobile,” explains Hall, adding TigerSpike offers clients strategic, creative and technological solutions across digital media. “A significant part of our business is working with user-generated content . . . and that’s online plus mobile, so often our campaigns are quite integrated.”
But surely a shift toward becoming a “digital services agency”, offering “integrated solutions”, is a move away from what made TigerSpike special in the first place?
Not at all, argues Hall. The agency owns the Phoenix platform outright, making it not just a digital agency but a technology company – a decisive edge over competitors. “The difference with us is we don’t say, ‘Here’s a big idea’. We say, ‘Here’s everything that’s possible’, which we feel gives clients more opportunities – because if you don’t know what’s possible, how do you know to think of it?”
While Hall won’t name names – and won’t comment on whether a group starting with the initial “B” recently made a tilt for TigerSpike – he admits the company is approached by potential investors “reasonably frequently”. Would management sell? Only if it helped the company’s international expansion plans, it would seem. “There’s no doubt in my mind that investment would act as a catalyst for faster international growth,” says Hall.
303 Group
Location: Perth, Sydney
Founded: April 1990
Ownership: Ray Van Kempen, Lindsay Medalia, Jim Davies, Alan Taylor, Nick Cleaver
Management: Group CEO Nick Cleaver, chairman Jim Davies, Perth MD Alan Taylor, Perth CD Lindsay Medalia, Perth head of art Ray Van Kempen, Sydney MD Jon McKie, Sydney CD Julian Watt, head of PR Melanie King
Cashflow: Billings of $71 million
Staff: 110
Since launching in Perth in 1990, 303 Group has become one of Australia’s largest independent agencies, with clients including Ikea, Red Rooster, Cash Converters, Travel Corp, HBF and Wyeth Consumer Healthcare. In 2007, it won $65 million in new business, including the Department of Housing & Works, Netball WA and Water Corporation.
303’s main services are across advertising, media, public relations, digital, design, a brand consulting
agency called Uffindellwest, and 2Print, a print management and production division.
PR and design are the most recently established divisions, as well as a more substantial digital offering.
303 Group expanded to Sydney last year through the acquisition of McNabb Advertising and FNL, which added Fujitsu General, Harley Davidson and the Sydney Airport Authority to its list of accounts. ExOgilvy & Mather London planner Jon McKie, who has a number of Cannes Lions under his belt, joined as MD.
303’s culture and way of working is what separates it from the crowd, according to Nick Cleaver, CEO of 303 Group. “The culture is open, collaborative, non-hierarchical, and un-siloed,” Cleaver says.
“There are no departments, no walls, no offices, but an open environment in which everyone is charged with making a positive contribution and enjoys the freedom and responsibility of being able to say what they think.
“We regularly move people around the office. So one month the creative director is sitting next to the CFO, and the next month a junior account executive,”
Cleaver says.
Given 303’s impressive client list and staff count of 110, with 20 added in Sydney and 20 in Perth in the past year alone, the agency is an attractive acquisition target. However, Cleaver remains tight-lipped on the issue of a potential sale. “We have been approached,” he says. “But I wouldn’t care to discuss by whom.”
Photon Group last year reportedly offered about $8 million to acquire 303 Group, but Cleaver, at the time, denied all reports and nothing as yet has come out of the rumours.
Cleaver, who sees financial independence as underpinning the group’s independence of thought and action, says, at this stage, he’s not interested in selling.
“We’ve been able to make business development decisions quickly and independently without a holding company telling us how to run our business. We have developed a unique structure and culture. As part of a holding company, we wouldn’t have been allowed to do what we’ve done, for example, retain our in-house media strategists.”
Photon and friends will just have to salivate from the sidelines for now then.
Soap Creative
Location: Sydney
Founded: March 2002
Ownership: Ashley Ringrose, Robert Dennis, Leonardo Zamboni, Brad Eldridge
Management: Managing partner Leonardo Zamboni, co-founder and director of technology & strategy Ashley Ringrose, co-founder and co-creative director Robert Dennis, co-creative director Brad Eldridge, executive producer Brigham Glaser
Cashflow: EBITDA of $1million to
$2 million
Staff: 30
When Ashley Ringrose and Robert Dennis decided to launch Soap Creative at the ripe young ages of 21 and 28, their business plan was decidedly simple: focus on producing world-class creative and have fun. But their philosophy has paid dividends, helped by the rampant growth of the digital advertising market since the company launched.
Over the past three years, Soap has swelled from 10 to 30 staff and from two to four partners, adding clients such as Hutchison 3, Foxtel, Unilever Streets, Samsung and Tour-ism WA, and, in the US, Vivendi Games, National Geographic Kids, 20th Century Fox and Marvel, with more big account wins in the pipeline.
Today, Soap earns 20% of its revenue in the US, a strategic expansion given digital budgets are much higher than in Australia – up from 17% of total revenue one year ago.
Soap differentiates itself from other digital agencies by being “more relaxed, funnier and hungrier”, with a strict “No dickhead policy”.
“It’s not our objective to have the biggest team, but the best team. We’ve focused heavily on nurturing and mentoring our young guns while stimulating the veterans with interesting projects. As a result, only one team member has left in the last two years,” says Leo Zamboni, one of four owners in the company.
True to its philosophy, Soap’s website is playful and funny, albeit endearingly geeky. Its team members are described as “Superheroes” depicted with comic graphics, while its list of services includes “BBQ Catering”, illustrated by a gallery of photos of the team enjoying sausage sizzles.
Despite its light-hearted tone, Soap is a serious contender. It under-stands humour travels fast in the online world, which explains the company’s playful approach to creating websites, games, illustration, video, animation and digital production. Soap’s designers and strategists routinely document their lives on blogs and photo-sharing sites like Flickr, and also demonstrate their expertise through digital news site Bannerblog and their “Weekly 6” newsletter about online trends (“When 5 is just not enough”).
Awarded at One Show, The Web-bys, AWARD, ADMA and New York Festival, Soap has already been courted by at least one large network, but is “only keen to talk to those who will enable us to grow into new markets”.
To date, Soap’s growth has been self-funded by the company’s owners and by existing capital. But its goals are ambitious: within the next couple of years Soap intends to open a US office, win a Lion at Cannes and Pencil at D&AD, and secure automotive and alcohol brands as clients.
@www
Location: London, Sydney
Founded: January 1996
Ownership: Joshua Frith (pictured), Andrew Frith, Justin Buckwell, Australian Capital Equity
Management: Managing director & co-founder Joshua Frith, general manager Australia Carl Gallagher, general manager UK Barnaby Hobbs, CD Australia Tristan Fawley, CD UK Justin Buckwell, chief financial officer Jason Mulcahy, technical director James Rintoul
Cashflow: Billings of $7.5 million, profits of $1.5 million
Staff: 50
@www is one of the oldest internet services companies in Australia. It was established on New Year’s Day 1996 by Joshua Frith, previously an award-winning finance and media journalist at The Australian, along with his brother Andrew Frith, a special FX expert, and Justin Buckwell, a TV broadcast designer, who at the time, was setting up the graphics department at Foxtel. Kerry Stokes’ investment vehicle Australian Capital Equity gave the fledgling company a small loan to get started and maintains a minority stake.
@www’s longevity is one of its competitive advantages, according to Joshua Frith: “We’re an independent outfit that’s been around for almost as long as online has been commercialised, more than 12 years, so we have a wealth of experience tied up in the senior team.” But experience is just one element in @www’s attractiveness to potential investors.
The company started out with a strong technical bent, developing its own technologies to service client needs. It now operates its own proprietary content management system and e-CRM platform. But the jewel in @www’s crown is its capital raising software, Iposoft, used to manage complex financial transactions online. Iposoft has handled high-profile deals such as the Telstra 3 $16 billion share raising and has worked with leading global investment banks, such as ABN AMRO, UBS and Macquarie Bank, on over 50 deals worth more than $120 billion.
Frith expanded @www into the UK in 2000, just before the bubble burst. “It wasn’t the greatest time
to be opening a London office and paying out expenses in pounds, but now that we’re well established it’s pretty nice to be earning sterling,” says a battle-worn, but triumphant, Frith.
From its strong technical background, over the past five years @www has migrated to a creative lead agency in online marketing and advertising. @www is creating a lucrative niche for itself, servicing the gap between TV networks, TV production houses and brands – acting as central catalyst in bringing these parties together in branded entertainment ventures. In the UK, @www has worked with ITV, BBC, FreemantleMedia, Endemol and RDF Media, through its Dubz.tv brand, creating multi-platform con-tent for mobile, TV and online.
In Australia, @www has experienced the strongest growth from media and finance clients, including ING Direct, AMP Capital, Discover Channel Asia, Brookefield Multiplex, the Seven Network and PDL Toll.
While Frith admits he’s been approached by marketing services groups more than once over the past 18 months, he sees merit in staying independent for now. What’s more, @www is in an acquisitive mindset itself. The agency is currently on the hunt for companies in the finance, communications, branding and direct marketing sectors.
In fact, with plans to establish a Singapore office in the near future, introduce Dubz.tv to Australia and export Iposoft to the rest of the world, it’s no surprise @www isn’t in a rush to sell out just yet.
HOST
Location: Sydney
Founded: July 2000
Ownership: Anthony Freedman, Olly Taylor, Jacqui Hooper
Management: CEO Anthony Freedman, interactive director Bob Macintosh, finance director David Munro, senior planner Frank Bethel, GM Jacqui Hooper, business director Jodie Howard, client services director Matt Cooney, planning director Olly Taylor, operations director Paddy Morahan, group business director Richard Birkby
Cashflow: Billings of $140 million
Staff: 70 (plus 25 creative partners)
When Host launched into the Australian market in 2000, it was hailed as a new agency model for the new millennium. With strategy and planning at its core and no in-house creative team, Host introduced a new way of approaching the advertising process. Initially relying on the services of founder Anthony Freedman’s brother Gary Freedman and his creative collective The Glue Society, Host now uses an enviable roster of creative teams, including Happy Soldiers, Southpaw, Common, Day and Age and Omelette.
Host has expanded steadily since its inception and now covers planning, project management and production (broadcast, print, digital and events/experiential). Work encompasses all touchpoints – across brand, acquisition and retention campaigns.
The past two years have seen rapid expansion for the Surry Hills-based agency, with staff numbers growing from 23 to 40 in 2006, and to 66 by the end of 2007. Host’s creative roster now sits at 25 people, taking its effective headcount to just
under 100.
This rapid growth was a result of stunning new business wins for the agency, with $70 million in new billings from clients such as BankWest, Nine Network, IKEA, New Line Cinema, TimeOut and V-Festival, added in 2007. Host’s existing roster of major clients includes Lion Nathan, Virgin Mobile, Yahoo!7, Air New Zealand and BT Financial Group.
Awards continue to come thick and fast for Host, giving credence to its theory that “an agency without a creative department can be the most creative agency in Australia”. In 2007, Host picked up gongs at Cannes, AWARD, ADMA, the Caxtons, Creative Showcase, and the UK APG Creative Planning Awards. And already in 2008, Host is on a digital winning streak, winning Creative magazine’s Digital & Interactive Hotshop of the Year and taking out the Best of the Best and Effectiveness awards at the AIMIA Awards for work on Air New Zealand.
Founder Anthony Freedman admits that although he’s not proactively looking for an exit strategy, the agency has been approached several times and is “open to those discussions”.
“[But] an exit strategy is not on our agenda, which means all of these opportunities have to be evaluated on their ability to improve the agency and position us better to fulfil our future ambitions,” says Freedman. “If we felt by changing the ownership structure of Host we would lose any of our culture and passion or it would impede our approach and the quality of work, we wouldn’t consider it.”
Three Drunk Monkeys
Location: Sydney
Founded: August 2006
Ownership: Split between Scott Nowell, Justin Drape, Mark Green
Management: CD Scott Nowell, MD Mark Green, CD Justin Drape
Cashflow: Not disclosed
Staff: 15
Writers, directors, planners, authors and just plain creators – that’s the Three Drunk Monkeys team in a nutshell.
The company has made a splash in Aussie adland in its short existence. When talk turns to the future, and how advertising and marketing must evolve, Three Drunk Monkeys pops up time and again.
In less than two years Three Drunk Monkeys has produced outstanding and innovative work for big clients such as ninemsn, Foxtel, Pepsi, NRL, Yahoo!7 and Fox Sports.
Three Drunk Monkeys refuses to be pigeonholed as an ad agency, a branded content outfit or a production company. Its strength lies in the diversity of its work – ranging from films, TV shows, books and webi-sodes, to TVCs.
“Our creations tend to be advertising content creations,” MD Mark Green says. “Our ideas build brands and products. We don’t want to just be an ad agency. The business has moved on from that model.”
For its efforts, the agency has won a swag of awards – from Cannes, AWARD and One Show, to AdNews’ Emerging Agency of the Year in 2007.
Green admits the agency’s early success has been a surprise, although borne out of a lot of hard work and a desire to be unique. “We’re trying to be different,” he says. “The market has changed and there’s real opportunities for someone with our business model. 20 months is very early, we never thought we’d be in this position when we started.”
Success may have come early for the agency, but it hasn’t changed the trio’s original plans. “We’re more concerned with creating the company we’ve always wanted to work for,” Green says. “In the future, I see us working for brands and see us launching our own products.”
According to Green, Three Drunk Monkeys has already been courted by potential suitors, but selling “hasn’t crossed our mind at this stage”.
“It’s too early. It’s not our ambition to sell, it’s our ambition to create something that’s truly unique and attractive,” says Green. “Independence is one of our great strengths and a selling point to clients.”
But what about later? “You can never tell,” he says. “Every independent says they’ll never sell and then does. [But] it’s not on our radar.”
Other Hot Contenders
AJF Partnership
Location: Melbourne, Adelaide
Founded: June 2005
Ownership: equally by Andrew J Fabbro, Andrew J Foote, Adam J Francis
Management: Business director Andrew Fabbro, creative director Andrew Foote, creative director Adam Francis, associate creative director Josh Stephens, senior account director Jayne Brady
Cashflow: Billings of $62.5M
Staff: 32
Key clients: GM Holden, National Foods, Herald Sun, Landmark, Borders, ANZ Bank, SA Lotteries
Big Red Group (previously Dewey & Horton)
Location: Melbourne, Sydney
Founded: 2002
Ownership: Ted Horton, Chris Dewey
Management: Princiapls are Ted Horton and Chris Dewey
Cashflow: Not disclosed
Staff: Less than a dozen
Key clients: Jetstar, Liberal Government, David Jones, Coles
The Foundry
Location: Sydney, Melbourne
Founded: March 2006
Ownership: equally by Ian Brown, Simon Burrett and Gloria Parker
Management: chairman Ron Parker, managing partner Simon Burrett, national CD and managing partner Ian Brown,
Cashflow: (ASK SHARON)
Staff:35
Key clients: BBQ Galore, Daimler Trucks, Dick Smith Electronics, Fresh Life, Freedom, Snooze, Stihl
Spinach
Location: Melbourne
Founded: August 1999
Ownership: equal partners Craig Flanders, Frank Morabito
Management: managing partner Craig Flanders, creative director Frank Morabito, director of strategy Fiona Le Brocq
Cashflow: Estimated capitalised billings of $33Million
Staff: 19
Key clients: MYOB, Scholl, Australian Seniors Finance, ABC Local Radio, Carpet Court, First National Real Estate, Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, ABC Shops, CSR Sugar.
Kwp! Advertising
Location: Adelaide.
Founded:April 1991
Ownership: Andrew Killey, Peter Withy, Sylvia Mason, John Baker
Management: managing director Andrew Killey, creative director Peter Withy, strategy director Sylvia Mason, account service director John Baker, media director Mat Rawnsley
Cashflow: Not disclosed
Staff: 45
Key clients: Coopers Brewery, Yalumba Wines, Primelife, Royal Automobile Association (RAA), South Australian Tourism Commission, Powerball, The Advertiser and Sunday Mail, Channel 7, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, SA Department of Health, Ultratune
Third Screen Media
Location: Melbourne head office, Sydney & Brisbane
Founded: October 2004
Ownership: Privately owned
Management: Chairman Adam Trescowthick, CEO Joe Barber, COO Richard Robinson, CIO Damien Gooden
Cashflow: Not disclosed
Staff: 10
Key clients: Mocom (Mitchell Partners mobile arm), AXIS Media, OMD, Starcom, Sputnik, InFront Media
BCM
Location: Brisbane
Founded: 1976
Ownership: Bill Bristow, Paul Cornwell, Kevin Moreland
Management: Partner Bill Bristow, partner Paul Cornwell, partner Kevin Moreland, MD Bill Bristow, CD Nick Ikonomou, head of media & integration Joanne Stone, agency manager Gillian Tucker
Cashflow: Not disclosed
Staff: 65
Key clients: Angel Flight, Budget Direct, Gold Coast Titans, Golden Circle, Origin, Queensland Government, Retail Food Group, Sizzler, Sunbeam Foods,
Meerkats
Location: Perth
Founded: July 2004
Ownership: equally by Mike Edmonds, Ronnie Duncan
Management: Creative director Mike Edmonds, brand planner Ronnie Duncan, director of client services Mark Pinney
Billings: $22 million
Staff: 21
Key clients: iiNet Limited, Stockland, Murdoch University, Police & Nurses Credit Society
Autumn:01
Location: Sydney
Founded: March 1999
Ownership: Privately owned
Management: Strategy director Guy Munro, account director Andreas Fung, creative director Mervyn Tan, technical director Raz Szpalinski
Billings: Not disclosed
Staff: 15
Key clients: ABC TV, AMP, ARENA TV, Australian Radio Network, Channel [V], EMI Music Australia, FOXTEL, Ministry of Sound, Network TEN, Radio Network NZ, Toshiba, Universal Music, The Weather Channel
Bullseye
Location: Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney
Founded: August 2000
Ownership: Privately owned.
Management: Group CEO Jim McKerlie, MD Greg Muller, director of digital marketing Jason Davey, director of technology and development Martyn Toney, creative director Kevin Ferry
Cashflow: Not disclosed
Staff: 85
Key clients: ANZ, Blackmores, Mazda, Queensland Rail, SEEK, Zoos Victoria, Vodafone, Australia Post, Masterfoods, Flight Centre,
Marmalade
Location: Melbourne
Founded: July 2002
Ownership: Victor Maree, Neil Mallet
Management: Creative partner Neil Mallet; managing partner Victor Maree, head of strategy and account service Lisa Gumbleton
Cashflow: Billings in excess of $8 million
Staff: 16
Key clients: HJ Heinz Australia, Metlink, Diana Ferrari, Musashi, CARE Australia, VIcRoads, Victorian Government
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